City Guides

Edinburgh: Roller Derby

We meet the Auld Reekie Roller Girls

‘This is not a roller disco!’ yells the coach, as a blur of fishnets and emerald green flies past. I’m here to meet Edinburgh’s roller derby squad, the Auld Reekie Roller Girls, if I can catch one … If you haven’t yet heard of roller derby, your days…

Edinburgh: International Storytelling Festival

With the literature celebration coming up, we explore why everyone loves a good story

There are few people who can turn down an intimate offer of: ‘Can I tell you a story?’ They can be fanciful, creepy, true-to-life or utterly ridiculous tales – but, then, it’s not so much the content we thrive on, it’s the physical and emotional act of…

Glasgow: Paolo Nutini's Top Spots

The solo star takes us around his Glasgow

Becoming a global music star is hard work on the way up. When The Midgie tracks down Scots singer Paolo Nutini he’s just waking up in a hotel room in Indianapolis, midway through a punishing summer-long touring and promotion schedule of the States which…

Glasgow: Glasgay!

From politics to partying, the history of the LGBT festival

There aren’t many arts festivals that could celebrate Maw Broon (one of the most traditional of Scots comic strip characters in Dundee’s DC Thomson stable, which also produces The Beano, The Dandy and Oor Wullie), take on board a diverse programme of…

Glasgow: Merchant City Festival

The celebration of cutting-edge Scottish arts, music and live performance

The Merchant City is all of Glasgow in a few square blocks. At its most north-westerly point, as it merges into the city centre around George Square, it’s all about opulent buildings, trendy boutique shops and a range of desirable restaurants and delis.

Edinburgh: The Bowery

Our guide on the capital's innovative new art bar

Buzzing away in the basement of an old church, at the heart of the old Roxy Art House, the eager city explorer might find discovering The Bowery an adventure in itself. Whilst, like at the end of every treasure hunt, there awaits an irresistible reward…

Edinburgh: Riding of the Marches

History on horseback

There are many areas of the city that you can easily walk by without really realising their historical importance. But if a great big shiny-maned horse was to suddenly step into view and offer to teach you something about Edinburgh’s history, you’d…

Glasgow: Things To Do

Escaping the regular way of city life

Akhe & Derevo, Arches Live, Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival, Winterfest

Glasgow: Bonfire Night

Fireworks on Glasgow Green

Those of you who’ve seen the V For Vendetta film might be forgiven for thinking that the design of the lead character V was an original piece of work. In fact, the cape, stovepipe hat and bearded facemask look was borrowed by V’s creators, the…

Edinburgh: The Illuminated Car Parade

Pimping that ride

We all get car envy every now and again: cars that are extra shiny, ones with futuristic looking lights or those extra special ones that are two-tone and seem to shimmer like diamonds. But the ones on show at Edinburgh’s first Illuminated Art Car Parade…

Edinburgh: Food From Home

Where to get your country's culinary treats

If you’re feeling homesick, there’s nothing like one of your favourite foods from home to perk you up. Anna Docherty tells you where to find them in Edinburgh. A&W Root Beer, Mike and Ike, Cola Cao, Biltong

Glasgow: Food From Home

Where to get your country's culinary treats

Gjetost Cheese, Mithai sweets, Hershey's Kisses, Pierogi

West End Festival

The West End of Glasgow is currently gearing up for its yearly festivities. David Pollock meets the festival’s founder and finds out what’s new for 2009.

Days Out: Beaches in Edinburgh

Long summer days mean that there is plenty time to escape the city and head for sandy beaches and salty shores. Oh, we do like to be beside the seaside… Here’s our guide to Edinburgh’s best beaches.

Beer Gardens in Glasgow

Summer is all about the great outdoors, so there’s nothing sweeter than enjoying a pint in the sunshine. Here’s our guide to the best beer gardens in Glasgow.

Beer Gardens in Edinburgh

Gardens and beer, two words we like for themselves - but we like them even more when they are put together. So, in honour of summer, here’s our guide to Edinburgh’s top beer gardens.

Days Out: Glasgow

Escape the regular way of city life and head to one of these scenic destinations or unique outdoor events. Much more fun than chips on a park bench.

Ghost Hunter

As travellers to our fair shores may already be aware, Scotland is considered a hotbed of supernatural activity. In fact, it is positively - to use a Scots word - ‘hoachin’ with ghosts, ghouls, spectres, spooks and spirits. This is especially true of…

Ceilidh Culture

Ceilidhs are cool. There, I’ve said it; now it’s a fact. Seriously though, ceilidhs do seem to be slowly creeping into popular culture and are no longer regarded as something twee and refined to the Highlands and rickety old village halls, with triangle…

Travel around Glasgow

Buses Bus services in Glasgow are owned by Stagecoach (www.stagecoashbus.com) and SPT (www.spt.co.uk). Yet the biggest provider is the First Group (www.firstgroup.com), with a fleet of around 1000 buses. Service and timetabling information can be…

5 things to see and do in Glasgow

1 SNO!zone After the winter that Britain has just ‘enjoyed’, most of us will be glad to see the back of the snow. Not the staff and customers at Braehead’s massive indoor ski centre SNO!zone, though, one of the company’s three sites in the UK…

Aye Write!

Now in its fourth year, Aye Write! 2009 promises to be the biggest and best instalment of the Glasgow-based literary festival yet, and - as the name boldly hints - one which continues to blend an appraisal of the wider written world with a strong spine…

St Patrick’s Day

As the saying goes, ‘everybody wants to be Irish on St Patrick’s Day’. Although this green-clothed and shamrock-festooned celebration of all things associated with the Emerald Isle is meant to be a patriotic event, it’s indulged in vigorously the…

Hinterland

Glasgow is widely acknowledged as one of the best places in the UK to hear live music, due in no small part to its consistent production of high-quality new bands. In Britain, only London and Manchester can challenge Glasgow’s heritage, so it’s about…

Live Music

As you’ll know from reading the feature on Hinterland festival elsewhere in this mighty organ of Midgieness, it’s going to be an even more exciting spring than usual for Glasgow’s musical scene. But hold on, you’re travelling and you’re on a budget…