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“The part of ‘Outlander’ that I love the most is the history: the clan culture, the folklore and back stories (and consequences) of the Jacobite Rising,” mentioned Sam Heughan, 42, who has performed the heartthrob Highland warrior Jamie Fraser in the time-travel sequence since 2014.
This love of historical past feeds his ardour for the traditional metropolis of Glasgow. A typical day for Mr. Heughan entails meandering previous medieval cathedrals, Victorian cobbled lanes, Georgian structure constructed when the town was a significant tobacco and sugar hub, and Nineteenth-century tenements constructed in the course of the Industrial Revolution, when metal and ships had been mass-produced right here. “Glasgow has got beautiful parts and grit. The combination, plus incredibly good-natured people, are the city’s charm,” he mentioned.
Beyond the long-running sequence, Mr. Heughan simply accomplished capturing a tv present known as “The Couple Next Door” for Starz and Britain’s Channel 4, and is launching a “wild Scottish” gin underneath the Sassenach label, a whisky-focused spirits model that he based in 2020. (The identify means “a foreigner” in Gaelic, and can be Jamie Fraser’s time period of endearment for Claire, his spouse, performed by Caitríona Mary Balfe.)
When he does have free time, Mr. Heughan is out and about. “I love walking and running along the River Clyde to Glasgow Green with a possible stop at the microbrewery Drygate for a beer,” he mentioned. Hiking is one other pastime (Mr. Heughan’s current memoir, “Waypoints: My Scottish Journey,” chronicles his expertise tackling the 96-mile West Highland Way hike). “A wee walk, or stravaigin in old Scots speak, is good for mental health,” he mentioned.
He can be a fan of Citizens Theatre in the working-class Gorbals space, which places on avant-garde productions and is concerned in group engagement. (*5*) he mentioned. (The theater is at the moment closed for refurbishment. )
On the subject of the kilt, sure, Mr. Heughan does sport one in actual life. “Kilts are about a feeling. They make you stand taller, and walk stronger. Scots wear them for any excuse. If you go to a pub in one, you’ll be getting a free drink at some point in the evening.”
Here are 5 of his favourite locations in Glasgow.
A tiny whisky bar tucked into the Finnieston space, a hipster pocket of the West End, is deemed “a Glasgow institution” by Mr. Heughan. “I went there as a student” — he studied drama on the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland — “and I go there now. People speak Gaelic, and there is live traditional Scottish music, sometimes planned, sometimes impromptu. It’s a special place.”
In the West End, bisected by the River Kelvin, this 85-acre park dappled with Victorian fountains, grand stairwells and an arched stone bridge with carved balustrades is the place locals come to hang around in the course of the hotter months.
“You can have a picnic, walk under the bridges and visit both Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, as well as the University of Glasgow, which is just up the hill,” Mr. Heughan mentioned. For a craft ale pick-me-up close by, he recommends a “secret” bar known as Inn Deep slightly below the Kelvingrove Bridge.
He could not keep in a single day, however Mr. Heughan dines on the restaurant inside this modernist, Scottish-founded resort in the town middle near the West End. The Dakota Grill specializes in grass-fed Scotch beef merely grilled over coals, and can be recognized for ethically sourced seafood and up to date takes on venison and lamb. “The interior is dark and sexy, and I like their cocktail menu (whisky sour, naturally) and simply grilled Scottish steak.”
This old-world type store on Great Western Road is Mr. Heughan’s go-to for regionally sourced cheeses and accompaniments (quince paste, cornichons, olives, chutneys, oatcakes). “I’m not a dessert guy, but at the end of a meal, I can damage a cheese board, especially one with Orkney and Isle of Mull Cheddars,” he mentioned. The store additionally presents tastings led by cheese mongers on Thursday evenings.
Since 2009, this sizzling spot in Finnieston been serving up stellar seafood in a buzzy ambiance. Mr. Heughan sits on the counter dealing with the open kitchen and orders the seafood platter with langoustines and scallops and a few champagne. “The food tastes like a celebration of Scotland, which has the best seafood in the world,” he mentioned.
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