As the end of 2023 hurtles towards me, I am frantically typing up the 13th edition of my annual specialty coffee and food awards, in which I share my favourite coffee shops, eateries, bars and individual dishes from among those I visited for the first time in 2023 — in London and on my travels around the world.

Once a year, my mum and I take a trip together, spending a long weekend in a new city or region. This year, it was the turn of Glasgow — a city we'd both wanted to visit for quite some time. With a population of around 635,000, 'dear green place' (as Glasgow is affectionately known), is the largest city in Scotland and the third largest in the UK. Its compact city centre is easy to explore on foot or by public transport and there is plenty to keep you occupied for a long weekend — and beyond — from murals and Mackintosh architecture to whisky, walks and waterside fun.

Glasgow has been on my to-visit list for some time — as a destination for both a city break and a specialty coffee tour. I recently spent a long weekend there with my mum and was able to explore the vibrant and diverse specialty coffee scene of Scotland's largest city. Read on to find out more about the coffee shops and roasteries I visited on my trip. As usual, my very favourites are marked with an asterisk and have purple icons in my map below. Stay tuned for a separate post about all the other things we got up to during our stay in Glasgow.