Station Bar, Glasgow

Proper local, just beyond the Cowcaddens Road and (as the name would suggest) near the former Buchanan Street terminus. Both the bar and the large side room have a '60s look, but all is tidy enough, and the highlights are the two illuminated panels on the bar-back. The place was fairly full with a generally middle-aged crowd on a Saturday evening, with a good atmosphere. Two of three handpumps in operation, offering Deuchars IPA and Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted (£3.75). Well worth seeking out.

The closure of Buchanan Street station in 1966 and its subsequent demolition in 1971 has left the local Station pub a little isolated in respect of its title given that the nearest station is now Queen Street, a good 10 minute walk away. The initial plans were to merge the 2 stations but this never happened and Queen Street remained as Glasgow’s northern terminus. For the Station pub, the name lives on and fortunately so has much its traditional charm. The pub is divided into a main bar and smaller rear bar. The main bar has bare floors and traditional pub furnishings, brewery mirrors and some glazed transport and enrgency service themed murals behind the bar (the Fire & Rescue Services HQ is just down the road). The windows also have unusual coloured glass panels. The bar itself has tiled flooring around the front and takes up quite a hefty chunk of the floor space although the pub didn’t feel particlulrly cramped because of it. A brace of TV’s can be found in the main bar but the overall impression is that this is a talky chatty bar rather than any sport or music hangout. At the rear is the smaller rear section with leather banquettes and a seemingly permanent group of ageing regulars for whom this is appeared to be a daily meeting point. There isn’t an excessive amount of beers but they do have a progarmme of rotating local and guest ales. Of the 4 hand pumps, 3 were operational on my visit with Houston Endeavour, Cairngorm Brochan and Greene King Abbot. Prices were very reasonable and the quality justified its preceeding reputation. The pub may be a little off the general tourist tracks but for pub enthusiasts there is certainly enough here of interest to warrant the walk.