15Glasgow, 15 Woodside Place, Glasgow 15Glasgow is a B&B that delivers more than it promises. Owned and run by Lorraine, a retired dentist, with the help of Otis, a very solid bulldog (described by his owner as “not a morning person” but nevertheless a wonderful guard dog), it is an elegant place to stay on the west side of the city. Woodside Place is across the private gardens, to which you have access, from Woodside Terrace and just along from Kelvingrove Park. Budget or boutique? Grand Victorian in style and atmosphere with boutique touches, but the rates are budget at £120 for the three double bedrooms and £150 for the two suites. This includes bed and breakfast, free parking and free wifi, and represents good value for the size of the rooms and the generous suites. Wining and dining Breakfasts here are substantial, including the full Scottish breakfast and porridge, but most dietary requests can be accommodated. It is ordered the night before and delivered to your room at your specified time, so breakfast in robe and slippers (as supplied here) is a relaxed treat. Lorraine is also on hand to recommend places to eat, notably the nearby Ox & Finch and the Singl-End Bakery, both of which we loved. We also found Crabshakk, a 15-minute walk away, which has great shellfish chowder, but was marred by crammed and tiny tables just a few feet from customers sitting at the bar. Other places to eat, if you head for the foodie-tastic Finnieston Strip, include Alchemilla and Gannet. Room service All rooms here are large, with high ceilings and big windows. The décor is pared down luxury with local touches – a Timorous Beasties wallpaper here, a subtle touch of tartan there, a room painted in heather hues. The beds are wide and the bathrooms totally 21st century, with heated tiled floors and Scottish Fine Soaps toiletries. Even bigger are the two suites, the Blue suite and Charles Rennie Mackintosh, which celebrates the famous designer’s influence in details and furniture, sofas facing fireplaces and spacious seating areas. The space and style of the CRM suite is particularly popular with brides (both pre- and post-wedding) marrying in nearby Queen’s Cross, the only church designed by Mackintosh. Worth getting out of bed for You can’t beat Glasgow for great shopping and with the city centre just 15 minutes’ walk away, you can shop till you drop. Pop into Scotland’s only branch of Cos for cutting-edge style and Armani for luxury label lovers. Then when you’ve worked up an appetite maxing the plastic, head for Platform, the latest foodie heaven at Argyle Street Arches for free range, fair trade, tasty street food from 11am to 10pm every Friday and Saturday. Gig-goers have a short hop to the Hydro and the Concert Hall has everything from Brendan Cole to Madama Butterfly. Petrol heads should head to the Riverside Museum to check out Ewan McGregor’s motorbike collection, and if textiles are your thing, it’s well worth taking in the Burrell tapestries at Kelvingrove Art Gallery. You can see the Mitchell Library from 15Glasgow and the vast domed building alone is a beauty, but book ahead to check out the special collections, such as the one of Robert Burns with his original handwritten manuscripts and a wealth of Rabbie artefacts. And if literature is your love, visit during Glasgow’s annual Aye Write! book festival (15-25 March, www.ayewrite.com) when the library is one of the venues. Little extras Coffee and tea making facilities in the rooms, and in the reception room on the ground floor Lorraine sets out glasses with a taster of whisky each evening. Guestbook comments The entrance hall sets the tone – wonderfully tiled and with stained glass windows and a fine staircase. If your home is grand Victorian, you will feel right at home. Valerie James Rates for the three bedrooms are £120 and the two suites are £150, including breakfast, parking and wifi. 15Glasgow, 15 Woodside Place, Glasgow G3 7QL, 0141-332 1263, www.15glasgow.com