Achi news desk-
Here are 10 rooftop terraces, restaurants and bars across Scotland to look out for when the summer season arrives.
Red Sky Bar
Radisson Red, 25 Tunnel Street, Glasgow
Just a short walk (and up a few steps) from the OVO Hydro, the Red Sky bar at the Radisson Red Hotel is an ideal choice for any pre-gig cocktails this Spring.
Even when the sun is shining, the views of the River Clyde, Finnieston Crane and Squinty Bridge are enough entertainment on their own.
House of the Gods
61 Glassford Street, Glasgow
After three years of refurbishment, last week marked the official opening of the House of Gods Hotel in Glasgow in a space previously occupied by Peckham’s Deli.
While the luxury chain is perhaps best known for maximalist interiors that rely heavily on animal prints and gold detailing, upstairs the ‘Sacred Garden’ roof terrace is another story.
There you will find an abundance of displays of flowers and greenery framing floor to ceiling windows that look out across the city center skyline, with outdoor seating also available.
An ideal option for those days when the weather can’t quite make up its mind.
It’s Cameron’s
Little Belmont Street, Aberdeen
The snug at the front of Ma Cameron’s is said to be Aberdeen’s oldest bar dating back 300 years.
There are plenty of nooks and crannies to discover indoors, but it’s a relaxed rooftop beer garden that the venue claims is ‘the granite city’s best kept secret’.
1820 Rooftop Bar
Johnnie Walker Princes Street, 145 Princes Street, Edinburgh
The Johnnie Walker Experience in Edinburgh city center is the jewel in the crown of Diageo’s £185 million investment in Scotch whiskey tourism, with eight amazing floors to explore.
This of course includes the Rooftop bar 1820, where a whiskey-led cocktail list and 180-degree views of the city and its Castle are hard to beat as the days grow longer.
Black Isle Bar
68 Church Street, Inverness
In this city bar, Black Isle Brewing Company maintains 26 taps pouring all their latest creations alongside a selection of organic ciders, wines and whiskies.
Choose your pint, order a wood fired pizza from their food menu and make a beeline for the ‘top secret’ roof garden when the sun shines over Inverness.
Cold Town House
4 Grassmarket, Edinburgh
During the warmer months, a table on the scenic roof terrace of this former ‘Beer Bar of the Year’ winner is a hot commodity and advance booking is recommended to avoid disappointment.
It’s easy to see why, with those all-important castle views, a range of beers made fresh at Cold Town’s own microbrewery and grazing plates like loaded buffalo chicken fries or Cajun corned ribs to pick it up as you sip.
Kong
23 Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow
‘A botanical escape in the heart of the city’, Kong’s recently opened roof terrace is enhanced with lush, leafy plants and strings of fairy lights that twinkle as the sun begins to set.
It’s fully heated all year round, but with summer just around the corner, we predict this will be one of the busiest hangouts in the city.
18 at Rusacks St Andrews
Pilmour Links, St Andrews
Something a little different to the city venues that fill the rest of our list, this rooftop bar and restaurant in St Andrews offers truly spectacular views over the Old Course and West Sands Beach.
The coming season will see the first signature dishes from new executive chef Billy Boyter (formerly of The Cellar in Anstruther) be served against the dramatic backdrop, with local seafood beef and game cooked on robata grill.
The Ubiquitous Chip
12 Ashton Lane, Glasgow
No roundup of rooftop venues would be complete without a nod to this West End institution.
The Rooftop Terrace at the Chip is certainly not as flashy as some of the other entries on the list, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in character.
Order a crisp glass of white wine, squeeze your way into a table and you’re all but guaranteed to strike up a conversation with whoever sits next to you in this quirky little space.
W Edinburgh Lounge
W Edinburgh Hotel, St James Quarter, Edinburgh
This will be the W Edinburgh Hotel’s first summer, with the lounge and deck on the 11th floor ready to make the most of its panoramic views.
Expect to share plates of ‘re-imagined’ Gaelic food and bespoke cocktails, or head downstairs to Sushisamba for a lively fusion of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian dishes when you’ve finished catching some rays.
