Still Game Location Tour - Part 2

(Part 1 is here)

It was time to say "Cheery-bye" to Edinburgh. I headed to Edinburgh Waverley station but I couldn’t find the main entrance and wandered into Waverly Market, where all sorts of items were on display.  I browsed them while looking for the way to the platforms. Then, something caught my eye.

How brilliant the hue of Winston’s face is. I was tempted to buy but I didn’t notice the “frames not included” sign and thought it’s a stupid thing to carry a framed picture with me down to Glasgow. So I gave it a miss. Clever girl.

Shortly after, I succesfully found my train, and left Edinburgh.

Road to Osprey Heights

George Square was my first Still Game filming location to visit, because the hotel I stayed was right next to it. I imagined sitting there, having a lunch while a half naked man dancing around. Well, if you have seen the news about the square, you know that did not happen.

Can you see me noo?

It is, of all days, temporarily closed for refurbishment and it’s behind hoardings at the moment. But look, there's your bonus ball right there. A peephole!

Unfortunately, this was all I got. I’ll definitely come back when it’s reopened, which will be next year. It was a rare sight, though.

Next morning, I left the hotel to take a long walk to visit other filming locations in central Glasgow and then eventually, my goal - to Osprey Heights. The route was like this: Navid's shop - Buchanan Street - Glasgow Central Station - Queen Street - and then, take a train to Maryhill where Osprey Heights is located. Here we go.

Harrid’s Convenience Store (Navid’s Shop)

Navid’s shop in Townhead district is in walking distance from Geroge Square, it took about 10 minutes. I was really looking forward to visiting this place, but it turns out that my research wasn’t plenty. I learned hours before that its owner had changed twice and it is no longer the place I was familiar with. I couldn't spot the shop at the first sight but when I got closer,

The man was there.

By the way, one of the loveliest moments I had in Scotland was spotting Sanjeev Kohli on Tunnock's advert. You can watch it on YouTube at home, but watching it on the telly in Scotland was totally a different experience.

Anyway, I was meaning to sit on the bench in front of the shop, but to my disappointment, it was taken by two boys. A “Hot Seat” scenario.

Glasgow Central Station

My next destination was Glasgow Central Station, where Victor waited in vain for his son to arrive.

"Faimly", the second episode from series 1, is among my top 3 favourite episodes. To me, Glasgow Central Station is like King's Cross station for Potterheads. I knew what I was going to do there.

Sit on a bench (guess what I will do in Victoria Park). This time, it was a success thanks to the massive amount of benches. I couldn’t help but watch a clip from "Faimly" on the spot. If you look closely, Starbucks is still there. There was no fast food shop to get myself a tongue-burning apple pie, though.

Winston mural at Queen Street

A few months earlier I read that a mural of Winston appeared at Queen Street. I put it on the list immediately.

“Steeevieeee!”

This is remarkable. It’s located right in the corner of the street. I could have easily missed it hadn’t I known what the nearby shop looks like, or if I’d come from the other way around.

Excited, I turned the corner to face the mural so that I can admire it for a while. But I had to bin that idea because two ladies were standing there, chatting. This is one of the downsides of solo travelling. If you have a companion, it would be alright. You have someone to share the moment. Imagine being there, staring into a wall and grinning, alone. You're a fucking weirdo.

Rendezvous Cafe / Osprey Heights

Past the mural, I walked to Queen Street Station to take a train to Maryhill, which was used as a major filming location of Craiglang. Despite the journey to Osprey Heights from Maryhill station takes only 10-15 minute walk, it was a hell of a cardio in this unusual heat that swept across the country that day.

My early itinerary included dining in at Robyn’s Nest. It’s known as "Rendezvous Cafe" in the series and located on the way to Osprey Heights. It even had Still Game-inspired menu. I was devastated when I heard that it went out of business in May. I was too late.

I got quite emotional seeing the state of it. It was such an iconic place for fans, and it must have been a great loss for the community. I do hope its future owner will keep a bit of Still Game element to it.

By the time I got near to Jack and Victor's home, the road was getting uphill. I started to pant. Almost there…

I. Am. In. Craiglang.

I forgot every single pain when I saw this. It was more magnificent than seeing it on a screen. I kept on going to the foot of the building.

Impressive. I lost for words, but then I remembered I was on my own and there was no one to tell my thoughts after all.

One final look at Osprey Heights.

I thought about the number of miles I had traveled to be there, the people I met along the way, beautiful sceneries and ever-changing Scottish weather. Craiglang may be a "shitehole", but Scotland had got hold of my heart. It had been a meaningful trip.

That’s it for now. My Still Game location tour had come to an end. There are more places to visit for sure, but I will save them for later to visit this lovely country again. Cheery-bye!

Extra: It’s time for tea

Watching the series, I was always curious what the heck were Tea Cakes, Rich Tea and Curly Wurly. Especially Tea Cakes, the very sweets so delicious that Jack ate not two, but four. At first, I thought these were made-up brands because I believed BBC is not supposed to mention brand names. But Google told me otherwise. I had to buy them.

The quest was pretty easy, as they are popular products in the UK and available almost everywhere. I couldn't find Curly Wurly bars like the one Navid sold (I bought Curly Wurly Squirlies instead, but didn’t like it), but I was happy.

Job done.