Barras Market
The Barras is Glasgow's long-running weekend market on the Gallowgate in the East End. It began with traders selling from hired barrows between the wars and is still a weekend ritual for many Glaswegians, with the Barrowland Ballroom's neon sign rising above the stalls.
Photos
Emilia Cortés
From barrows to a covered market
"Barra" is Glaswegian for barrow. James and Maggie McIver started the market by hiring out barrows to local hawkers, with Maggie eventually renting more than 300 from her yard in Marshall Lane. She roofed the market in 1926 to protect traders' stock, and it was fully enclosed two years later.
The Barrowland connection
When Maggie McIver couldn't hire a hall for the traders' Christmas party, she built her own. The Barrowland Ballroom opened on Christmas Eve 1934 and is now one of Glasgow's best-loved gig venues. Walking under its animated neon sign is part of the Barras experience, even on a market morning.
Visiting today
The market runs at weekends. Come in the morning for the best browsing, and expect a mix of permanent and pop-up traders rather than a polished shopping street. Afterwards, Saint Luke's & The Winged Ox is a couple of minutes away for food in a converted church, and the People's Palace on Glasgow Green covers the city's social history. Wear comfortable shoes, since the market spreads across several streets and covered halls, and there is plenty to browse. Allow an hour or two to look round properly.
Highlights
- Weekend market in Glasgow's East End
- Founded by James and Maggie McIver
- Covered in 1926
- Next to the Barrowland Ballroom, opened in 1934
Good to know
- The market is a weekend-only operation.
- The Gallowgate is the main road to Celtic Park, so expect crowds on home match days.
Frequently asked questions
Nearby
Sources: barrowland.co.uk · en.wikipedia.org