When I lived in Edinburgh I was spoiled for shopping. My last home was within a short walk of Princes Street and as such I could easily visit large department stores and all the high street names without having to travel far to get to them. Having these stores on your doorstep makes you take them for granted and it wasn't until I moved away that I realised just how lucky I was being so close to a huge Marks & Spencer and having John Lewis so nearby.
The town I live in now does have a large shopping centre but it doesn't have a lot of the names I was used to seeing whenever I shopped in the centre of Edinburgh. Obviously all these stores are available in Glasgow city centre, but parking there can be tricky and walking about with shopping in inclement weather can be trying.
The out of town shopping centre has grown in popularity over the past 20 or so years and Glasgow has the Fort on the eastern outskirts of the city and Silverburn, which is located in Pollok on the city's southside to show for this. Silverburn opened in 2007 and is home to 95 stores and has 4,500 parking spaces.
Getting There
The easiest way to get to Silverburn is by car. The shopping centre is located at Junction 2 of the M77 and is clearly visible from the motorway. The motorway links Silverburn not just to Glasgow but to Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire and Ayrshire.
The centre has a bus station with services serving the local area and Glasgow City Centre. The nearest train station is Nitshill and buses connect from there to the shopping station. There's no denying however that public transport links could be better.
What's It Like?
Silverburn is an indoor shopping centre - which makes sense in this part of the world. The aforementioned Fort Shopping Centre is all outdoor which is fine if the weather is good but is purgatory when it rains - and let's face it, it rains a lot on the west coast of Scotland.
The shopping centre is anchored by Marks & Spencer, Debenhams and Tesco. The Tesco Extra store isn't attached to the main shopping centre and can only be accessed from the outside but it's only a few feet to walk to reach the entrance.
The Marks & Spencer store is supposedly the largest in Scotland, and the Debenhams is large and airy too.
Most of the stores are single storey units but some - the two anchor stores located within the main part of the centre itself - have two levels. There is an upper level on the shopping centre which is home to a Pure Spa.
The actual interior of Silverburn is lovely - it feels as if you are walking down a spotless street with stores on either side. The floors have a marble effect and there is good use of natural light made from the roof, along with careful use of plants.
The shopping centre has 14 restaurants dotted throughout including a Prezzo, Yo! Sushi, a Frankie & Bennys, Nando's and Wagamama. There's a refreshing absence of fast food joints here - and I must say I don't miss the usual suspects of McDonalds and KFC one bit.
The centre has a more upmarket feel to it than the likes of Braehead and the Fort so you won't find Primark or Pounland here.
I suppose this could be viewed as a reflection on the location with the centre being very close to some of Glasgow's more genteel areas - Newton Mearns in particular.
Opening Hours
Silverburn is open generally from 10.00 am to 9.00 pm every weekday although some stores are open later - the Tesco for instance is open 24 hours and Debenhams and Marks and Spencer stay open later too - along with several of the restaurants.
The centre is open until 7pm on Saturdays and until 6pm on a Sunday. Additionally, the centre opens at 9.00 am on Saturdays.
My Thoughts
When I moved back to South Lanarkshire to live I started to find myself opting towards Silverburn to shop - especially when I wanted to visit Marks & Spencer - surprisingly often. The centre is easy for me to drive to - I can be there in 20 minutes via the A726 and the M77 and as such I tend to shop at Silverburn far more often than Glasgow City Centre these days.
Quite apart from the fact it's easy for me to drive to and parking is very rarely difficult - especially if, like me, you tend to shop in the morning - I like the shops that are available in Silverburn and the choice offered to me.
I must admit I do sometimes wonder if the Marks & Spencer really is the largest in Scotland as the Argyle Street branch in Glasgow or the Princes Street branch in Edinburgh always strike me as bigger but perhaps it's just the way the store is laid out. Having said that I still love the Silverburn branch and I invariably find myself heading there whenever I know there's a sale on.
Similarly, the branch of Debenhams is very large and offers a large cosmetic and fragrance department - including a Benefit Brow Bar - along with a huge array of fashion, footwear and homewear.
There are the usual high street suspects to be found in Silverburn including New Look, Next, River Island and HMV, as well as Superdrug and Boots. However it's nice to see Phase Eight, LK Bennett, Coast and Hobbs, along with a James Lakeland store in the centre too, offering slightly more upmarket clothing for women. For men there is a branch of Remus Uomo along with Top Man and the Officer's Club. For footwear there's a large branch of Kurt Geiger.
If you are looking for something for kids there's a Game store as well as a Build a Bear - which is always a port of call for my daughter, who has yet to grow out of this concept. There's also an Argos and a fairly large TK Maxx store, both of which carry a large range of toys.
If you are concerned about your child wandering off and getting lost, the centre uses Child Safe Zones to enable you to quickly and easily get help. Each zone is marked with a window sticker which has a large red balloon and a helpline number featured on it.
It's a good idea to tell children accompanying you when you visit to look out for these zones should they get lost - they can then get help either inside the store whose window the sticker is displayed on or from any passing security guard.
If you are looking for electronics there's a wonderful Panasonic store which always feeds my addiction to new Panasonic products - the latest one I have seen there being a washing machine - and there's also a branch of Barrhead Travel for those wanting to book a holiday.
The centre even boasts a Post Office.
There isn't a bank branch in the centre but there is a Barclays cash machine located close to the main food court (this area is called "The Garden") on the way to the toilets, and there's a bank of cash machines outside Tesco.
There are stands dotted throughout the centre offering various items for sale. I previously reviewed the Gillian Kyle website and before Christmas there was a stall set up selling her products which I hope returns for the festive season this year. The Pure Spa sometimes have a nail bar set up like this too and my sister has had a French manicure done by them. I must admit I probably wouldn't want to get my nails done with lots of shoppers walking past, but it didn't bother her.
I haven't visited the Pure Spa myself but you can get pampered and preened there in a more private setting.
The toilets themselves are modern and very well maintained - everything is sensor activated including the taps and the flushing mechanisms. What I love about the toilets in Silverburn is they still give you the option to use hand dryers or use paper towels. I don't mind no paper towels if there are powerful and effective hand dryers in operation but my daughter hates the noise of these dryers and it's nice to give her the option to avoid them.
The Garden area is home to several restaurants here including Wagamama, Pizza Hut and Nando's. I've dined at both Wagamama and Nando's and enjoyed the food at both but it's worth saying they are both quite small in comparison to stand alone branches and as such they can get rather busy very quickly. As a result I invariably have an early lunch when I visit Silverburn.
Much as I love dining at Nando's I do find this branch is a bit cramped and it's not really conducive to a private or personal dinner due to it being exposed to the rest of the shopping centre with just a small fence keeping you apart from shoppers walking past. I do wish this was more enclosed but I expect the reasoning behind the design is to give customers the illusion of al fresco dining.
The branches of Frankie & Benny's and Prezzo at the centre are located at entrances to the centre in stand alone units which enables them to be larger. You also don't get the feeling you are in a food court when you eat here - something you can do when you dine at the Garden area.
Finally
If you want to experience some city centre shopping in the suburbs then Silverburn is definitely worth a visit. It offers a vast selection of stores in a setting which is well designed and pleasant. I don't often find malls which I think have a really pleasant environment but Silverburn most definitely does.
There is a great choice here along with free and plentiful parking dotted around the centre - including a multi storey car park which is useful on poor weather. My only real criticism would be the lack of public transport. The centre used to be served by bus from my hometown but sadly this was withdrawn and this lack of public transport does limit some people's ability to get here.
Accessibility is excellent too with most stores being on ground level and those which have a second level all have lift access. Disabled parking is in good supply and is located close to the main entrances dotted around the centre.
Shopmobility also provides the free use of mobility scooters and wheelchairs at the centre - there is more information about this on the centre's website.
I still pop into Glasgow city centre for shopping but must admit I do prefer to visit Silverburn these days due to its excellent motorway links, super choice of shopping and dining options and the fact that once I get there, it really is a wonderful place to shop.
http://www.silverburn.com
City Centre Shopping in the Suburbs 
