January: Glasgow, UK

If the past few weeks of meal planning and Big Boys marathons have left you craving new surroundings, there’s still time to book a quick stint away – and Glasgow is the perfect destination. It’s easily accessible by train (take the sleeper from London Euston to Glasgow for a truly novel journey), and aside from having been named the world’s friendliest city, it’s also a hub of cultural goings on. A visit in January means you’ll arrive just in time to see the last stint of A Quiet Fire, an exhibition by Malawian artist Billie Zangewa (which closes on 28 January) at Tramway, a cool art studio on the south side of the city. Expect beautiful, colourful paintings that explore Black women’s experiences of the female gaze.

For an idyllic dose of greenery, the city’s indoor botanic gardens will provide a nature fix without exposing you to the wintry temperatures outside and, in the evening, you’ll want to visit the iconic, neon-clad Barrowland Ballroom for musical performances in a legendary venue.

Stay: at Boutique 50, a 10-bedroom hotel in the city’s West End that’s a stone’s throw away from leafy riverside Kelvingrove Park and its art gallery, which is currently host to an exhibition showcasing ancient Celtic ceramics – both worth a wander around. The rooms each come with a record player and the interiors, created by a local designer, are supremely cosy: think dark walls and touches of dusty pink velvet.

Eat: lunch at Five March, a popular small plates spot just down the road from Boutique 50. Expect to-die-for fried potatoes with aioli and breadcrumb-topped heirloom tomatoes you’ll want to recreate at home immediately upon returning.

Pack: a lot of knitwear. The temperatures may be baltic (in January, it typically ranges between 2-6ºC), but it’s an excellent chance to debut a new sweater vest purchase.

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