Podiatrist to the stars Margaret Dabbs has opened her first Scottish clinic in Glasgow.

“I love this city – I love the buzz, the friendliness,” she tells me, after warmly welcoming me in to the Bothwell Street premises.

“I knew it was the perfect place.”

Celebrated foot expert Margaret founded her first clinic in London in 1998, and she now has several around the UK and in Dubai, combining foot clinics with nails spas and bringing qualified podiatrists and professional beauticians together to perform a range of treatments. She also has her own range of products.

Her clients include celebrities, pop stars, top models, and lots of London’s well-connected, wealthy people – now she is bringing some of that glamour to Glasgow.

I’m here to try out the Medical Pedicure, the medi-pedi, her signature treatment driven by her desire to create something that bridged the gap between beauty product and treatment. In  other words, she tells me, she wanted feet to “look good and work properly”.

It differs from the kind of pedicures most of us are used to because it is carried out on dry feet. The idea, explains Margaret, is to ensure the benefits of the treatment last longer. Water masks the area that needs to be treated and can weaken tissues, causing skin to become rubber, she tells me. The medical bit relates to the fact it’s carried out by a qualified podiatrist and addresses all aspects of foot health. You can tell a lot from a person by looking at their feet, it seems.

“General health, gait – as well as being a perfect pedicure it can also be a diagnostic tool for advanced treatments,” says Margaret, while we wait for podiatrist Lisa Bellamy to begin my treatment.

It’s billed as a complete overhaul, a kind of MOT for the feet, and it’s instantly relaxing. My feet, having spent the last few months crammed into boots and thick socks for winter, are definitely neglected at this time of year but the good news is they are not in too bad nick.

“You have a lot of dry skin in places, but that’s easily fixed, and generally your feet and nails are lovely,” says Lisa, much to my pride.

The 45-minute treatment begins with the removal of said dry skin, and then my nails are clipped, shaped, buffed and rehydrated.

 It feels a bit strange to say my feet look 10 years younger, but they do. The skin is much softer and smoother, but there is none of the oily feel which often accompanies a pedicure. It’s on the expensive side, at £85 - or £130 with a director or principal podiatrist - but it is really lovely: a proper treat for the feet.

Medi Pedicure from £85

Rating – 5 stars

Margaret Dabbs London Foot Clinic and Nail Spa

13 Bothwell Street, Glasgow, G2 6LY

0141 221 1155

www.margaretdabbs.co.uk