This week, get your coat love… I chill out in Scotland's first ice bar, the Baltic Bar, and there's more than food at Mhor Fest 2015.

Ice Bar @ The Snow Factor

We're not having much luck with this summer malarky. For weeks, I have been hoping for a few consistently sunny days to use as the perfect excuse to explore the city's best beer gardens. Sadly, I'm still waiting. So, this week, I thought I'd go somewhere that would let me think the weather was actually pretty darn good when I left: the Baltic Ice Bar.

Baltic Bar is the latest addition to the Snow Factor at Braehead, where you can ski, snowboard and ice-climb; whatever the weather. It's also Scotland's first Ice Bar: blame too many warm pints or Jean-Claude Van Damme (in those beer adverts) but Ice Bars are now officially a thing, so it's great to finally have one on our doorstep. Plus, the added bonus is, at minus 5C inside, it's almost always going to be warmer outside, be it summer or winter!

The bar is made up entirely of ice, even the glasses are glacial, making gloves a must: I forgot mine but was able to buy some for £1 before going in (and they do provide special James Bond-like ponchos in the ticket price to keep you warm). The Baltic is, perhaps, more of an ice cubbyhole than a bar, it's surprisingly cosy. It's also a wee bit bare, with nowhere to sit apart from one magnificent throne (made, surely, just for Facebook pics).

When I was there, beats were pumping out from the speakers, which was a bit full on (oh my god, am I getting old?) something a bit more chilled (geddit) would have been better. Apparently, it gets a bit daft on a Friday and Saturday night and I can imagine it being a fun thing to add on to a snow session or after a meal in one of the many restaurants out at Braehead. However, as a destination, it's less a winter wonderland, more a cool place for a swift drink.

Mhor Fest @ Monachyle Mhor

Music has always been a passion of mine, there's barely a festival that I haven't yanked on my wellies and got down and dirty with the beats. However, since getting pregnant a new passion has emerged - that's battling the bands - food. So, last weekend my husband suggested we went to Mhor Fest, a festival with music AND much to munch. I was sold.

This is the fourth year Mhor Fest has run at Loch Voil in Balquhidder (about an hour and a half from Glasgow). The folk behind the festival also own the hotel (Monachyle Mhor), Mhor 84, Mhor Fish, Bread and, more locally, Deli and Cafezique. They know good food.

Mhor Fest is pegged as a family-friendly, camping festival. In fact, I think the best way to describe it is school sports day meets farmers market. Almost all the folk there had at least one rugrat, so I did feel a bit like I was missing the festival's must have accessory. A wee bit different from T in the Park's…

Although food is the focus (with a massive slap up feast on Saturday night that brings together five top chefs to cook a course each) there was a lot mhor going on too! On Saturday morning, a whisky raft race, live music throughout the weekend, stalls selling Scottish produce, a pamper tent, small cinema and Oran Mor's Play, Pie and a Pint and a ceilidh to round things off on Sunday.

I reckon we'll go back next year… when we can finally say we're with the (family) band!

Wee Bird Recommends

The West End Festival begins next week, but as a wee taster of the party to come, this Sunday Wee recommend making your way to The Gibson Street Gala. There'll be live music, crafts stalls, art, lots of lovely street food and an inflatable assault course (boom!) all going on for free, from 12pm.