The Barras Market in Glasgow is renaming a stretch of Suffolk Street and Ross Street to Maggie's Way to honour its founder, Margaret McIver, known as the Barras Queen. The change will be made official this weekend, July 25 and 26, during a celebration of Scottish culture.
Plaque unveiling and celebrations
A commemorative plaque displaying Maggie's Way will be unveiled by Still Game star Gavin Mitchell. Maggie McIver's great grandson, Douglas McArthur, CEO of the company, will travel from Glasgow to Canada to celebrate his great grandmother's legacy. The event will feature appearances from MasterChef winner Gary Maclean, pipe bands, Highland dancers, storytellers, live singers, local seafood traders and artwork.
History of the Barras Market
The name the Barras comes from the hand-pulled barrows used by hawkers to sell goods. Maggie McIver and her husband James established the market in 1921 at the corner of Kent and Moncur Streets, providing a permanent base for traders. After heavy rain in the mid-1920s, Maggie built a covered shelter, which later became a fully enclosed market hall.
When James died in 1930, Maggie ran the business alone while raising nine children. She continued to grow the market and opened the Barrowland Ballroom on Christmas Eve in 1934 after discovering the venue she used for a Christmas dinner was already booked.
Modern reinvention
Today, the Barras features long-established traders alongside new independent businesses selling vintage fashion, handmade goods and vinyl records. Food trucks have become a major attraction, offering burgers, pizzas, Asian street food and tacos. The atmosphere and sense of community that first made the Barras famous still remains.
