Glaswegians have been saying goodbye to two city institutions after it was exclusively revealed in yesterday's Glasgow Times that The Iron Horse and O Sole Mio are set to close in February this year.

The 148-year-old pub and Glasgow's oldest Italian restaurant, which opened in 1968, will close with plans progressing to bulldoze the site to create a new multi-million pound hotel complex on the corner of West Nile Street and Bath Street.

The news has come as a shock to native Glaswegians, with the pub and restaurant gaining a loyal fanbase over the years.

Mary Stevenson, 68 from Milton, said: "What a real shame. It's all you're hearing at the moment. We would go to O Sole Mio before a show at The Pavilion Theatre and honestly, you couldn't find a better meal or nicer staff anywhere else in Glasgow."

READ MORE: Historic Glasgow pub Iron Horse and Italian restaurant O Sole Mio to be flattened for new hotel

David McClemont, 37 from Blantyre, has particularly fond memories of The Iron Horse after meeting his wife, Caroline, in the pub twelve years ago.

"I had been in Alfredo’s across the road with my friend George, he works in John Lewis and happened to mention that the “Perfumery Girls” from John Lewis we’re having a leaving do in The Iron Horse.

"We went across and it turned out to be Caroline’s night out. We were married three years later and now have three daughters.

"I think it’s sad that somewhere with such history and character is going to disappear to make way for a big soulless hotel."

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Others have also criticised the proposed plan for the new hotel site to be built in their place.

Lois Edwards, 22 from Nitshill, said: "The rich firms that want to build the big hotels can afford to out price heritage things or places that are valuable to the local community.

"Places do need to change and evolve but it needs to be carefully considered and it’s not. It will bring it money and jobs, but they've got to put Glaswegians first."

Fiona Smith, 22 from Williamwood, said: "The government should be buying up some of these properties for housing, I mean look at half the buildings in Glasgow - they’re bought up by companies and left to rot.

"They should be building more actual affordable housing, it's really sad."