Glasgow is a magnificent city that is worth seeing, and it also serves as a fantastic starting point for traveling to many of the best Scottish attractions, including Loch Lomond, whisky distilleries, and Burns Country. We’ll go over some of our favorite day trips we’ve taken from Glasgow in this piece to give you an idea of what you can do if Glasgow serves as your home base.
1. Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park is undoubtedly one of the most well-liked day trips from Glasgow.
Loch Lomond is a great day trip location because it is only around a 40-minute drive from Glasgow’s downtown. There are other lochs like Loch Katrine, where you may take a steamboat across the lake for excellent sightseeing possibilities, in addition to Loch Lomond itself, which is surrounded by attractive communities like Luss.
There are a plethora of additional things that can be included, including water sports, adventure parks, and charming towns and villages. You can even go to an ancient stone circle.
As you can see, there is a lot to see and do in this region, and Loch Lomond is easily accessible for a full day. We’ve put up a comprehensive guide of things to do in Loch Lomond, which should provide ideas. If you feel so inclined, we can also suggest going to the Devil’s Pulpit, which is nearby and makes for a great photo opportunity.
2. Burns Country, Ayrshire, and Culzean Castle
Burns Country and the Ayrshire coast, which runs southwest of Glasgow, are two of our favorite spots to visit nearby. Despite being the former birthplace of Scotland’s most well-known poet, Robert Burns, this region of Scotland is undoubtedly under-visited.
For those of you who are unfamiliar, Robert Burns is the author of many well-known poems, the most famous of which is “Auld Lang Syne,” which is customarily performed at Hogmanay, Scotland’s New Year celebration. Burns Night, which is observed every year on the poet’s birthday, January 25th, is even named after Burns.
Burns Night is a celebration of all things connected to the poet (and Scotland), and it features haggis, traditional dance, and recitals of poetry and songs.
3. Dundee
The weird statue of Desperate Dan from the British comic books, which dominates the city of Dundee, two hours northeast of Glasgow, is worth the trip alone. The city of Dundee takes pride in being the birthplace of the comic book hero Desperate Dan. But beyond this, Dundee has a fascinating maritime past in the British Isles.
One of the many thousands of ships built here during the peak of boat building on this Scottish coast is the museum honoring Captain Scott’s Antarctic expedition.
4. Stirling
Similar to Edinburgh, Stirling has a lovely medieval castle, a medieval old town, and numerous other sights that make it worthwhile to visit. Similar to Edinburgh, Stirling has a long history of human settlement. Structures are thought to have been built over 2,000 years ago where Stirling Castle now sits.
For ages, Stirling, with its easily defendable hill, served as a crucial strategic location and was regarded as the entrance to the highlands. With unobstructed vistas of the plains in all directions, any army traveling to or from the Highlands would unavoidably pass within sight of Stirling. Although Stirling has only been recognized as a city since 2002, it was once also the capital of Scotland.
Stirling has a wide variety of activities to keep you busy for the entire day, including exploring the castle, strolling through the ancient streets, and seeing the Wallace Monument.
5. Falkirk
Due to their proximity, Falkirk and Stirling are ideal destinations to visit on the same day if you’re traveling from Glasgow by car.
There are several sights in Falkirk that are worth seeing. The Kelpies are the first of these. Since they are the largest equine statues in the world and stand 100 feet tall, it’s difficult to think they will relinquish that title soon.
Scottish mythology’s “Kelpie” is a water spirit that can change its form when on land, most frequently into a horse. They are typically depicted in legends as being really wicked creatures that lure people into the sea so they can devour them. Some parents still use this tale to scare their kids into staying out of the water on their own.
The Kelpie statues, thankfully, are not as frightening and are merely beautiful to view. It’s free to visit the Kelpies. There is a cost for this. However, you can also take a tour and really visit the statues.
6. Edinburgh
Edinburgh is undoubtedly a fantastic day trip from Glasgow. Even though Edinburgh has more than enough attractions to keep you busy for several days, a day trip will still allow you to take in a lot of what the city has to offer.
We recommend spending some time at Edinburgh Castle, strolling the Royal Mile, exploring some of the museums, possibly stopping by some of the Harry Potter spots in Edinburgh, and taking in some of the numerous free museums that are available.
No matter what time of year you come, there are plenty of opportunities for shopping, dining, and entertainment to keep you occupied. And many people opt to stay in Glasgow and take a day trip to Edinburgh during the busy festival periods around August and New Year’s in order to save money.
7. Museum of Rural Life
A variety of worthwhile attractions are around Glasgow’s city center, so you won’t have to travel far.
For instance, the National Museum of Rural Life, a joint initiative between the National Trust for Scotland and the National Museums of Scotland, is located close to the city center. Here, you may explore a working farm and a historic farmhouse while learning about the history of rural life in Scotland. Definitely, a wonderful choice if you’re taking children on a trip!
8. Glen Coe and Oban
Now that Glasgow is facing north let’s take a vacation to the Scottish Highlands. A must-see for anybody visiting Scotland, these present a striking contrast to the lowlands with their hilly terrain and expansive, dramatic landscapes.
You might take a day excursion from Glasgow that passes through the charming historical village of Inveraray, spectacular Kilchurn Castle’s ruins, the town of Oban (often referred to as the seafood capital of Scotland), and finally, the majestic Glen Coe valley.
In addition to being the site of a Harry Potter production set and one of Scotland’s ski resorts, Glen Coe is well worth a trip at any time of year.
9. Loch Ness
If you’re intrigued by the Highlands and want to explore this area even further, you might want to consider taking a trip up to picturesque Loch Ness.
One of the most lasting and well-known legends of the 20th century, Nessie, the Loch Ness monster, calls Loch Ness home. The water in all the lakes in England and Wales combined wouldn’t even come close to matching the volume of water in Loch Ness, making it notable for being the largest loch in the UK by volume.
Of course, there are many other activities around Loch Ness than searching for Nessie. You can go on a lake tour, explore the dilapidated Urquhart castle, and go to some of the charming villages near the Loch.
It makes sense to do this in a loop if you intend to travel all the way up to Loch Ness from Glasgow. It will be a long day with an early start and an evening conclusion because the travel takes about 3.5 to 4 hours in each direction.
10. St. Andrews
The oldest university in Scotland is located at St. Andrews, which is also thought to be the birthplace of golf.
It is one of the most significant locations in Scottish history and one that is still active today because of its enormous and well-known university. This area is located northeast of Glasgow on the coast above Edinburgh. There are museums, colleges, and Scottish history to explore at St. Andrews.
