There are so very many reasons you ought to visit Glasgow, Scotland’s biggest city and a city once known as the second city of the British Empire. Whether you’re looking for sightseeing opportunities, to immerse yourself in the culture of the city, or simply to have a great night out, Glasgow caters for everyone. Here are just a few of the reasons you should plan your next trip to this Dear Green Place.
1. The Food in Glasgow is Delicious
Historically, Glasgow hasn’t been known as the culinary capital of anywhere. While it’s true that the locals have been known to deep fry everything from pizza (surprisingly good) to Mars bars (not so good), recent additions to the Glasgow dining scene have made the city a foodie’s paradise.
Six by Nico, located in the trendy Finnieston area of the city just two stops on the train from Glasgow Central, is the brainchild of chef Nico Simeone. A Glasgow native, Nico puts his creativity to work by creating a new menu every six weeks, curated around a central theme. Highlights have been ‘The Chippie’, ‘Childhood’ and ‘Route 66’. It’s always an interesting experience, and the creativity involved is truly impressive. We do recommend booking in advance, however, as it’s also (nearly) always full.
Opposite Nico’s sits the eponymous Finnieston Bar & Restaurant, serving seafood and gin cocktails. We highly recommend the oysters (only £2 each). It’s ideal for a meal, a cocktail or two, or an entire evening spent enjoying the finer things in the finest company. Due to the prevalence of bars, cafes and restaurants nearby, it’s the perfect place to begin your night, even if you’re unsure where it will eventually end.
Further west, tucked in behind Hillhead subway station, sits the Ubiquitous Chip, a stalwart of the Glasgow dining scene since 1971. Featuring an eye-watering wine selection and a menu inspired by Scottish food local produce, ‘The Chip’ is an excellent choice for a celebratory family meal or an indulgent dinner for two. Comprising a bar, brasserie, restaurant and even a rooftop smoking area, it’s the perfect place to spend a late summers night, drinking in the atmosphere (as well as some fine wine) with friends, family or a special someone.
If you’d rather stick to the city centre, Glasgow’s Bath St is home to a number of great bars, with a selection to fit almost anyone’s taste. A standout, however, is the Tiki Bar & Kitsch Inn. Upstairs, chef Tommy serves Thai food made from recipes learned at his grandmother’s knee (the chicken chilli jam is a particular favourite). Down below, revellers can forget the gloomy Glasgow weather, swapping it for a taste of the South Pacific in the Tiki Bar. With a selection of rum that would make Jack Sparrow blush, the cocktails are the real treat. The most famous of which is the Zombie, a riff on Don the Beachcomber’s classic, it’s so boozy there’s a two-per-customer limit. And of course, the drinks are presented in an array of unique tiki mugs, made just around the corner in Glasgow’s Fireworks Studios.
Finally, if you would like to try the aforementioned deep-fried delights that Glasgow has to offer, then there’s the chance to do so in style by visiting The Chippy Doon the Lane. It’s just off the pedestrianised Buchannan Street in the very centre of the city and boasts award-winning fish and chips (amongst other things) in an attractive restaurant setting. We recommend the haggis bites and, of course, the fresh battered fish and chips.
2. The Museums and Art Galleries are Free to Visit
“But wait,” I hear you say, “Doesn’t it rain a whole lot in Scotland?” Well, while it certainly does not have the climate of a tropical Caribbean Island, Glasgow more than makes up for this by providing plenty of options for entertainment when the weather is poor.
The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is located on Dumbarton Road, just a short bus journey from the city centre (and a convenient stop on the open-topped city tour bus). It plays host to one of Europe’s finest collections of art and historical artefacts. Particular interest may be the works by Dutch and French artists, as well as a sizeable collection of Scottish art. This, and the genuine Spitfire fighter plane which, suspended from the ceiling, saw action in WW2.
Close to Kelvingrove Galleries is the Riverside Museum of Transport and Travel. It’s always a hit with the little ones, who get to see (and sometimes climb into) cars, trains and planes from throughout history. There’s information about the history of Glasgow and its shipbuilding past, as well as displays which chart Scottish inventiveness and the impact Scottish travel and ideas have had in shaping the modern world.
Speaking of modern, the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA for short) can be found in the city centre, standing proudly in the centre of Royal Exchange Square. Featuring less history and more contemporary and challenging exhibitions, the museum is ideal for spending a few hours in the afternoon without leaving the heart of the city centre. Featuring five separate exhibitions spaces, we highly recommend investigating the often unique and insightful presentations found within.
One of Glasgow’s most famous sons is architect and artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Several buildings still stand that were born of his designs, and many feature exhibitions or further works from the artist himself. The Lighthouse, which can be found in the middle of Mitchell Lane just off Buchannan Street, is now Scotland’s Centre for Art and Design. In Bellahouston Park, just south of the centre, is the House for an Art Lover, which was finally constructed from Mackintosh’s 1901 designs in 1996. It contains a gallery and exhibition space, as well as art classes and a café. On Sauchiehall Street, only 5 minutes on foot from either of the city centre’s two large train stations, are the Willow Tea Rooms. Modelled on designs by Mackintosh, they are the perfect spot to enjoy some light refreshment of an afternoon, a cool oasis in the middle of the busy city.
The best thing about Glasgow’s galleries and museums, of course, is that entry is always free. Culture in Glasgow isn’t for the affluent or the elites, it’s for everyone – and the price of admission reflects this.
Read more: Free Glasgow Museums That Aren’t to be Missed
3. Loch Lomond’s Just Up the Road
Did you know that Glasgow is one of the greenest cities in Europe? From the Botanical Gardens to Kelvingrove Park and the spacious Glasgow Green, there are more parks and gardens in the city than can be boasted by nearly any other modern metropolis.
If getting close to nature is your thing, you’ll love that Glasgow is only 40 minutes away from the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. It’s one of Scotland’s many natural wonders, and it’s just outside the city limits. If you don’t have access to a car, you can get the train to Balloch in 50 minutes (the trains run every half an hour) and it’ll cost less than the price of a pint of craft lager. By Bus, the time is only 10 minutes longer and provides the opportunity to stop at Luss, Duck Bay and Inverbeg.
For the more active, there’s always the option to cycle. You can rent a bike in the city and make it to Loch Lomond in a short 2 ½ hours. Once you get there, there is a cycle path that runs the length of the loch (a Scots word for ‘lake’, if you were wondering) and is mostly flat and mostly separate from roads used by traffic. It’s perfect for a keen cyclist as well as for a family day out.
Speaking of active, Ben Lomond is what the Scots call a ‘Munro’ – a mountain with a summit above 3,000 ft. No mountain-climbing equipment is necessary to reach the top in summer, with the ascent being relatively gradual and the path well-trodden. It takes around 5 hours to reach the peak and wrapping up warmly is very much advised. For those who need a bit more of a challenge, there remains the Ptarmigan Ridge, a much steeper, rockier option for making the descent. To ‘bag’ this particular Munro, simply make your way to Rowardennan and follow the well-signposted pathways from there. While there are no direct bus services from Glasgow, one can get the bus to nearby Balmaha, or a ferry from Inverbeg in the summer months.
If mountains aren’t your thing, the national park boasts water sports (weather permitting), fishing, camping, cruises on the loch and plenty of wildlife to look out for. There’s a Bird of Prey Centre nearby, too; just in case you’re having no luck with your binoculars. You can meet the owls for £60, or go on a “Hawk Walk” for only £35. If you’re really excited by the prospect, you can even pay £175 to be a keeper for the day.
There’s a common joke told amongst Glaswegians that summer is the best day of the year. However, if you’re lucky enough to visit Glasgow during a spell of nice weather then you might consider making your way to the Falls of Falloch. Located just beyond Loch Lomond, asking the driver nicely if he’d mind stopping should allow you to get there using the bus to Crianlarich. There are a picturesque walkway and a picnic area, but the real fun is jumping from the top of the waterfall to the basin 10m below.
Read more: Day tour “Glasgow to Loch Lomond”
4. It’s a Great Place to Shop
Maybe you’re not so much a culture vulture, but you get tingles in your toes thinking about spending the day window shopping or filling bags and bags with shiny new purchases.
Photo by Artur Kraft on Unsplash
Glasgow’s Buchanan street serves as the main shopping thoroughfare, bookended by Buchannan Galleries and St Enoch’s Square Shopping Centre – both of which are teeming with outlets large and small. House of Fraser and the Argyll Arcade provide the opportunity to shop for the finer things, handily located on opposite sides of the pedestrianised street.
If designer labels aren’t your thing, a short subway ride (10 mins, 5 stops, £3.20 return) will take you to the heart of Glasgow’s west end. Hillhead Station is located on Byres Road and provides access to a smaller, more independent shopping experience.
Byres Road and its surrounding avenues and alleyways showcase well-known brands side by side with boutique offerings, often the inspiration of alumni from the world-famous Glasgow School of Art. Ruthven Lane (directly across from the subway station) contains vintage clothes, second-hand vinyl records, comic books and – a personal favourite – Relics, which may well contain the Ark of the Covenant, as well as the Holy Grail, underneath all of the knick-knacks and oddities piled precariously within.
If you really need to scratch that shopaholic itch, a short bus journey (the X8 is the quickest) will take you to the Silverburn Shopping Centre just south of the city centre. Featuring large storefronts, dining options and even a cinema, it’s the perfect way to get your shopping fix – especially on days where the weather inclines you to do your browsing indoors.
5. Glasgow Knows How to Have Fun
Shopping’s all well and good. So is culture, nature and eating out. But there’s something else that Glasgow does better than most, and that’s throw a party.
From the world-famous Sub Club on Jamaica St, which regularly plays host to the likes of Jackmaster, Slam! and Optimo (Espacio), to the cheesy-pop tunes in The Garage or alternative rock anthems in The Cathouse, there are plenty of options for a big night out in the city. If you’re less of a club-goer but still like your music, Bloc+, Slouch and The Howlin’ Wolf on Bath Street provide a more relaxed, late-night vibe with live music on ‘til late.
In the west end, Ashton Lane is a cobbled street lined with bars well worthy of a visit, while two converted churches – Oran Mor and Cottiers – provide stunning surroundings in which to drink, dance and be merry. If you’d rather dress up and sip cocktails, The Blythswood Hotel provides the perfect air of opulence. The Merchant City, the district just east of the city centre, is full to the brim with classy joints crammed with well-heeled revellers.
There’s always something happening in Glasgow, too. If New York is the city that never sleeps, then Glasgow is the city that never stops. In 2014, the city played host to the Commonwealth Games and will host the European Championships in 2018. Music festivals abound, from the large-scale TRNSMT, featuring global superstars, to Celtic Connections, celebrating the influence of Scottish traditional and folk music throughout the world. Each year the West End Festival takes over a whole section of the city, and Summer Nights at the Kelvingrove Bandstand – open-air performances in a public park – have featured the likes of Van Morrison, Nile Rogers and Brian Wilson.
It’s not all rock ‘n’ roll. Every year, the Botanic Gardens features Shakespearean plays performed outdoors to enraptured audiences. Bard in the Botanics has staged over 50 productions, including Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing and, recently, Queen Lear – a favourite reimagined from a female perspective.
6. People Make Glasgow
It’s no accident that the city’s official slogan is ‘People Make Glasgow’. The very best thing about Glasgow is the people who call it home. A city that could produce the likes of Billy Connolly, Craig Ferguson, Gerard Butler, two stars of Doctor Who and James McAvoy – as well as musicians such as Alex Harvey, Franz Ferdinand, Primal Scream and Frankie Miller, must have a certain magic in the air.
From the famous Glasgow ‘patter’ and dialect, to the particular sense of dark humour shared by the populace, Glaswegians are both a warm, welcoming and yet direct and plain-speaking people.
A favourite sight of all who come to Glasgow and all who make it their home is the statue of the Duke of Wellington which stands proudly looking over Queen Street and is perennially adorned with a traffic cone helmet. Despite repeated attempts by the local council over the years to quell the practice, no sooner is the offending item removed as it is returned to its rightful place by the ever-obliging locals. It has become a point of pride for the city and is emblematic of a city which never takes itself too seriously. An attraction now in its own right, no visit to Glasgow would be complete without a souvenir photo of yourself and the Duke.
Truly, there are so many reasons to visit Glasgow. We haven’t had time to mention the state-of-the-art Hydro music venue, the rich tapestry of Scottish history or the abundance of traditional pubs serving a plethora of Scottish whisky. For all this and more, you’ll just have to pay a visit to Scotland’s biggest city, that Dear Green Place.