For many travelers, Dublin, Ireland and Edinburgh, Scotland top their bucket lists. While those are certainly great cities to visit, I want to give you a list of reasons to add Glasgow, Scotland to that same trip.
Easy flights in and out of GLA. Surprisingly there are quite a few traditional American airlines that fly in and out of Glasgow. For that reason, it’s a great place to start and end your trip.
The authentic gritty vibe. There’s something inspiring about a city with stories told through graffiti. A little grunge never hurt anyone.
Great parks. I love cities and somehow feel most relaxed in urban environments over suburban ones, but green spaces are an important part of the cityscape. Glasgow Green with the People’s Palace and Kelvingrove Park are great options.
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is beautiful inside and out. The wide variety of history and art requires at least three hours to get through and is definitely worth the time spent.
Mother India. I’m a big fan of Anthony Bourdain and have never been let down with one of his restaurant recommendations. This restaurant did not disappoint and is probably in my top 25 restaurants on the planet.
Great beer. Tennent’s Brewery has a great tour and Drygate, Blackfriar and Inn Deep have great brews too. Also worth noting is the BrewDog is headquartered in Scotland so there are a couple locations in Glasgow.
Celtic Football Club Stadium. Touring this stadium is a great way to learn about soccer, a huge pastime of locals.
Close to Loch Ness. Loch Ness is a fun little day trip from Glasgow. When you get there, be sure to take a boat cruise on the lake.
Bonus: It’s on my list to go back to Glasgow and hike the West Highland Way. It’s 90 miles of mostly flat pasture with bed and breakfasts every mile or so. Apparently it’s easy to do in about a week and I’m all for a big hike.
I think much of our experience can be determined by our expectations. I had fairly low expectations when I visited Glasgow and was so absolutely surprised by how much I loved it. Let me know if you need help planning your next trip to Glasgow, Scotland or anywhere else.