Visit Glasgow, Scotland

Welcome to my visit Glasgow, Scotland guide! I have all the best things for you to eat, see, do, and stay in Glasgow! Glasgow was hands down my favorite place we went to during out Ireland and Scotland vacation. We hit up Glasgow after visiting Dublin, Dingle, and Galway. The Scottish people were SO nice here. Literally every single person was so kind. The Glasgowians? Glasgowers? The people of Glasgow are actually known for how nice they are! We wanted to travel to Scotland because of our LOVE for the show Outlander. I’ll make sure to point out exactly where they filmed scenes in Outlander throughout this post. I’ll probably write a whole separate post on our Outlander tour as well. Stay tuned!

So sit back and relax while I plan your Glasgow, Scotland stop for you! Check out my Travel Diary on Scotland if you want to see exactly what we did on our Scotland vacation before you visit Glasgow!

What to Do in Glasgow, Scotland:

So, for us, we only had two days in Glasgow. And one of those days we took a little day trip to Stirling Castle. I wish we had 2 days in the city and 1 one day for a day trip. Actually, I take that back. I just want to move there and have endless amounts of days. We all LOVED it. Check out all my recommendations for my must do’s and must-sees in Glasgow!

What to See and Do in Glasgow

There are two main areas you want to explore: the City Centre and the West End. Merchant City has some trendy restaurants and street art and is just east of the City Centre. Glasgow is a UNESCO city of music (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization)  so there are a ton of small music venues to check out!

• Markets – I have a whole section on markets in Glasgow below.
• University of Glasgow – Ok. This is STRAIGHT out of Harry Potter. Literally the most gorgeous university I’ve ever seen. We went on the weekend while no one was there. Make sure you walk in to see The Cloisters, located Gilbert Scott Building. It’s where they filmed a few scenes in Outlander.

• George Square – The main city center square. They hold events here but other than that… just a square.
• The Lighthouse – walk to the top for a nice view of the city
• Glasgow Cathedral – Another Outlander film spot. They used the inside of the cathedral to film the scenes in France where Claire *spoiler* gives birth. The cathedral is the oldest building in Glasgow built in the 1100s!

• Necropolis – Next to the cathedral. Spoooookyyy Victorian Cemetery.
• Royal Infirmary – So you don’t really need to go in here. I did, to use the bathroom and I got lost (lol). Just take a look at it from the outside
• Glasgow Green – A lovely park
• People’s Palace – Lovely palace and gardens
• Tennant’s Brewery – Book yourself a wee tour and taste some of the beer brewed right there in Glasgow!

• Kelvingrove Art Gallery – Over near the university, huge art gallery and museum
• Òran Mór – Live music! Check out their calendar for events and dates.

Best Markets in Glasgow:

• Merchant Square Craft Market – Wander through here for some local Scottish gems

• Platform Market-This market is a must-do. A bunch of food trucks and drinks!

• Sloans Market
• Barras market
• BAAD Market

Areas and Streets to Check out in Glasgow:

• Glasgow City Centre Mural Trail – The murals actually show up on google maps but I linked the actual mural trail if you want to follow along

• Argyle Street/ Buchanan – The main shopping street in the city center
• West End Area – Over by the University
• Ashton Lane – In West End. Cute lane with bars and eateries

• Cresswell Lane – In West End. Vintage shops and restaurants
• Finnieston Area – Near the Kelvingrove Art Museum

Day Trips from Glasgow:

• Stirling Castle – If you are obsessed with Scotland’s history and monarchy I highly suggest taking a trip here and wandering around the little town. Quick train ride away

• Isle of Arran: Little Scotland – Brodick Castle and Goat Fell mountain are the most popular things to see on the island. 
• Edinburgh – I recommend not doing Edinburgh in a day but it’s close enough to Glasgow where you totally could visit in a day!
• Loch Lomond – Scotland’s largest freshwater lake. Surrounded by beautiful forest. Great for a day out of the city exploring the wilderness!
• Glencoe, Lochness and the Highlands – If you don’t have a car and want to see it all, I recommend THIS tour!
• Outlander tour – An easy way to see more of Scotland! And the filming locations for my beloved show. You visit Doune Castle, Falkland, Culross, Linlithgow Palace, Midhope Castle. We did the tour that departed from Edinburgh but it’s the exact same.

Where to Eat in Glasgow, Scotland:

Get ready to get your haggis, porridge and black pudding on, y’all. Check out my best places to eat in Glasgow list below!

Breakfast and Cafes in Glasgow, Scotland:

• Cafe Gandolfi – The most amazing breakfast

• The Wilson Street Pantry – Cute place, great coffee and food
• Jodandys – Pure Scottish!
• Spitfire Espresso – Nice little coffee shop
• Riverhill Coffee Bar – Another nice lil coffee shop
• Bill’s Glasgow – Brunch!
• Picnic – Cute, healthy cafe

Lunch in Glasgow, Scotland:

• Wagamama– Asian fusion. If you’ve read any of my other blogs you know I CRAVE this place.
• The Butterfly and the Pig – Great tea place or lunch/dinner
• Cup Tea Lounge Glasgow – I just love a nice tea place for lunch haha
• Where the Monkey Sleeps – Great lunch stop
• Pizza Punks – Build your own pizza place
• Paesano – If you are in the mood for some really good pizza
• 13th Note – A bit more of a fancier lunch

Dinner in Glasgow, Scotland:

• Metropolitan – We sat upstairs overlooking the indoor market area. Great meal! Downstairs is more club/bar vibes

• Sloans: – Oldest restaurant in Glasgow!
• Slouch – Dinner/ pub
• Fanny Trollope’s – A little fancier but worth it
• Two Fat Ladies At The Buttery – Fantastic dinner!
• Red Onion – Fancier Scottish meal
• Black Sheep Bistro – Great British/Scottish bistro
• Ox and Finch – Trendy and casual
• Ubiquitous Chip – WOW this place is SO good

Dessert in Glasgow, Scotland:

• Soups On and the Cake Lady – Idk what else you could ask for. AMAZING soups and stews and AMAZING cakes. I told you I needed to MOVE OVER HERE.
• Broken Clock Cafe – Pastries/ dessert
• Coro the Chocolate Cafe – Made for chocolate lovers
• Loop & Scoop – Churros and ice-cream
• Humble Pie Bakery – Cakes, cupcakes, coffee
• Okashi – Straight outta Instagram

Bars and Pubs in Glasgow, Scotland:

• Revolution Glasgow – Bar/cocktails
• The Pot Still – HUNDREDS of different Whiskeys to try

• Blue Dog – Cocktail bar
• The Howlin’ Wolf – MY FAV. Live music and friendly staff
• Gin71 Glasgow – Stylish gin bar
• King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut – Known for its music! A lot of famous bands have played here
• The State Bar – Nice pub
• MacSorleys – Your typical nice pub and good grub

Places to Eat Near the University of Glasgow:

• Mayze – Coffeeshop
• The hidden Lane Tea Room – Tea house
• Kember and Jones – Very instagramable
• Tantrum Donuts – Unique and fun flavors like vanilla earl grey or lemon meringue
• Papercup Coffee Company – cute cafe
• Number 16 – Great spot for lunch
• Ox and Finch – Trendy and casual
• Ubiquitous Chip – WOW this place is SO good
• Hillhead Bookclub – Cute bar with food/ drinks and retro games, ping pong and games.

Where to Stay in Glasgow, Scotland

To be honest, we stayed in a meh Airbnb. I won’t even tag it. No recommendo. A lot of places were booked so we didn’t have many options but I’ll still list all the places we tried to book below. Maybe they will be open when you visit Glasgow.

• Moxy Glasgow Merchant City
• 15Glasgow
• Native Glasgow
• Hotel Indigo Glasgow
• Jurys Inn Glasgow
• Argyll Hotel
• Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Glasgow Central
• Apex City of Glasgow Hotel
• Malmaison Glasgow

Tips for Glasgow, Scotland:

Couple of tips for when you visit Glasgow!

• Currency– Pound
• Transportation – Great subway/metro system! Most everything is walkable, however. The subway is literally just a ring/loop that continuously goes around. Get on the subway the wrong way? Don’t fret, eventually, it will loop around. It just might take a little longer
• Weather – Honestly, I checked the weather app every day and every day it was wrong. We went in May and it was drizzling on and off, a bit misty and super sunny all in one day. I always carried an umbrella or a jacket with a hood, just in case. It can get cold and windy right on the coast.
• Pick Pockets – I felt super safe. But always be aware!
• Days in Glasgow – We had two days in Glasgow and I wish we had 3. One of the days we did a day trip so it cut our time in the city in half.
• Glasgow vs Edinburgh – I know a lot of people wonder which city, Glasgow or Edinburgh, is better. And this is just solely my opinion but we all preferred Glasgow.

Alrighty people. That rounds out my list of what you should eat, see and do when you visit Glasgow, Scotland. If you enjoyed my blog on what to visit in Glasgow, I highly recommend checking out my posts on Ireland: Dublin, Galway, Dingle if you are visiting! I have tons of other recommendation lists for cities all over Europe: Amsterdam, Rome, Athens or for a full list check my Destinations! In the meantime feel free to read my Travel Diary on Scotland.

Byeeeeeeee!