Do you have just a short amount of time to visit the Scottish city of Glasgow? Or perhaps it isn’t even on the list. Either way, this Quick City Guide to Glasgow will suit you down to the ground. It will give you some insights to the city, some top tips for making the most of your short visit and inspire you to, may be even, come again.

I’ll be honest, a visit to Glasgow was not on my bucket list. In fact it was not on any type of list. Having spent a couple of years working in Edinburgh, I fell in love with this fabulous Scottish city and never really gave Glasgow a second thought. So when our 2024 Schengen Shuffle tour took us north for a rendezvous with my bestie, I found myself surprised by my suggestion that we should meet up there.

Friends had told us how vibrant this place was and, being a true wanderer, felt that to bypass it would offend my travel soul. For those of you who know us, you’ll be surprised that a major city should appear on our to-do list. We would choose mountains, lakes and coastline anytime over the built up suffocation of cities and capitals. Although we have, over our full time life on the road, been surprised by many cities that have endeared themselves to us. And so it was, with a degree of anticipation, that we faced a day’s trip to Scotland’s second largest city.

Most unlike me, ahead of our quick trip to Glasgow, I had in fact done very little planning. It was in part because of a lack of time, after a busy period preceding our stopover. Add to that an attempt to do less organising and create a little more fluidity into our lives. So, I was pretty much armed with a handful of great suggestions from our Facebook followers. No guides, no blogs, no visitor resource centres, just a taxi booked from our lovely campsite at Ingliston Country Club and train tickets from Bishopton to Glasgow Central station.

I did have in my sights the Hop on Hop off Bus tour, which I knew would be a source of great inspiration and a positive introduction to this reputable city. However, we were mildly shaded by a very negative experience of the tourist transport system in Madrid, Spain. So, our hopes were not high. However, undeterred we headed off on our day-trip, with an air of anticipation as we embraced the unknown. Let us share our experiences with you.

• Where to stay in a motorhome/camper
  
  We always make a point of staying outside of a city and travelling in by public transport. There are far too many horror stories of inner city park ups. We hunkered down just 20 minutes west of Glasgow at the very sumptuous Ingliston Estate and Country Club. This is both a hotel and motorhome aire, with plenty of space for up to 50 vehicles at around £34 per night with hook up. A taxi cost us £12 return for a trip to the train station at Bishopton. I booked our train tickets via the app TrainPal, which cost us under £6 return for a 23 minute journey. The train took us into Glasgow Central station, at the hub of everything you are about to experience.
  
  

• What if you want to fly?
  
  Glasgow International Airport is just 15 minutes west of the city in Paisley. On arrival at the airport, look out for the Glasgow Airport Express, which is a 24hr service that has three drop off points in the city for around £17.00 open return. For more information, it is worth checking out their website.
  
  

• Glasgow’s museum scene
  
  Glasgow’s museum culture is huge. There are 29 museums to choose from around the city, you can find everything to placate a bored child, keen learners and curious adults. And the best bit about Glasgow’s museums is that most of them are completely free to enter. You need a few days to visit them all so we would recommend finding the ones that float your boat the best. We decided to pop into one of the most famous museums in the city; Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Not only is the building quite magnificent, the gardens surrounding it are also quite lovely. With 22 galleries, Natural History rooms and an iconic organ that was commissioned in 1901 you’ll be well entertained. The organ is Glasgow’s most famous musical instrument and with its 2889 pipes, you can revel in its auditory magnificence with daily recitals Monday-Saturday at 1pm and on Sunday 3pm.
  

• Glasgow’s street art scene.
  
  Most cities these days have a street art vibe whether organised or not. Yet Glasgow’s Mural Trail stands out from other city’s art, because it is all part of a strategic project to rejuvenate certain areas or buildings. Since the first painting in 2008, Glasgow’s buildings have been receiving artistic makeovers through artist’s approved application. There is now a Mural Trail that gives you a walking tour of these pieces of art.
  

• Glasgow’s hot spots
  
  There are so many places we could give a shout out to around Glasgow’s city boundaries, although on our one day trip, these are the ones that we enjoyed most:
  
  Ashton Lane. For a quaint cobblestone lane, that is filled with flower baskets and colourful lights, this is an iconic spot for a coffee or lunch. Getting off the Hop on Hop off bus at Kelvingrove and a short walk through the park, the Lane is one of those hidden gems that most visitors will miss for the vibe of the city centre.

Kelvingrove Park. This park was first created in 1852 and it is a wonderful space for wildlife, especially squirrels and pigeons looking for a feast.

Glasgow University Cloisters. The University building is pretty spectacular from the outside. Take a few steps up the stairs into the throbbing heart of this seat of learning and you will be blown away by its inner soul. Free to walk around, this incredible building was established in 1481, making it the 4th oldest in the UK. Once into the quadrangle, the cloisters draw you in, with their exquisite architecture. So much so, it has been featured in a number of films, including Cloud Atlas and Outlander.

Statue Cones. This might seem like an odd entry, although head for George’s Square in the city centre, and you will find one of Lonely Planet’s ‘Top 10 Most Bizarre Monuments on Earth’. A number of statues in the Square have traffic cones upon their heads. A practice that seems to have started in the 1980s, a variety of cones have been placed on these statues to represent the humour and views of the locals. Banksy is said to have commented that they were his ‘favourite work of art in the UK.’

The Piper Bar. If you love whiskey or fancy experimenting with this Scottish nectar, then head to the Piper Bar, which you can find opposite the City Chambers on George’s Square. A shot is not cheap although there is always a Whiskey of the Month that you can try.

Horseshoe Bar. Just towards the Glasgow Central train station, this unassuming bar is famous for two things; its unique, Victorian horseshoe shaped bar and the fact that it is the second longest bar in Europe. It has recently been superseded by a Belgium bar by inches, as we understand it.

• The Hop on and Hop off Bus. Red and Yellow Routes
  
  If like us, you have just a short time here, then we would recommend grabbing yourself a Hop on Hop off Bus. You can pick it up at the starting point located at George’s Square, right in the hub of the city. Expect queues however. Whether you have pre-booked or turning up on the day, you will still have to queue until space becomes available on the next bus. So we suggest you get there early; at least around 10am. Buses come at least every 12 minutes. Some buses have live commentary whilst others have headphone recordings with translation. There are 22 stops that you can choose from on the Red Route and it costs £18pp. The Yellow Route has 19 stops and costs £15pp.
  
  

Of course, our Quick City Guide to Glasgow is just scratching the surface of what this city can offer. Although it will, at the very least, give you a flavour of what you can expect from a visit here. Scotland is an absolute must visit destination for any landscape lovers, scenery searchers and cultural curiosity seekers. We hope that our dabble with Glasgow might entice you to go uncover some of this city’s surprising vibrancy and historical prowess for yourself.

For more information on Scotland and our past route maps, why not check out our Interactive Map page for even more inspiration.

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