How to Spend 3 Days Gallivanting in Glasgow

Let’s go gallivanting in Glasgow!

I have travelled to Scotland several times and on previous trips, Glasgow had served as a launching pad for explorations further afield. We merely flew in, picked up the rental car and drove out of the city towards Glencoe and The Isle of Skye, without stopping to look around.

After a few days in Glasgow on our latest trip, we soon discovered a city that is unpretentious, vibrant and rich in history and art. The Glaswegians are a friendly bunch, and we were made to feel so welcome from the moment we stepped off the plane.

Our Accommodation and the Confusing Check-in Process

One difference I have noticed since Covid is the check-in process. Not so much with hotels, but certainly with Airbnb’s, there is a lot more of the contactless check-ins. This wouldn’t be a problem, if I wasn’t such a tight-arse and decided to just use WiFi, instead of picking up a travel SIM or activating mobile roaming. Hindsight is such a wonderful thing!
We arrived at our accommodation in central Glasgow and messaged our host, who was supposed to send me a code. I was to then take that code to a local key pick-up location, which was a corner store about a block away. I was to give the code to the shopkeeper and then receive our keys.

Confused yet?

The problem was, the code wasn’t sent and every time I checked the Airbnb app for a message, I was using expensive data. Had to find some WiFi stat!! Updating this post, mobile roaming has become a lot cheaper in the last year, and E-Sims more readily available, so this is probably not much of an issue anymore.

The Friendly Locals

We must have looked a little lost and confused, because one of those friendly Glaswegians I was telling you about, suggested we take ourselves and our large suitcases into the pub we were standing outside of, listen to some live music, have a soothing glass of wine and use their free WiFi. Sounded like a plan to me!

We took a table in the corner and contemplated what to do if we couldn’t get the code for the key. A gentleman near our table must have heard our Australian accent and struck up a conversation. Before long, a lady from the band, taking a break between sets, came and sat on a bench seat beside us. First gentleman explained to her that we were from Australia, and further conversation ensued.

I became concerned when the lady started to lay down on the bench seat. Was she ok? My fears for her grew when she began to slide off the bench onto the floor! I was about to jump up to check her vitals, when another band member approached and explained in a very broad Scots accent “Ach, don’t worry about her, she’s always doing that!” He then helped her up off the floor and soon half the pub knew we were from Australia, and we were all mighty pleased when I finally got the code, and we were able to get into our apartment. Friendly bunch!

Things to Do in Glasgow

Here is my list of things we really enjoyed in Glasgow and that I highly recommend you add to your Glasgow itinerary.

1. Follow the Mural Trail

One of the great free things to do in Glasgow is follow the mural trail to discover cool hidden art down alleyways and on the side of buildings. You can download the Mural trail map so you can plan your walking route and minimize your step count!

2. Have High Tea at Mackintosh at the Willow

We had heard that having high tea at Macintosh at the Willow tea-rooms was a wonderful experience. The beautifully restored Art-Nouveau building was originally designed by the renowned Glasgow architect and artist Charles Rennie Macintosh in 1903. The tea selection was extensive and the array of tasty treats for afternoon tea were delicious.

The setting and service gave a feeling of stepping back in time, it really was quite lovely. Book ahead!

3. Explore the University of Glasgow

I had two reasons for visiting the Uni in Glasgow’s West End. Firstly, the cloisters were a filming location on my favourite show, Outlander. Secondly, my daughter was investigating possible Universities to do a study exchange with. The campus was beautiful, with a very helpful security guard that gave us a little tour and showed us how to find the cloisters.

The buildings on the campus were beautiful. The main building is a Gothic masterpiece, giving definite Hogwarts vibes, with soaring spires, intricate stonework and of course, the cloisters.

Visitors can stroll through the quadrangles and arched walkways and enjoy a magnificent view of the city of Glasgow from the flagpole viewpoint.

4. Go Head Hunting at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

A five-minute walk from the University of Glasgow is the impressive Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Free to enter, it is popular with visitors and school groups, so perhaps arrive early if you want to avoid crowds.

The first thing you’ll see is the iconic floating heads installation, featuring expressive white heads suspended from the ceiling. Don’t miss Salvador Dali’s Christ of Saint John of the Cross and the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Collection (especially if you’ve been to the high tea at the Mackintosh at the Willow tea rooms).

5. Visit Kibble Palace at the Botanical Gardens

Also located in West End is the Glasgow Botanical Gardens. The highlight of the gardens is the stunning Kibble Palace, a Victorian glasshouse filled with rare and tropical plants and marble statues. It was originally built by John Kibble in the 19th century and moved to the gardens in 1873.

Wander through the dreamy, light-filled glasshouse, then explore other glasshouses and take a scenic stroll along the River Kelvin on one of the walking trails.

6. Explore Ashton Lane

While in West End, don’t miss Ashton Lane. This lively, cobblestone back street of Glasgow’s West End is a pretty lane, that lights up after the sun sets, with strung fairy lights creating a twinkling canopy overhead. We managed to get a table at the popular Ubiquitous Chip for an early dinner. It had to be early because it had booked out for the evening. If you plan on eating there, make sure you book ahead!

7. Listen to some Live Music

As frustrated as I was on that first afternoon trying to get the code for our accommodation, it was our time in the pub, listening to live music and chatting to the locals that I remember with fondness. Glasgow, as with most Scottish cities and towns, has some great pubs and most will have live music at different times of the week. Do yourself a favour and put aside some time to enjoy a pub experience. It will be the thing that will stand out in your memories of Glasgow.

8. Iconic Glasgow

When I think of Glasgow, I think of The Duke of Wellington wearing a traffic cone on his head. For the last 40 years or so, the statue of the Duke has donned a traffic cone, possibly after a beer-hazed night out by some locals. After years of council taking it down, only to have it be quickly replaced, it is now embraced as an iconic symbol of the city. I think it perfectly reflects the Glaswegian sense of humour and how they don’t take themselves too seriously.

9. Go on an Outlander Tour

Ok this one is a little niche, but if you are an Outlander fan, like me, you can’t come to Scotland and not do on an Outlander Tour. I loved our Outlander Tour with Andy from Highlander tours so much, I wrote a whole post about it! They pick up from both Glasgow and Edinburgh. Read the blog post for details. Highly recommend!

10. Explore Further Afield

If you have a little extra time, I highly recommend hiring a car and exploring a little further afield. Scotland is an easy country to drive around. The road signs are in English and for me, they drive on the same side of the road – the left!

Bothwell & Ratho

South of the city is a place that has special significance to me, so that was the first place we visited once we picked up the car. I was married in a little town called Bothwell in Tasmania, Australia. It was settled by Scots back in the early 1800’s, and consequently, a lot of the places in the area are named after places in Scotland including Bothwell, the River Clyde and the farm we were married on – Ratho Farm.

So, first stop was visiting the original Bothwell and Bothwell Castle, before heading up to the highlands. Ratho is actually closer to Edinburgh than Glasgow, so we saved our visit to Ratho until just before we dropped the car off in Edinburgh.

If interested in learning more about the Australian Bothwell and Ratho, they are on my list of Top Things to Do In and Around Hobart.

Glencoe

Just North of Glasgow is the stunning highlands of Glencoe. This is my absolute favourite area of Scotland for its awe-inspiring landscapes. If interested in a driving itinerary of central Scotland, I have written a post about places we loved in central Scotland.

We really enjoyed our time in Glasgow, once we finally got to offload our suitcases! I look forward to returning to Glasgow soon, meeting more friendly locals and discovering more of the city’s hidden gems.

My daughter ultimately decided to do her Uni exchange with the University of Edinburgh and had the most wonderful experience. I have visited Edinburgh many times and you can read my suggested 3-day Edinburgh itinerary here.

This article is now featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Glasgow.