Scotland: Glasgow

Despite flying to Edinburgh Airport, I started my time in Scotland in Glasgow. I wasn’t originally going to go to Glasgow, but when I was considering doing a road trip (and renting a car), I read that it was better to start in Glasgow rather than Edinburgh and booked my first night there. I later changed my mind about the road trip, but since I had already booked a place to stay, decided to start there anyway. Although Edinburgh is a more popular tourist attraction, I really enjoyed Glasgow! I arrived mid-morning and got some food before setting out to explore the city on foot. It was a rainy overcast day, but it didn’t really damper the day much.

Glasgow was an industrial city and this is evident as you walk through the city. Despite this, there is a lot of interesting architecture, plenty of (generally free) museums, lots of large murals, and large parks. I actually didn’t manage to fit in everything I wanted to see and could have easily spent 2 days here. After walking down Buchanan Street, which is the main attraction for shoppers, I headed to George Square. From there I walked toward Merchant City, hoping to find Tolbooth Tower/Steeple.

However, I got a bit lost, and realized I had walked almost to Glasgow Green, so I continued walking in order to visit the People’s Palace. My cousin studied in Glasgow for a semester and had recommended this museum, and I really enjoyed it! Admission is free and there are plenty of exhibitions that show what life was like in Glasgow at various points in the past.

After a couple of hours at the People’s Palace, I headed back to Trongate Street and finally found the Tolbooth Steeple. After, I walked to The Lighthouse and climbed to the top for views overlooking the city. At this point, I was tired, so I headed to my Airbnb and stayed in for the night. If I had more time, I really wanted to walk around the University of Glasgow and visit the Glasgow Cathedral and Necropolis.

Although very different than Edinburgh, Glasgow is a cool city! If you visit Scotland and have more than a couple of days, I highly encourage you to visit Glasgow as well.