Glasgow Guide
Welcome to our Glasgow Guide
Welcome to our Glasgow Guide. Overflowing with style and culture, Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland. Take in the city's impressive Victorian buildings and Art Nouveau 'Glasgow Style' for which the city has become famous. Don’t miss seeing the work of one of Glasgow's most celebrated sons, Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Glasgow is also surrounded by amazing scenery, from the rolling hills of the Clyde Valley to the beautiful walking country of East Dunbartonshire. And with an array of attractions, shops, funky bars, fine restaurants, landmarks and scenic areas Glasgow is perfect for sightseeing, romantic getaways and family breaks alike.
Our Glasgow Guide is full of useful information, from travel tips to finding nightlife hot spots, and more importantly some great ideas on what to do in the city. From the Gallery of Modern Art and the Burrell Collection to the Glasgow Science Centre and The Tall Ship, you won’t be short of things to keep you occupied. Glasgow is a must for all you culture vultures out there - the city's arts scene is world-class with over 200 arts organisations, including Scottish Ballet and Scottish Opera based there.
And remember to keep an eye on our reason’s to visit section so you don’t miss out on any of the great events taking place in Glasgow throughout the year.
We hope that you find our Glasgow Guide a useful resource when planning your trip – have a great break!
Visit the Willow Tea Rooms, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Explore the stunning People’s Palace and Winter Gardens
Enjoy a wee dram on a tour of Glengoyne Distillery
Be inspired at the Scottish Ballet & Opera
Discover cutting edge theatre at The Tramway
Clubbers will love the popular Optimo at the Sub Club
Top Visitor Attractions in Glasgow
Loch Lomond Sea Life
Come face to extraordinary face with the newest residents...from the Hammerhead shark family. A pair of Bonnethead sharks have joined the tropical sharks in the mighty ocean tank. Loch Lomond Aquarium’s breathtaking Caribbean ocean display saw the arrival of a green sea turtle recently. This year the attraction will also welcome two spectacular weedy seadragons. It’s also home to playful otters Rona, Shona and Mona!
Glasgow City Sightseeing
From museums to galleries, historic sights & beautiful parks - discover it all
Travelling to Glasgow
Glasgow Overview
Glasgow is one of the most accessible cities in the UK with excellent motorway networks, an airport and a handful of train stations.
By Rail
Glasgow boasts multiple train stations in the city centre, meaning there are excellent rail connections to the whole of England and Scotland. Glasgow Queen Street Station is the best for direct trains to Edinburgh whilst Glasgow Central Station has a direct service to London Euston.
By Road
Glasgow is serviced by the M8, M77 and the M74. The M8 connects Glasgow directly to the city of Edinburgh and it is around an hour’s drive between the 2 Scottish cities. Meanwhile, the M77 leads to Kilmarnock and the M74 connects Glasgow to England and directly to Carlisle
By Air
Glasgow has its own international airport that is just a 10 minutes drive from the city centre via the convenient M8 motorway.
Getting Around in Glasgow
Glasgow Overview
Once in the city getting around is easy with an Underground Rail service, regular busses and many taxi firms.
By Bus
The Buchanan Street Bus Station is right in the heart of the city centre and has routes going all over Glasgow and all over the country. Glasgow also has a hop on hop off sightseeing bus service going around the major sights of the city.
By Taxi
Glasgow has multiple taxi services and you will find them available at the train stations and multiple taxi ranks around the city. The most preferred firm in the city is Glasgow Taxis which are most commonly traditional black cabs.
By Underground
Glasgow is one of the few cities in Europe that has an underground train service. The Subway has 15 stops around the city and is a quick and convenient way to get about. Tickets start from just £1 for a single journey.
Abode Glasgow
In the heart of the city the Abode Glasgow offers luxurious rooms to keep you feeling relaxed during your stay. Guests can stretch out on the Vi-Spring beds and feel revitalised with the amazing monsoon showers. At the heart of this fantastic hotel lies Michael Caines Restaurant which perfectly fuses locally sourced produce and exquisite wines with a superb atmosphere.
Glasgow is renowned for its year round buzz. Here’s our pick of this year’s great events.
- 1
17 Feb - 13 May - Alan Dimmick Exhibition
Photo exhibition exploring Scotland in the arts at the Gallery of Modern Art.
- 2
6 April - 12 Aug - The Essence of Beauty
Exhibition exploring 500 years of Italian art at the Kelvingrove Museum.
- 3
14 - 19 May - Avenue Q
The award winning musical comes to the Kings Theatre.
- 4
21 May - Barry Manilow
Live at the SECC.
- 5
22 Jun - John Barrowman
See the iconic entertainer live at Glasgow Green.
Out and about in Glasgow
Glasgow Shopping
Buchanan, Argyle and Sauchiehall Streets are the main areas for high-fashion and designer names. The charming Merchant City and West End areas are full of antique shops and independent boutiques.
Eating Out in Glasgow
From Pan-Asian to Turkish to traditional Scottish and everything in-between, Glasgow has a superb selection of fine restaurants serving cuisine from all around the world.
Glasgow Nightlife
Glasgow is home to a varied nightlife from the theatre scene to opera and ballet. Numerous nightclubs play anything from indie to 80’s, jazz clubs, comedy clubs and much more.
Glasgow Bars
For a great night out head to one of the popular bars on Sauchiehall Street or Renfield Street.
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