Glasgow, Scotland

[fulome]

Can anyone recommend things to do in Glasgow?

[camNaud]

Can anyone recommend things to do in Glasgow?

 

Yes - avoid Glasgow and take a tour north to Loch Lomond or The Trossachs.... much nicer.

[loerie]

glasgow is a great city - wonderful victorian buildings- very walkable.Not boring atall!!!

[scottie99]

Yes - avoid Glasgow and take a tour north to Loch Lomond or The Trossachs.... much nicer.

 

Whilst the Trossachs are very pleasant countryside, Glasgow is a great city.

 

This is an earlier reply I posted for things to do in Glasgow

 

 

 

 

NOT TRUE Originally Posted by graciallen

Scott99- what would you suggest do do in Glasgow?

 

Glasgow, (my home town) does not have the historical past of Edinburgh. It was more of a commercial and industrial city, therefore there is no castle etc.

 

There is however plenty to do and see.

 

There is a HOHO bus which leaves from George Square and takes you round most of the places.

 

In George Square itself, you will find the City Chambers (town hall). Tripadvisor clients voted this the No1 attraction in Glasgow. It really is a stunning building.

 

If museums and art is your thing, about 100 yards from George Sq., in Queen St, there is the Museum of Modern Art.

 

Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery is world class. There is so much to see in the museum and the Art Gallery boasts many originals from eg Picasso, Dali, Monet, Degas, Rembrandt etc.

 

The Peoples Palace at Glasgow Green (city centre park) focuses on Glasgow history.

 

Entrance to all museums in Glasgow is free.

 

Glasgow Cathedral is a magnificent Gothic building, parts of which date back to the 1200s. Beside this there the Religious Museum and Provands Lordship which is the oldest house in Glasgow (1471)

 

The Glasgow School of Art was designed by Charles Rennie MacKintosh and is a popular attraction.

 

Glasgow is also a fantastic city for shopping with Buchanan Street the most popular area.

 

The city centre is fairly compact. It is also safe ( as long as you take normal precautions)

 

If I can be more specific about anything, please let me know.

[loerie]

yes ,yes ,yes to the above!!!

[camNaud]

glasgow is a great city - wonderful victorian buildings- very walkable.Not boring atall!!!

 

I don't disagree - I suppose it all depends on what you want to see - I was just suggesting something that I'd thought visitors to our wonderful country would want to see.

[estebofarr]

How much is the HOHO Bus and does the driver need exact change?

[scottie99]

How much is the HOHO Bus and does the driver need exact change?

 

 

It costs £11. This link will give you all details

 

http://www.viator.com/showDetail.jspa?code=2065GLAS&productId=1016&id=1010&productType=SIC&SSAID=174974&aid=132440

[HA Chick]

Can anyone recommend things to do in Glasgow?

 

We were in Glasglow in June and did a private tour with Greatscot Tours. We and about 18 other cc'ers were very pleased with their tour. It was an 8 hour tour we went to Loch Lomand, Sterling Castle etc. Would recommend this tour company if you are only there for a day. If interested you can contact Gordon @ greatscot1320@blueyonder.co.uk> for more info. Any questions let me know.

 

Linda

[ldubs]

Frommers.com has some on-your-own walking tour maps for Glasgow city center.

[Budget Queen]

I've gone to Glasgow the last two years, and have another trip this Sept. It's a great city. :) If you happen to the Piping Live, championships, plenty of activites. Also Edinburg is a very easy day visit. The HOHO bus, is very good, and orientates you to the city, for a return to areas of interest.

[uktog]

Certainly the HoHO bus is a great way to see the town. If you want to be out of town another place is get yourself to Helensburgh to see the Rennie Mckintosh Hill House, but you can see a lot of McKintosh in Glasgow itself

Here is a link to the Glasgow Museums site

 

http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/Pages/home.aspx

 

Scotland Street School is very interesting

One thing to check on the day you visit, the museum staff have been taking industrial action so there have been days when they and the amazing art galleries are shut - if you google on the BBG Scotland website just before you travel you should be able to find if there are issues

 

Another place good for a visit is the tenement house, not beautiful but it gives a great sense of Glasgow life 100 years ago, the hoho stops near it

 

http://www.nts.org.uk/Property/59/

 

A

 

PS This is written by a native of Edinburgh Edinbrghers by nature do not normally champion the Weegies as we call them but it is right that we point out that their city has a lot to offer and people do not have to go into the countryside if they would prefer a town based trip

[Indigo_Star]

Depending on how long you are staying in Glasgow, there are many things for you to do and see. The main shopping district stretches about 1.5 miles if laid out straight and you will find hundreds of bars/pubs and restaurants along the way. There are 2 shopping centres/malls as well as a lot more individual stores for clothing, gifts, homeware etc covering the 3 main streets... Sauchiehall street, Buchanan Street and Argyle street, and scattered throughout.

 

Not far from the main shopping precinct, you will find landmarks like Glasgow Cathedral, Kelvingrove Art Galleries, Glasgow University Campus, Glasgow Green, The SECC auditorium, The Theatre Royal and The Royal Concert Hall.

Depending on the time of year you are visiting you are almost guaranteed to find some form of entertainment in one of the above locations, e.g ballet, opera, concerts, workshops, drama/recitals etc. If you google any of the above you'll find a "whats on" guide on their websites.

 

All your transport needs will be met in the city centre with 2 main railway stations, a bus station and a subway line. The main tourist information store is situated on George Square, where the HOHO buses park. You can buy all your tickets there and can sometimes be lucky enough to get some coupons on leaflets in the tourist info booth.

 

if you feel like taking having a day in a near by town or city, hop on a train at central station or queen street station and you can be in stirling or edinburgh, or even somewhere further afield in approx 1.5 hours. when you get off the train at your destination there will be HOHO buses waiting outside the stations and you can do the same thing here if you fancy a look around somewhere else.

 

I live, work and learn in Glasgow... so if there is anything more specific you would like to know, im more than happy to help.

 

Sarah.

[rhondank]

Whilst the Trossachs are very pleasant countryside, Glasgow is a great city.

 

This is an earlier reply I posted for things to do in Glasgow

 

 

 

 

NOT TRUE Originally Posted by graciallen

Scott99- what would you suggest do do in Glasgow?

 

Glasgow, (my home town) does not have the historical past of Edinburgh. It was more of a commercial and industrial city, therefore there is no castle etc.

 

There is however plenty to do and see.

 

There is a HOHO bus which leaves from George Square and takes you round most of the places.

 

In George Square itself, you will find the City Chambers (town hall). Tripadvisor clients voted this the No1 attraction in Glasgow. It really is a stunning building.

 

If museums and art is your thing, about 100 yards from George Sq., in Queen St, there is the Museum of Modern Art.

 

Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery is world class. There is so much to see in the museum and the Art Gallery boasts many originals from eg Picasso, Dali, Monet, Degas, Rembrandt etc.

 

The Peoples Palace at Glasgow Green (city centre park) focuses on Glasgow history.

 

Entrance to all museums in Glasgow is free.

 

Glasgow Cathedral is a magnificent Gothic building, parts of which date back to the 1200s. Beside this there the Religious Museum and Provands Lordship which is the oldest house in Glasgow (1471)

 

The Glasgow School of Art was designed by Charles Rennie MacKintosh and is a popular attraction.

 

Glasgow is also a fantastic city for shopping with Buchanan Street the most popular area.

 

The city centre is fairly compact. It is also safe ( as long as you take normal precautions)

 

If I can be more specific about anything, please let me know.

Thank you for your insight about Glasgow, it was very helpful in dertermining whether or not we should go there. We definetly will be going.

[tartanexile81]

The original post is 5 years old so although much of it holds true, some things have changed. For example, the art college was almost destroyed in a fire last year and is now closed pending re-building. However Charles Rennie Mackintosh is still an icons figure and you could take that as your theme for the day.

 

Kelvingrove Art gallery and Museum. Fantastic building and the Rennie Mackintosh Gallery is fabulous.

 

Nearby at the university is the Hunterian Museum. You can visit the house designed by CRM and his wife and rebuilt with original furniture on the museum site

 

Scotland Street Museum. School designed by mackintosh and interesting to see what education was like in years gone by

 

Willow Tea Room. Afternoon tea to quench your thirst.

 

Details here:

 

http://glasgowmackintosh.com/plan-visit

 

 

We spent a day doing this and loved it

[Jassy]

The original post is 5 years old so although much of it holds true, some things have changed. For example, the art college was almost destroyed in a fire last year and is now closed pending re-building. However Charles Rennie Mackintosh is still an icons figure and you could take that as your theme for the day.

 

Kelvingrove Art gallery and Museum. Fantastic building and the Rennie Mackintosh Gallery is fabulous.

 

Nearby at the university is the Hunterian Museum. You can visit the house designed by CRM and his wife and rebuilt with original furniture on the museum site

 

Scotland Street Museum. School designed by mackintosh and interesting to see what education was like in years gone by

 

Willow Tea Room. Afternoon tea to quench your thirst.

 

Details here:

 

http://glasgowmackintosh.com/plan-visit

 

 

We spent a day doing this and loved it

 

This is exactly the information I have been searching for! Thank you!!

 

A question -- How can one get to Glasgow on one's own from Greenock, where our cruise ship will be docked? Cost, time in transit, reliability (don't want to miss the boat :D), etc.? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

[Sanjam cruisers]

Hi Jassy

There is a very regular relatively inexpensive train service between Greenock Central and Glasgow Central Railway Stations. Greenock central is a short walk or taxi journey from the cruise terminal. The rail journey takes approx 45 minutes, the cheapest fares are between 0930 and 1600hrs, Glasgow Central Station as the name suggests is in the city centre, and is only a 5 minute walk from George Square where you can pickup the HOHO tour bus. On your return journey you would board a train for Gourock or Wemyss Bay but check with Rail Staff as it is not a route I use.

Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have and I will do my best to get the info you may require.

Edited November 11, 2015 by Sanjam cruisers

[Jassy]

Hi Jassy

There is a very regular relatively inexpensive train service between Greenock Central and Glasgow Central Railway Stations. Greenock central is a short walk or taxi journey from the cruise terminal. The rail journey takes approx 45 minutes, the cheapest fares are between 0930 and 1600hrs, Glasgow Central Station as the name suggests is in the city centre, and is only a 5 minute walk from George Square where you can pickup the HOHO tour bus. On your return journey you would board a train for Gourock or Wemyss Bay but check with Rail Staff as it is not a route I use.

Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have and I will do my best to get the info you may require.

 

Thank you for this information! It is very helpful.

[crusingnut]

Hi Jassy

There is a very regular relatively inexpensive train service between Greenock Central and Glasgow Central Railway Stations. Greenock central is a short walk or taxi journey from the cruise terminal. The rail journey takes approx 45 minutes, the cheapest fares are between 0930 and 1600hrs, Glasgow Central Station as the name suggests is in the city centre, and is only a 5 minute walk from George Square where you can pickup the HOHO tour bus. On your return journey you would board a train for Gourock or Wemyss Bay but check with Rail Staff as it is not a route I use.

Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have and I will do my best to get the info you may require.

 

Our ship will dock @ AYR. We would like to take the HOHO bus and wondering how far George SQ is from the dock? Do you happen to know if you can board the bus at any stop for the 1st time if you have already purchased a ticket on-line ? I have sent an email on their web site but haven't heard back yet.

[Alaskanb]

Ayr is about an hrs car ride from Glasgow. Many more interesting things to do in the area. We loved visiting Culzean Castle and gardens. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g186574-Activities-Ayr_South_Ayrshire_Ayrshire_Scotland.html

Edited February 19, 2016 by Alaskanb

[Sanjam cruisers]

Hi cruising nut

As AlaskanB said Ayr is a small town about 40 minutes away from Glasgow by a very reliable and inexpensive train journey, however Ayr is in the very heart of "Burns" (Famous Scottish Poet Robert Burns) country there are various monuments about the area to him including the Burns Museum at nearby Alloway.

Also nearby is Culzean Castle and Country Park, within the Castle is the "Eisenhower" Room where the former President Eisenhower stayed on a visit to Scotland.

Ayr has numerous restaurants and pubs worth a visit while in the town.

I am sure you will find something to do to enjoy your visit to Ayr.

[Alaskanb]

Hi cruising nut

As AlaskanB said Ayr is a small town about 40 minutes away from Glasgow by a very reliable and inexpensive train journey, however Ayr is in the very heart of "Burns" (Famous Scottish Poet Robert Burns) country there are various monuments about the area to him including the Burns Museum at nearby Alloway.

Also nearby is Culzean Castle and Country Park, within the Castle is the "Eisenhower" Room where the former President Eisenhower stayed on a visit to Scotland.

Ayr has numerous restaurants and pubs worth a visit while in the town.

I am sure you will find something to do to enjoy your visit to Ayr.

And if you are lucky on a clear day have wonderful views across the Firth of Clyde.

[Peteymil]

Ayr is about an hrs car ride from Glasgow. Many more interesting things to do in the area. We loved visiting Culzean Castle and gardens. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g186574-Activities-Ayr_South_Ayrshire_Ayrshire_Scotland.html

 

Is it easy to get from the port in Ayr to the train station?

[Alaskanb]

Is it easy to get from the port in Ayr to the train station?

Sorry --can't help with that. I have frequently visited family in that part of Scotland.

[threetowner16]

Is it easy to get from the port in Ayr to the train station?

 

looking at the cruise itineraries seems Azamara are on the 17jul and Celebrity on the 16 jul in Ayr, I think both with tender paxs ashore as the port isn't all that deep, if they do will likely use the TSS Waverley boarding point on the south side of the harbour , which according to there website is 1.5miles from Ayr station, Theres is a post in January entitled Taxis in Ayr, which someone has posted there might be a shuttle into Ayr.If not its about 25/30 mins walk ,its a nice walk along the river Ayr to New Bridge St cross the road up High St and then fork left into Kyle St and at the top facing it is the station.