5 Best Weekend Trips from Glasgow

The great thing about Scotland (other than beautiful castles, lochs, cities, and scenery of course) is that, since it’s a small country, you can pretty much do a weekend trip to almost anywhere in the country. However, if you have to pick, here are the best weekend trips from Glasgow that you can easily get to via train or car.

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A weekend in Edinburgh

To no surprise, a great weekend trip from Glasgow is a visit to Edinburgh, Scotland’s mystifying capital. Here you can expect to wander the picturesque cobbled streets of the Old Town, visit incredible museums like the National Museum of Scotland, and indulge in its rich culture and scenery along the way.

For a complete weekend guide to Edinburgh, check out this awesome article from Watch Me See.

Photo by Joe Green on Unsplash

Weekend Hiking in the Cairngorms

Hop on a 2 and a half hour train from Glasgow to Aviemore and venture up north to the Cairngorms National Park. This is the perfect weekend away from Glasgow for those looking for natural scenery, a breath of fresh air, and some outdoor activities.

There’s a lot of hiking routes, kayaking and canoeing, and plenty of chances to see some of Scotland’s wildlife as well as castles and the famous Macallan Distillery.

Isle of Arran, Scotland

Experience Isle of Arran

Head to the coast for an extraordinary weekend of “Scotland in miniature” on Isle of Arran. You’ll catch a train towards Ardrossan Harbour where you’ll be able to catch the ferry to Arran. There’s also a car ferry for those driving.

What to do on Isle of Arran? Soak up the beauty of life on a Scottish isle for one. Hike to the top of Arran’s highest mountain Goatfell, cycle around the island, and visit the beautiful 19th century Brodick Castle or 16th century Lochranza Castle.

You can also take a morning or afternoon to sail over to the Holy Isle, which was once the home of 6th century monk named St. Molaise and is now owned by the Samyé Ling Buddhist Community.

READ MORE: Summer in Scotland Packing List

Loch in Scotland

Explore Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park

A great driving route that is also accessible by train or bus, a trip to Loch Lomond is a great weekend getaway from the hustle and bustle of Glasgow. This beautifully scenic area is full of massive lochs, picturesque towns like Luss, and cascading green hills dotted with sheep.

There are many traditional songs written about this area and it’s clear why it’s so special in Scottish history.

You can visit the Balloch Castle and Country Park and explore its unique gardens, wander along loch paths, and for some added adventure try a zipline and ropes course at TreeZone.

A Weekend away in Inverness

Another gone of the best weekend trips from Glasgow is Inverness. Famous for many reasons from Loch Ness and the Loch Ness monster to its importance in Scottish history and its place as the capital of the Highlands.

Taking the train from the Glasgow Queen Street Station will take a little over 3 hours but you’ll pass a lot of scenery and Scotrail provides free Wi-Fi on trains. Once you make it to Inverness, explore around the city centre, visit the castle, walk along the river, and soak up the beauty of this small city.

Then, you can hop over to Loch Ness and visit the fascinating and historical Culloden Battlefield, where Jacobites had their last battle in rebellion against Britain’s Hanoverian Government and resulted in a change in highland life forever.

Map ’em out!

Map created with Wanderlog, a travel planner on iOS and Android

Support small businesses in Scotland with these perfect souvenirs.

My Top Travel Recommendations ♡

These are a few of my top travel tips that will save you time and money while setting up for an AMAZING trip.

Booking flights: I almost exclusively use Google Flights. They have a cool feature where you can type in your departure airport and discover where you could fly within a certain budget. Otherwise, you can also compare airports and see what day is best to fly in/out to help you save money and have the most efficient flight path.

Travel insurance: SafetyWing is my go-to choice for travel insurance. They have a global policy that covers 180+ countries. You can visit any doctor, cancel anytime, and you’re even covered for a few weeks after returning to your home country.

Anti-theft bag: To help protect against pickpockets, I like to carry my beloved Travelon bag. It’s slash-resistant, has locked zippers, and is very sleek and functional for traveling abroad.

Accommodation: I love using Booking.com to find places to stay when traveling. Booking has everything from hotels and hostels to b&bs and entire house/apartment rentals.

Travel Credit Card: I love-love-love my Capital One Venture One credit card. It has a $0 annual fee and no fees when using abroad or paying in a foreign currency. Plus you get 20,000 bonus miles when you spend $500 in your first three months when you get this card.

Car rentals: I use DiscoverCars.com when renting a car. Great deals, customer support, and range of comapnies. You can save up to 70% via the website instead of booking a car directly.

Tours: I don’t travel on complete tours as I like to travel on my own terms, but I do like to book experiences and walking tours on GetYourGuide. They have an amazing line-up of things to do in destinations around the globe. You can also access skip-the-line tickets.

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Hi, I’m Christa! Welcome to my sustainable solo travel blog dedicated to inspiring others to travel slowly, embracing a heart-forward and spirited approach to adventure. 

-The Spirited Explorer

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