Best Day Trips from Glasgow, Scotland
Looking for the best day trips from Glasgow, Scotland? You’re in the right place!
Glasgow is a really cool city, and I definitely think it’s worth a couple of days of your time. But there’s so much more to Scotland to see beyond big cities like Glasgow. As the largest city in Scotland, Glasgow is well-connected by train to many great day trip destinations, including smaller towns and nature.
You also have the opportunity to visit places that aren’t easily accessible by public transit from Glasgow — and if you don’t have a car or are nervous about driving in Scotland, not to worry! Many big tour companies in Scotland offer organized group day trips from Glasgow that include transportation and a guide.
From Glasgow, it’s possible to explore historic castles and charming towns, see beautiful lakes (or rather, lochs), and even get a taste of the Scottish Highlands, located several hours north of the city.
Below, I’ve rounded up some of the best day trips from Glasgow for you. Let’s get into it!
⭐ Short on time? These are the top tours and activities I recommend. If you book directly through a link on this page, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Stay to Wander!
Best Day Trips from Glasgow, Scotland:
- Loch Lomond and Stirling Castle day trip
- Isle of Arran day trip with castle entry
- Oban, Glencoe, Highland lochs, and castles day trip
- Loch Ness and Scottish Highlands day trip
Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park is one of the easiest day trips to take from Glasgow if you want to escape to beautiful natural surroundings just under an hour away from the city.
You can take the train from Glasgow Central Station to Balloch, a journey of 55 minutes. In Balloch, there are plenty of opportunities for walking, hiking, cycling, and boating on the waters of Loch Lomond.
If you’d rather take an organized tour, this full-day trip combines a visit to Loch Lomond with a visit to Stirling Castle (which is another one of my recommendations for a great day trip from Glasgow!)
Isle of Arran
Scotland has more than 900 islands, with about 100 that are inhabited. You can’t really visit the islands on a day trip from Glasgow (or Edinburgh) because they’re too far north and require a lot of time driving and/or taking the ferry to get there. However, an exception to that is the beautiful Isle of Arran.
Located west of Glasgow in the Firth of Clyde, the Isle of Arran is known for its stunning scenery, rugged coastline, historic castles, and delicious food and drink, including local cheeses and whisky. There’s no way to get here by public transit, but it takes just over two hours driving (including the car ferry.)
Another option is this guided small-group day trip, which includes transportation from Glasgow in a comfortable van, passage on the ferry, admission to Brodick Castle, and free time to explore the island.
Stirling
Another great day trip from Glasgow is Stirling. This smaller, historic city is located just 40 minutes by train from Glasgow, making it an easy day trip to do on your own. I absolutely love Stirling!
The highlight here is Stirling Castle, which you can easily spend several hours exploring. But you also shouldn’t miss the town of Stirling itself, where you can also pass an afternoon wandering around.
If you’d like to combine a visit to Stirling with another destination to make the most of your time, then I’d recommend this full-day tour that goes to both Loch Lomond and Stirling Castle.
Oban
I usually don’t recommend trying to visit the Scottish Highlands on a day trip, either from Glasgow or Edinburgh. It requires several hours of driving each way just to get there, and you’ll only scratch the surface of everything this region has to offer. It’s really better to spend at least a few days in the Highlands.
That being said, if you’re short on time, it’s possible. Oban is a scenic harbor town 2.5 hours from Glasgow that is a gateway to the Highlands. This is a day trip that I would really suggest an organized tour for.
This particular full-day tour will take you on a scenic drive up into the Highlands, with photo stops at Loch Lomond, Inveraray Castle, and Glencoe Valley. You’ll also stop for lunch in Oban and have some free time to explore. It’s a long day with a lot of driving, but plenty of beautiful scenery!
Edinburgh
If you’re staying in Glasgow and you haven’t been to Edinburgh yet, it’s definitely worth it! The Scottish capital is one of my favorite cities, and I honestly think it’s a lot more impressive than Glasgow.
Getting to Edinburgh is super easy. It only takes 55 minutes on the train, and trains run between Glasgow and Edinburgh very frequently until about 11 PM, so you can spend a full day and evening there.
A lot of the best things to do in Edinburgh are free (I’ve written about my favorite free things to do in Edinburgh already), but a paid attraction that’s definitely worth it is visiting Edinburgh Castle.
Ayr
If you’re looking for something a little underrated and off the main tourist trail in Scotland, the coastal town of Ayr makes for a great day trip from Glasgow. I personally really love the western coast of Scotland!
You can take the train from Glasgow Central Station to Ayr in just 55 minutes. It’s a lovely town to stroll around, and you can even visit the beach (although it might be too chilly to swim, even in the summer!)
One big thing that Ayr is known for is being the birthplace of Robert Burns, the beloved national poet of Scotland. You’ll find the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum located on the edge of the town.
Loch Ness
Finally, one more ambitious day trip you can take from Glasgow is to Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. This is one where you’ll need to drive (there’s no public transit), and it takes about 3.5 hours.
I would definitely recommend an organized tour for a day trip like this, with a great option being this full-day trip to Loch Ness and the Scottish Highlands. It’s a long day with a lot of driving, but you’ll see a lot.
You’ll head north, stopping for coffee on the shores of Loch Lomond, before continuing on to Glencoe Valley. You’ll enjoy lunch in Fort William, and then head up to Fort Augustus, where you can take a boat tour on the famed Loch Ness. Then you’ll finish off with a dinner stop in Pitlochry, then return to Glasgow.
Top Day Trips from Glasgow, Scotland
This guide showed you the best day trips from Glasgow, Scotland.
If you’re looking for a nature-focused day trip, then my top pick would be Loch Lomond. And if you’re a fan of history and castles, then my first recommendation would be Stirling. And if you’re looking for something really unique and a bit off the beaten path instead, then I’d check out the Isle of Arran.
Enjoy your trip to Scotland!
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