City comparison in Scotland - Edinburgh vs. Glasgow

Well, obviously, whether it's necessary or not is up to you, but I can tell you that Edinburgh and Glasgow are two completely different cities in appearance and ambience. Edinburgh is a bit more traditional, with a lot of history, very charming and smaller than Glasgow. And it has Edinburgh Castle. Glasgow, on the other hand, has some incredible things to see there, like the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the Necropolis, which is fascinating, and much more. It's a vibrant city and is the capital of Scotland. You couldn't go wrong seeing both.

That said, many people skip Glasgow and have no regrets. It really depends on what you're looking to see.

Honestly, if I was on the fence. and limited in time, I would probably stay in Edinburgh for your 3 nights, and take a day trip to Glasgow. You could definitely see some of the sites there during that time, and it's a very quick train ride between the two cities.

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland. Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland. Both have much to offer.

If you've never been before and have limited time, it's probably best focussing on Edinburgh. It's better set up with things for the tourist. Glasgow's the better city though, if you appreciate cities. Whether Glasgow is a 'must' or not is up to you. I prefer Glasgow to Edinburgh, culturally.

I was going to suggest the same as Mardee- if you want to visit Glasgow as well, do it as a day trip from Edinburgh. It's something like 40 minutes on the train if I remember correctly. Glasgow is quite different. If you're interested in art nouveau at all, then I would definitely visit as you have all the Rennie Mackintosh sites. If you have more time and want to stay in another location, I think Oban is a good one, particularly if you want to get a feel for the coast and some of the nearby islands. You could also drive up to Fort William via Glen Coe if you prefer some more mountainous scenery. There really are so many options. Good luck with your planning!

Nothing is necessary.

However, if you're coming all the way to Scotland and will have a few extra days after your Edinburgh stay, I would get away from the cities.

How many days will you have for a 2nd Scotland location? Do you want to rent a car or use public transportation?

BTW, American Airlines has a nonstop from Edinburgh to Philadelphia. Consider flying into London and home from Edinburgh.

The only “must” is what you want to do. We enjoyed both cities earlier this year as they are different from each other. The street art in Glasgow was incredible.

My sister and I spent nine wonderful days in Scotland in May 2024, basing ourselves first in Glasgow and then in Edinburgh. The two cities do indeed have different personalities, and both are worth exploring. In case it might be helpful, here’s my trip report: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-glasgow-and-edinburgh-with-day-trips-and-lots-of-great-food

Thanks very much everyone for all these great comments! So much good information and I appreciate it. I like the idea about taking a train over to Glasgow from Edinburgh - I hadn't known the trip was that quick. Good idea. And also the idea to fly back to Philly from Edinburgh - I'll check that out carefully, thanks. I'm thinking maybe 7 or 8 nights in Scotland all told, but that will firm up as we go on. Clearly we will miss a lot, but just trying to get a flavor of the country in the short time we have. So far, we're not thinking to rent a car, though I can't rule it out yet. Was hoping to stick with public transportation (trains mostly - that's not something we get to do much of in the U.S.)

Here's one idea for 8 nights in Scotland using public transportation.

Train from London to Glasgow, 4½ hrs.

• 1 or 2 nights Glasgow (see previous suggestions above)

Then the very scenic West Highland Line to Oban, 3 hrs.

• 2 or 3 nights Oban (Distillery, Castle, Museum, Great Seafood, access to the islands of Mull, Iona, Kerrera and more)

Bus to Stirling, 2½-3 hrs.

• 1 nt Stirling ( Castle, Wallace Monument, Old Town)

Bus or train to Edinburgh, under 1 hr.

• 3 nts Edinburgh

Fly home from Edinburgh

I have been to both cities many times.

My suggestion is:

Focus on Edinburgh, day trip to Glasgow--it's only an hour by train--and then a few days exploring outside the cities. The trains are good but don't go to everywhere you may want to see. You can get to Oban from Edinburgh by train.

If you want to "leave the driving to someone else" and go to places the trains don't go, take a look at one day or multiple day tours from Rabbies. I have taken numerous one day tours out of Edinburgh--as well as Glasgow and Inverness--with them and they never disappoint.

These are small van tours--maximum of 16 passengers--and you get time at each location to explore on your own. They are highly recommended by many people on this forum.

Again - thanks to all for these responses. Every comment has helpful information - much appreciated. I wish I could reply to people, but that's not how this site works.
NancyG - thanks for comments and trip report. Looks like you were quite busy and had a great time.
JeanM - that looks like a sensible itinerary and we will take all those ideas into account.
Frank II - I'm liking the idea of focusing on Edinburgh and probably using the train to explore Glasgow. (Hey, we could even do that twice if we felt like it.) And Oban sounds like a good possibility. We will check out / consider the Rabbies tours.
Good info - thanks folks.