Edinburgh to Glasow: Should I train or rent/hire a car?

You might look at a day trip from Glasgow that includes Stirling Castle. I took one several years ago with a company called Rabbie’s. My tour included stops at Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond, and a whisky distillery tour. It was an stress-free way to see the area. Traffic was pretty bad around Glasgow, and I was glad to not have to do the driving. https://www.rabbies.com/en/scotland-tours

We also did a day trip to Edinburgh by train. Super easy. I don’t really see a benefit to driving (and we tend to rent cars for most of our trips).

A car will be way more trouble than it's worth for your mostly city-based itinerary. Just take the train between cities, the train for a day trip to Stirling from Edinburgh if you end up deciding to go (or join a tour from Rabbie's) and save yourself the time and hassle of car pickup and dropoff and especially of driving in either city. The train is so much easier.

I can't think why you would voluntarily want to drive between the two cities with all the traffic and parking issues, and both Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street stations being in the heart of their cities.
There are four rail routes between the cities (from both Queen Street and Central stations), all with very frequent service, and the Falkirk High route in particular is faster than you could drive it. You can mix and match the routes on any given ticket.
Likewise Stirling is an incredibly easy, fast, short and easy train ride from Glasgow.
There are quite a few of the sites on the Antonine Wall you can get to by train, and include canal walks as part of the visit.

I very much doubt you will find a day tour covering the Antonine Wall and the Rabbies tour mentioned by travel4fun doesn't include it. Driving in and around Glasgow isn't pleasant. Maybe think about train to Stirling and hire a car from there? Depending on how much you want to see of the Antonine wall, then a car may make life easier. If you can tie in a visit to the Falkirk Wheel (incredible feat of engineering and well worth a visit) with Stirling, then Rough Castle which is one of the best sites on the Antonine Wall is about a 15/20 minute walk along a signed footpath from the wheel

I don't think you need any special training to rent a car in Scotland, but you could practice driving on the left side of the road in a country setting where there's little traffic. You definitely have to concentrate, especially at intersections.

Practicing driving on the left here isn't a bad idea , but it misses the main issues . You'll be sitting on the right side of the car when you drive , which greatly alters your perspective of the road . As well , driving in the UK , in essence , has your brain seeing everything in what is essentially a mirror image of what you are used to , and that takes a bit of time for you to adapt .

Steven, couldn't you sit on the right side of the car but reach over to steer in order to get the feel for it?

Well , you could try that . But you would also need legs that are 7 feet long to reach over to the gas and brake , not to mention three legs if you have a stick shift and need to use a clutch .

Hi Highlander -

Wise words from those saying don’t bother with the car. In either city you have to find somewhere to leave it when you are not driving it and this can be problematic in both price and location. The “possibilities that driving would give us” between Edinburgh and Glasgow would only be an intense study of urban motorways, not terribly enlightening or invigorating. And it goes without saying that the zero tolerance for mixing alcohol and driving means that having a car and visiting pubs is mutually exclusive. Personally I’d ditch the car as ‘not required on voyage’!

Not sure I’m best placed to advise on pubs - others here may have more recent and relevant information.

Ian

Hi, 3rdCoastHighlander,

Allow me to add my tuppence to this discussion.

First of all, I am in complete agreement about not driving in Edinburgh and Glasgow. It used to be fairly easy, at least back in the day when I first started visiting Scotland. However, it is now just frustrating and expensive. Between dedicated bus lanes, bicycle lanes and unsympathetic traffic wardens, the two cities have become very unfriendly destinations for those who choose to drive into their interiors. Added to that, streets frequently change names within the space of a city block. Edinburgh is notorious for that. Parking is an expensive nightmare in both cities. Parts of Glasgow where I used to park for free now have paid parking. So now I not only have to pay, but also to worry about getting back to the car before time expires.

Having said that, if you do want to take day trips to Stirling, or Falkirk or Croy for the Antonine Wall, then you may want to have access to a car. You only want to do this if your lodging in Glasgow provides free parking, and you also want to be absolutely sure of your route in and out of the city. Once you park at your lodging, leave the car there until you are ready to leave the city, and use public transportation until you do. The same applies to Edinburgh. Again, the public transportation is excellent, and trains regularly run to all of the above-mentioned towns. Stirling Castle is about a 20-30 minute uphill walk from the train station, although it's downhill on the way back!

Public transportation in Glasgow is excellent, if they're not on strike. The underground (Clockwork Orange) will take you to Govan. Scotrail will take you to Pollockshields and Cathcart from Glasgow Central. Bus service is excellent, and of course there are always taxis. An all-day Glasgow Tripper card for the buses runs about 3 pounds. An all day pass for the Clockwork Orange is a little over 4 pounds. There are all day bus passes for Edinburgh as well.

As others have mentioned, the best places to visit the Antonine Wall are at Tamfourhill/Camelon, just past the Falkirk Wheel. There is also a very good section on the grounds of Callendar House in Falkirk. Another good section is at Croy (accessible by train from Glasgow and Edinburgh). The WalkHighlands website offers an excellent walking trail for the Croy section of the Wall. Look for "Croy Hill and the Antonine Wall".

As far as pubs go, the best (and among the oldest) in Glasgow are the Clutha in Bridgegate (now reopened after a tragic accident in 2015), and the Scotia Bar on Stockwell Street. In Edinburgh, the Sheep's Heid in Duddingston claims to be the oldest pub in Scotland, while the White Hart in the Grassmarket boasts of its age. Sandy Bell's, in Forrest Hill, is a grand old pub with regular traditional music sessions.

Have a wonderful time, and good luck with your genealogical research!

Mike (Auchterless)

p.s.: Once you arrive in Glasgow, get a copy of the Glasgow A-Z. The paperback book sized one is a lot easier for carrying in a pocketbook or backpack. All churches and cemeteries are marked on the pages. If you want to get a copy ahead of your departure time, there are several used copies on eBay. Make sure that you order the paperback edition, not the large format or spiral bound edition.

you might check out some Youtube videos by train vloggers on that route to see what it's like

Thanks for the seasoned recommendations, everyone! There is a great reason why I come to these forums. The wisdom everyone shares is invaluable and appreciated. I used to driving in Chicago, but we'll stick with the train this visit. I''ll be back in the summer to spend time in Stonehaven, Aberdeen (Gordon Highlander museum), Nairn and then on to the Highlands.

Happy travels,
3rdCoastHighlander

Mike-

Thank you for the pub recommendations. I've enjoyed sitting in a few of Ernest Hemingway's favorite pubs in Spain, and James Joyce's Brazen Head in Dublin. I enjoy "breathing in" that history.

I'm looking forward to a little wandering, some meat pies and time with my daughter who lives in Spain. I found a Tenement Museum in my grandparents' old neighborhood in Glasgow. I can't wait. Alba gu bràth!

Peace and Happy travels,
3rdCoastHighlander

Hi again, 3rdCoastHighlander,

You had me at meat pies!! Absolutely nothing better than a good meat pie! The best I ever had was from Murray's on South Street in Perth, although I've had several that came close.

If you need any information on the Aberdeen area, let me know. I've been there more than any other place in Scotland. If you're staying on for a few days, I'd recommend the Premier Inn on Anderson Drive, near the Gordon Highlanders' Museum, or the Premier Inn North, a short way out of town.

Best wishes once again,

Mike (Auchterless)

Steven, the problem is easily solved, sir.

Mary works the brakes, pedal, and clutch, while I maneuver the steering wheel from the other seat. It's the best way to train for driving on the left side of the road. We had a couple of near-misses on blind curves, but it was worth it.

Glad to hear it worked out !