Glasgow 5 nights

Hi, leslieava, I would suggest visiting Stirling Castle, which is a quick day trip from Glasgow by train. I went there when I stayed in Glasgow and loved it. It's a gorgeous castle, with a lot of history, that sits on top of a high hill overlooking beautiful scenery. At the bottom of the hill is the town of Stirling, which has many historical places as well, including the Church of the Holy Rude, (where Mary Queen of Scots worshipped and where James VI was crowned), the Wallace Monument and much more. And if you're interested, you could also stop for tea or coffee at the former home of Lord Darnley, who was married to Mary Queen of Scots. It is halfway down the hill. It is now a café in a very interesting setting and serves wonderful food. I met a number of locals there when I stopped by, and they told me that they go there all the time.

It's easy to get to Stirling by train. I don't know where you're staying in Glasgow, but you would just head for the Queen Street station and catch the train to Stirling that will let you off in the town of Stirling. It's about a 30 minute ride. Then you can make your way up the hill to the castle. It's a very steep walk, but the scenery is lovely. You can always take a cab or bus, however, if you'd prefer not to walk it. I did walk up and really loved the view as I was heading upward. And once you get to the top, you'll be able to see the whole countryside.

It's easy to go through the castle on your own, but I would suggest taking one of their free guided tours. They're very interesting and they start every hour on the hour beginning at 10 a.m. If possible, buy your tickets in advance as it is a popular place and it will save you standing in line for too long.

https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/stirling-castle/?rsrc=stirlingcastle.scot

Rabbie’s is a tour company that generally gets good reviews here, and we’ve enjoyed their day tours in Scotland and England. They have a good selection from Glasgow, including one we did a few years ago that went to Loch Lomond, Inverrary Castle, Oban, Glencoe and a few other stops.

When my sister and I stayed in Glasgow for four days last year, we took the Rabbie’s day trip to Culzean Castle and Burns Country. It was marvelous. Culzean Castle is a spectacular “stately home” in a gem of a seaside location.

Our original plan was to take the day trip to the Isle of Arran, which was rescheduled due to ferry service issues. That’s another one to consider if it aligns with your dates.

After years of visiting Scotland, and still exploring, I believe the true beauty of Scotland is in the Highlands.

Taking a Rabbies tour to places such as Glencoe, Oban, the Highlands, Loch Ness, etc will allow you to experience the natural parts of Scotland and not just the city experiences. They can take you to many places where public transit really can't.

http://www.rabbies.com/en

I've taken numerous tours with them and have never been disappointed.

I second Frank II's advice. Go into the Highlands.

This Rabbie's tour would be a lovely day trip.

We spent 2 weeks in Scotland in 2022 and our favourite day was a daytrip from Glasgow to Stirling Castle. We also took a couple of Rabbies tours; one was an Outlander tour that touched on the Highlands and another was south to Rosslyn Chapel.

Thanks to all for your recommendations. So much to do, so little time. We will definitely do a Rabbies tour one of our days in Scotland. We will want to spend a day in Edinburgh too. Have any of you been to Chester, England? We plan on visiting on the way back to London.

I believe the true beauty of Scotland is in the Highlands.

I agree with Frank.

And I love Glasgow too - but for natural beauty, it's gotta be the highlands !

Have any of you been to Chester, England?

I love Chester. It's a lovely city and well worth a visit. I think you'll really enjoy it. Will you have time to visit Liverpool? It's very close by, and you can even make a trip to Wales from Chester as it's near to there.

But Chester itself has an old-world charm with quaint buildings (especially the black and white Tudor-style buildings). The streets are narrow and cobbled, with many running alongside canals, and are lined with shops, cafes, and pubs. It really creates a fun atmosphere for strolling and exploring. And if you don’t have a fear of heights, you can even walk along the city walls.

Don't miss Huxleys, which is a cafe that contains a porthole where you can look out and see a lovely view of the city. Also, make sure to see the 930 year old Chester cathedral, which is quite striking. Like many cathedrals in England, it started out as a Benedictine abbey, but after the Reformation, it was taken over by the Church of England.

Not much I can add to what Mardee says about Chester, other than to say that I don’t like heights but I found Chester’s walls very manageable. They aren’t as steep and long as, for example, Dubrovnik’s. What with Liverpool, Manchester, and north Wales, that area is well worth a much longer visit than a night or two, but if that’s all you have Chester will do fine and whet your appetite for a return visit.