Hidden treasures

Day 1: Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park
Luss: A picturesque village on the western shore of Loch Lomond. It's perfect for a peaceful stroll and some beautiful views1.

Balmaha: A small village on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond, great for hiking and enjoying the natural beauty.

Ben Lomond: If you're up for a hike, Ben Lomond offers stunning views and is a popular Munro (a mountain over 3,000 feet).

Day 2: Stirling Castle & The Trossachs
Stirling Castle: A historic castle with a rich history, offering a glimpse into Scotland's past.

The Trossachs: Explore the stunning landscapes, including Loch Katrine and Loch Achray.

Day 3: Isle of Arran
Isle of Arran: Often called "Scotland in miniature," it offers beautiful seascapes, lochs, hills, and castles. You can take a ferry from Ardrossan to the island1.

Day 4: Return to Glasgow
Glasgow Central Station Tours: If you have some extra time, you might enjoy learning about the history of Glasgow Central Station.

Enjoy your trip.

Those look great. Thank you!!

If you are heading for Hidden Treasures then you could do all or part of the SWC 300 driving route in Dumfries and Galloway/Ayrshire- https://scotlandstartshere.com/swc300/

Dumfries is only two hours drive from Glasgow, Ayr is only one hour. And Dumfries is about far more than Rabbie Burns. The murder of the Red Comyn by Robert Bruce [the father of Robert the Bruce] at the High Altar of Greyfriars Kirk [now an Orthodox Cathedral) being just one example.

If it wasn't such a short timescale I would actually start with a side trip from Dumfries to Ruthwell and Caerlaverock.

With 3 days and such a treasure of places to visit on the SWC300 I suspect you are only going to get from Dumfries to Stranraer on the SWC 300. Then straight back up the coast to Glasgow.

Another idea would be to fly on to Campbeltown on Kintyre. Pick up a local car rental from Kintyre car hire or Hazelbank Motors, explore the distillery town of Campbeltown and the Mull of Kintyre then go to the garden isle of Gigha for a night or two. Gigha is one of the big secrets of western Scotland. Then the evening flight back to Glasgow on Friday night.

But I like the SWC300 a lot more for this specification.

If you went to Stirling and are trying to do some of the untouristy stuff you should go to Cambuskenneth Abbey (which links closely in with the story of Stirling Castle) and the Battle of Bannockurn visitor centre. It baffles me why, on this forum, everyone goes to Culloden, but no one to Bannockburn- another of the important battles of Scottish history. The other less well known thing to do from Stirling is the Clackmannanshire Tower Trail.

Hi, Leslie. Quite frankly and with all due respect, I would discount Threadware's post as it reads very much like it was created by AI.

For one thing, I would definitely not consider Loch Lomond "untouristy", and it's certainly not a "hidden treasure" as everyone knows about it. It can get very crowded there, especially during the high season, which is when you will be there. In fact, none of the places mentioned in that list are "untouristy" but some are less so than others and worth it regardless. Plus I think the first reply also gave you an extra day that you don't have. It sounds like you have Wednesday (rest of the day after rental car pickup), all day Thursday, then on Friday you must be back by the end of the day. So basically one full day and 2 half days.

I agree that Stirling Castle and the town of Stirling are well worth a visit. You could also include the Falkirk Wheel and see the Kelpies while you are there, and time-wise, it's very doable with your schedule.

Arran is a possibility, but I think with your timing, it would be iffy and I probably wouldn't attempt it, unless I came back very early on Friday. You would really have to be careful with the schedules because of the ferry. You would have to drive to Ardrossan, then take the Calmac ferry over to Brodick (on Arran), and then to get back, you would need to schedule the ferry to return. There are 4 late afternoon/evening return ferries from Brodick to Ardrossan, so you would need to really check the schedules carefully to get back in time. And sometimes the ferries don't run because of weather conditions. It's rare but it does happen. Here is the summer timetable. https://assets.calmac.co.uk/media/lgojlqg3/stt-table-05-ard-bro.pdf

Stuart (isn31c) has some good ideas that are certainly off the tourist track, so I would consider looking at those. His ideas are going to fit much more with what you are looking for rather than the AI generated list.

Hi, Leslie. Quite frankly and with all due respect, I would discount Threadware's post as it reads very much like it was created by AI.

I don't know about AI but it is a tick list of all the major tourist destinations that feature on nearly every tourist itinerary... You couldn't get more touristy if you tried. They are definitley NOT hidden treasures. Sorry..

Dumfries and Galloway is definitely off the tourist trail and will tick all the boxes. It has the lot from serious mountains (Merrick) and Lochs (Loch Trool is the equal of anywhere else). There are sandy beaches and cliffs as well as prehistoric remains (Cairnholy near Creetown), ruined abbeys (Glenluce, Dundrennan and Sweetheart), ruined castles (Cardoness , Maclellan’s Tower in Kirkcudbrigh, Orchardton Tower, as well as lots of smaller and rather insignificant ones...)

There are stately homes (Culzean Castle, Drumlanrig, Dumfries House) as well as some superb gardens (Threave, Port Logan).
There are plenty of small attractive towns and villages to explore too.

There are breweries (Sulwath in Castle Douglas) as well as Bladnoch whisky distillery...

The Undiscovered Scotland website is a wonderful source of ideas for off the beaten track places. Have a look at the map page here and follow the links to text pages with lots of information and pictures. As well as places mentioned above, there are loads more to discover... (Gem Rock Museum in Creetown, Garlieston where the Mulberry harbours used in the D Day landings were constructed, Wigtown Book Museum, St Ninian’s Cave....)

I agree, this is quite a funny list of probably the most touristy places near Glasgow! I want to second the recommendation for Culzean Castle- beautiful grounds in an amazing setting right on a cliff overlooking the sea- definitely worth a drive. I also really liked Campbelltown and the Mull of Kintyre- dramatic scenery and less touristy than other places. Good luck!

Thanks everyone. I decided to stay the whole day Friday and will leave Saturday.