Hi All,
I’m looking for suggestions for an afternoon in Glasgow. My family and I will be landing In Glasgow at 1130am on a flight over from Dublin. 6 adults and one 7yr old child. We would like to stow our luggage and spend the day checking out the city before catching a train to Edinburgh. Any suggestions would be great since this will be our first visit.
Thanks in advance,
Sue
What sort of things do you enjoy doing as there is so much to choose from... These are all places the grandchildren have enjoyed as well as the adults.
There is the Cathedral and the necropolis with its wonderful display of C19th tomb stones. The Friends of the Necropolis offer guided tours and also an app for a tour of the grounds
Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery is always popular with a good mix of things covering ancient history, natural history and much more. The building itself is stunning. It is free and you don't need to book.
The People's Palace (free entry) on Glasgow Green tells the story of the life of people in Glasgow. Or there is the Tenement House on Buccleuch Street. Miss Agnes Toward lived here from 1911 until 1965 and the house is still as sit was left after her death. Older members of the group may be reminded of how their grandparents lived. The 7 year old may be amazed at just how 'primitive' life was then!
The Riverside Museum is ean excellent transport museum - everything from skateboards to locomotives, prams to cars, as well as buses and ships... There are interactive displays and a a recreated cobbled Glasgow street with old shops . Again entry is free.
Glasgow Queen Street station (the airport bus stops outside) has a left luggage office.
That is where the trains to Edinburgh leave from.
Buchanan Bus Station (the final stop on the Airport bus) also has left luggage- that is just above Queen Street station for the train service to Edinburgh, or there is a frequent coach service as well from Buchanan.
My first pick would be the Kelvingrove Museum, but if you want to stay close to the Queen’s Street train station, check out Walking Tours in Glasgow. I think it's www.walkingtoursin.com
Hi, Sue,
I don't know how much time you're really going to have to spend in Glasgow. If your flight from Dublin arrives at 11:30, you'll still need to collect your luggage and catch the express bus in to town. I'm not sure whether you have to clear Immigration coming from an E.U. country. Perhaps someone who has taken this flight can clue us in.
If it's just luggage and the bus, it's probably going to be around 1:00 p.m. by the time that you get in to center city. The bus will drop you off at George Square (as featured in the movie World War Z). From there, you can easily walk to Queen Street Station to stow your luggage. This will probably take about another 20 minutes or so. Now you're looking at close to 1:30.
I'm not sure what time your train leaves for Edinburgh, but they run on a very frequent basis. You probably don't want to leave Glasgow too late in the day, as you'll want to get settled in to your accommodation in Edinburgh.
Most of the sites in Glasgow are not near Queen Street Station. You need to pick one site to visit, possibly two which are close to one another. I'd plump for Glasgow Cathedral and the Necropolis. Both are within walking distance of Queen Street Station. You could also combine those two with the Saint Mungo Museum, which is close by. Unfortunately, their cafe is currently closed, but could be open by the time you arrive. If you want to visit just one big museum, the Riverside would fill the bill. There is something for everyone.
Don't forget that you're going to be hungry after your flight and the bus, so you're probably going to want to get something to eat. If you are in Glasgow on a Saturday or a Sunday, you may want to visit The Barras, which is a Glasgow institution unlike anything else in Scotland. If you do go to The Barras, be sure to keep a close eye on the youngster.
If you want to avoid museums, and just enjoy central Glasgow, you could visit the "shopping Z", which consists of Argyle Street, Buchanan Street, and Sauchiehall Street. There are shops, both independent and chain, galore; lots of restaurants; buskers; and an opportunity to see the heart of Glasgow in all its litter-strewn glory. You could also include a visit to the Gallery of Modern Art, on nearby Queen Street. Be sure to check out the iconic statue of the Duke of Wellington in front of the Gallery, and take note of his unique headgear.
That's it for starters.
Mike (Auchterless)
There is no immigration in the UK when arriving from Ireland.
My suggestion.....there is a Hop on Hop off Bus that will give you a general tour of the city and allow you to get off and back on if there is anything particular you want to see. Although, I will admit that you won't really have much time to get off anywhere.
Thanks all, this is great information to get me started.
Sue
At Queen Street the left luggage is at basement level at the George Square entrance. It was too early this morning to see the charges, but I would expect they are the same as at Glasgow Central station.
I have just been waiting for a train beside the office at Central so noted down the charges-
£7.50 for 3 hours, £12.50 all day 0700 to 2300, £20 for 2 days, £27.50 for 3 days, £7.50 per day thereafter.
EDITED 25 June 2023- I remembered to look at Queen Street today. There the charges are Small Item £5 per day, Medium item £6 and large item £7. The office is open from 7am to 10pm daily.
At Buchanan bus station the lockers seem to be closed permanently.
I like Franks idea of the Hop On Hop Off bus and maybe seeing one site while in Glasgow. The bus will stop at most of the above suggested venues. For your group, I would choose either the Kelvingrove Art Gallery or the Transportation Museum at the River. I loved the transport museum and, no doubt, your little one will too. Actually, your whole group would find it a very good use of your short time in Glasgow.
Kelvingrove Museum for sure and make sure to take a walk through the University of Glasgow and visit the West End to grab a bite to eat.
If you've got a 7 year old child, head for the Kelvingrove Museum. Your child will thank you forever - it is truly a wonder to see, and the adults will love it, too. When I was there 3 weeks ago, there were kids running around looking at the exhibits in awe. Entry is free, although donations are appreciated.
BTW, you can leave your luggage at Kelvingrove in the Cloakroom for a nominal fee. But it might be easier to just leave it at the train station, too. https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/venues/kelvingrove-art-gallery-and-museum
There are quite a few restaurants near the Kelvingrove as well, so you could have lunch there then head to the museum and wherever else you want to go.
You could check walking tour times, but it may not fit with your schedule. The thing I like about walking tours is they tell you what you're looking at and its history, as opposed to seeing things and wondering what it is. The fine folks who posted above have excellent ideas that would interest a 7-year-old.
