In October, I'm following my husband out to London (business trip) then we plan to take a train up to Scotland. It seems more logical to start in Glasgow, spend a couple days there, then get our rental car and do the loop up to Oban, Skye, Inverness, then down to Edinburgh. Most guidebooks (even the RS book) start in Edinburgh. Am I odd or going to be disappointed (but can one be disappointed traveling in Europe??) or anything starting in Glasgow vs. Edinburgh?
Posted by
Glostrup, Denmark
1476 posts
I don't think it makes much of a difference where you start and end. I preferred Glasgow over Edinburgh, but your taste may differ. Even if you have to leave from one of them, it is a short train ride between them.
In Glasgow I especially recommend the Riverside Museum. An easy way to get there is with the HOHO bus.
Posted by
Copenhagen, Denmark
971 posts
I don't Think it makes much difference either, since both are only a short train ride from each other. You should note that you can save money by picking up and returning the rental car at the same location.
I did a trip like yours last month, where we took the train from Glasgow to Stirling, rented the car there and did the loop to Oban, Skye and Inverness, returned the car in Stirling and took the train to Edinburgh.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
You can start in either one, as they're less than an hour apart by bus, train, or car.
I prefer Glasgow as well, but obviously, you won't know which one you prefer until you see them both. They are VERY different, so both should definitely be seen. If you want my impressions of Glasgow, here's my trip report from last September: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/uk-trip-report-glasgow-manchester-liverpool-in-september-2016
Posted by
RIchmond, BC,Canada
1052 posts
I don't think it makes much of a difference. I did it the other way around because I love Edinburgh and wanted to spend more time there. I found returning the car to the airport at Glasgow a pain in the butt, though, the signage to the car return was either very poor or non existent and I ended up driving through a parkade. Maybe Edinburgh will be easier. The cities are very different, and I enjoyed both, but for different reasons. I had not been to Glasgow before, and I wouldn't hesitate to go back, but I still prefer Edinburgh.