Glasgow in a Day

When searching for things to do in Glasgow there seemed to be an abundance of links that popped up of leaving the city and doing day trips elsewhere but I only had a day to see it… well, about 36 hours so I pieced together what I could find for interesting things in the city and I talked to a couple of locals to get their opinion and I present to you my Glasgow in a Day itinerary. I warn you though, it was indeed a long day!

7:00 am – Sunrise

I headed to the Necropolis to watch the sunrise. Unfortunately, my attempts were thwarted by the clouds but it was still magnificent being up on the hill as the light crept across the sky illuminating each massive headstone as it grew. This is commonplace for people to walk through, run through and just spend time in as I noticed even before dawn.

8:00 am – Breakfast

I found an adorable little breakfast/Brunch spot called Wilson St Pantry and their coffee & eggs Benedict were incredibly delicious. The space was so cozy, warm, and inviting and honestly, it made it a bit difficult to continue on my journey out in the cold.

9:00 am – Walking Mural Trail

Street art is by far one of my favorite things to find and photograph in any new place and I knew if I was going to do Glasgow in a day, I would need to add at least a few of these massive murals to my list. This walking mural trail, however, was much more spread out than it seemed on the map and it took quite a bit longer than I anticipated. I did manage to see all but a couple of the murals that I just couldn’t seem to track down.

10.30 am – The Central Train Station

The station was such a close detour from the mural trail I decided to give it a peek and while there isn’t a ton to do or see inside unless you take the actual tour, I am so glad I popped by for a peek. If you like Harry Potter then once you step inside you might find yourself getting all sorts of Ministry of Magic vibes.

11:00 am – The Lighthouse

I stopped mid Mural tour to visit the lighthouse as it was in the general area and I knew it would provide some breathtaking views of the surrounding areas, I just had to walk up a million steps… just kidding there were only 134 steps up the spiral staircase of the Mackintosh Tower and while yes, I was winded by the time I got to the top, the view was worth it!

12:00 pm – Continue The Mural Tour

I found myself walking allllll over the central part of the city chasing down these murals and while unfortunately some were defaced with senseless tags, the beauty & power of the artwork was still resonating from walls high above the streets, under bridges and hidden by the river.

1:00 pm – Kelvingrove Museum

This was such a cool place that just made me feel like everything could come alive at any moment. The stories and art and presentation of this building were so memorable. This museum holds a massive organ and at 1 pm there is a short recital played in the main hall and it couldn’t have been a more picturesque scene with this incredible backdrop. The museum has rotating art installations and it is all donation-based so there is no entry fee.

2:30 pm – Lunch at The Brunch Club

What can I say, I am a sucker for some good breakfast food and brunch. I had another cup of delicious coffee to warm me up and keep me going if I was going to accomplish my goal of seeing Glasgow in a day. I ate the Salmon Gravlax on a sweet potato hash-brown and holy moly, you guys it was mouth waveringly good!

4:00 pm – Whiskey Tour & Tasting at The Clydeside Distillery

This is a newer distillery so they aren’t quite producing their own whiskey yet however, they have 3 different whiskeys that are provided to them by more established and well-known whiskey distilleries, though they couldn’t say which ones. You can book your tour online ahead of time though if you go in the off-season I don’t think you’ll have issues just showing up. The tour is about an hour long and provides some history on the area and whiskey distributions around the world ending in the tasting room. If you are into Whiskey at all, this was a great experience and chance to try 3 completely different types.

6:00 pm – Dinner at Ox and Finch

I found it difficult to locate more traditional restaurants serving classic Scotch dishes however there was a surplus of restaurants that serve classic dishes with a modern twist and a tapas vibe. Who am I to argue with a tapas dinner? Generally, I would recommend making a reservation as it seems the restaurants are busy no matter the season but I lucked out since I was flying solo and doing an earlier dinner.

The Tapas dishes definitely are meant to be shared but that didn’t stop me asking for the waitress’s recommendations and then ordering all three of them despite her big eyes. I may have overdone it a bit but I had been walking around almost all day and I was starving and ready to try everything so I had the Cod Cheeks, Skate Wing, and Confit Duck in yellow curry. I was in heaven and as happy as a clam by the time I left.

7:30 pm – A Night Cap at Lebowski’s

I was feeling so fat and happy after my meal at Ox and Finch but If I was gonna do right by my Glasgow in a Day, I knew I couldn’t leave without visiting Lebowski’s and I am a huge fan of The Dude! I walked up to the building to see their extensive menu of White Russians. They have over 30 different types to choose from but I’m not crazy fancy and went with my man’s classic. I was not disappointed in the least and it was a perfect dessert to my scrumptious meal and the perfect ending to my day.

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