Glasgow tours and excursions

Ghost tours

A number of different companies run horror tours in the city, including Spirit of Glasgow. Tours set off from various pre-arranged spots in the city, taking in Glasgow's spookiest sights.

Walking tours

The Scottish Tourist Guides Association provides guides who give walking tours of the city or the surrounding area. Pre-book tours in advance. Itineraries and meeting points are flexible. The Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society also organise walking tours around the city's architectural gems.

Bus tours

The City Sightseeing hop-on, hop-off bus visits 24 stops to Glasgow's sights from the Riverside Museum to the People's Palace and tickets are valid for two days. It's available from Buchanan bus station, the Visitor Info Centre on Buchanan Street or from the driver.

Stadium tour

For football fans, The Hampden Experience celebrates Scotland's football heritage at Scotland's national stadium, including a stadium tour and the chance to strike a ball in the Hampden Hotshots gallery with the speed recorded. Visitors can also explore the Scottish Football Museum, which contains thousands of objects such as football-related memorabilia and the Hall of Fame honouring the great names of Scottish football.

Stirling

Stirling Castle is said to be Scotland's most largest and important castle. a royal palace, military garrison, and fortress is worthy of a visit from Glasgow, which is about 40 minutes by car. Most attractions within the compact city are within the Old Town, but there's also the National Wallace Monument dedicated to some of Scotland's key historic figures, a 16th century bridge, and a cemetery containing the ancient tombs of former merchants and craftsmen.

Whisky distilleries

No visit to Glasgow is complete without visiting one of the region's finest whisky distilleries. Take your pick from Glengoyne distillery, where visitors can enjoy the Master Blender tour and create their very own blended whisky, or Auchentoshan distillery, offering whisky master classes. Both are within easy reach of Glasgow.

Loch Lomond

Britain's largest expanse of fresh water captures the Scottish landscape in microcosm. Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, Scotland's first national park, is located some 20km (12 miles) northwest of Glasgow and offers an excellent chance to watch wildlife and experience a taste of highland scenery.

Balloch is a large town on Loch Lomond and is reachable by train from Queen Street station (low level). The Balloch Tourist Information Office, open from April to October, provides further information. The office and a park orientation centre are situated in the Loch Lomond Shores visitor attraction and shopping complex.

To beat the crowds on the ground, take a trip with Loch Lomond Seaplanes. Thirty or 45-minute tours depart from the Clyde outside the Glasgow Science Centre.

New Lanark

Now a World Heritage Site, this village is the realisation of idealistic social planning in the Industrial Age. Founded in 1785 near the Falls of Clyde, this cotton-spinning village has been restored as a living community and tourist attraction, with one of the mills being converted into a hotel. The New Lanark Visitor Centre has interpretative displays and the 'New Millennium Experience' ride. Trains run from Glasgow Central station (low level) to Lanark, where there are buses are available to New Lanark.