What would you do in Edinburgh and Glasgow?

September 27, 2024 8:26 AM

My partner and I will be in Edinburgh and Glasgow in late October and I'm looking for recommendations for things to do, see, eat, drink.

We'll be coming up on a train after about a week in London. We barely have 3 days in Edinburgh (arriving Sun, leaving Weds) and basically 2 in Glasgow (arriving late Weds, leaving early Fri).

Things we are interested in:
Walking around looking at things in cool neighborhoods
Pubs and cocktail bars (we are beer and whisky drinkers, that seems important to mention)
Eating - pescatarian/vegetarian options preferred
Probably getting tickets to Edinburgh Castle

We have no plans to rent a car and already will be spending lots of time on trains for this trip so nothing too far afield. Just looking for your favorite restaurants, pubs, cafes, shops/shopping areas, public parks/monuments/spaces in the two cities. Previous questions are 5+ years old. Thanks!

posted by misskaz to Travel & Transportation (21 answers total)

A few recs in those two cities here.
posted by latkes at 8:35 AM on September 27 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Hidden Lane in Glasgow - this kind of surprisingly big inner courtyard behind townhouses that hosts multiple quirky shops, art galleries, and a tea shop that does stellar afternoon tea (book 24 hours in advance, accomodating all sorts of dietary preferences). Very boho vibe, none of the china matches, immensely fun.

For Edinburgh, make sure you go into all the closes off the Mile and walk down Cowgate. Mary King's Close was surprisingly fun for a commercial tourist thing, well-researched and the guides were really into performing their historical characters. Craigmillar Castle is a Proper Picturesque Ruined Castle and bus-accessible from the city centre.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 8:37 AM on September 27 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: OMG thank you latkes, sorry for missing that previous question, I swear I searched!
posted by misskaz at 8:39 AM on September 27 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Ghost tours if you like that kind of thing. I've not been in either city in over ten years so can't make specific recs. But I do remember enjoying the tours I did and especially in autumn, when it gets dark quite early in that part of the world, I remember rather enjoying the ghost stories. Also, chances are it is going to feel quite cold because wind. So there is the added bonus of heading to a pub or bar afterwards to warm up.
posted by koahiatamadl at 8:44 AM on September 27

Best answer: This is the answer I gave on another AskMe in January about my holiday in Edinburgh and Glasgow in late October last year.
posted by essexjan at 8:59 AM on September 27 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I am LITERALLY THIS SECOND taking a break from trying to work with a hotel in Edinburgh to set things up for my boss for a trip she's taking at EXACTLY THIS SAME TIME.

I have a feeling her budget is a bit different from yours, but if you can splurge on something I may have an idea or two.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:29 AM on September 27

Located partway between the two (closer to Edinburgh) is the Falkirk Wheel, an absolute goddamn marvel of engineering. I stopped by when I visited Edinburgh and was awed.
posted by gunwalefunnel at 10:08 AM on September 27 [4 favorites]

Yes, gunwalefunnel, I went to the Falkirk wheel too, and it's amazing. Not far away are The Kelpies, which are incredibly beautiful, both up close and from a distance.

I don't know how easy they'd be to access by public transport though, I was taken there by car with my cousins who live in Falkirk.
posted by essexjan at 10:46 AM on September 27

Best answer: Reserve at least an hour if you like wandering through old cemeteries and visit the Glasgow Necropolis on the hill behind another must-see, the Glasgow Cathedral. You could fill an afternoon with just that duo.
posted by Don_K at 10:52 AM on September 27 [3 favorites]

Best answer: I can talk about Glasgow.
You can make little routes involving the underground ( a day ticket is £3.40 ) ,public transport and it is a very walkable city.
From Hillhead UG station walk through Ashton Lane up to the Hunterian Museum and the Mackintosh House , walk through the Glasgow University grounds and undercroft then through Kelvingrove Park to the Art Galleries. You could also walk down Byres Road and the restaurants and shops there and then left to get to the Art Galleries.
From there a Brewdog across the road or slightly east on Argyle St the Park Bar might have live music on Thursday night. That stretch of Argyle street going east through Finnieston is itself worth the walk for the range of restaurants and bars. Say, whisky at the Ben Nevis or a now slightly tarted up vibe at The Grove. That is the area where The Hidden Lane is located
Nearer the City Centre starting at the Mitchel Library, go to the Bon Accord for whisky, beer and food. East on Sauchiehall street ( slightly shabby during the day though it is ) ,stop at the State Bar, walk up Bath Street to get to the Pot Still ,a small bar with a wall of whisky.. From there a walk down Buchanan Street detouring through Royal Exchange Square to the Gallery of Modern Art with a stop at the Sloans at the southern end.
If you are a bit more adventurous you could do a "sensible" subcrawl ( it is usually all about having a drink at a bar at every stop) . Underground to The Laurieston ( my regular bar ) , Then off at Shields Road to see Mackintosh Scotland Street school, Cessnock you can jump off to see Alexander Greek Thompson Walmer Crescent. Back on To Govan. If you want to see an interesting bar then go to Brechins, same above bar design as the Laurieston , or walk past it to the Old Govan Church to see the Medieval humpback stones. The new pedestrian bridge is now open so you can walk across to the Hadid designed Transport Museum. Short walk to Partick UG station. Then you can go to Hillhead station and do whatever part of the first walk i mentioned you want. From Hillhead you can also easily get to Oran Mor, for food or a play , or the botanical gardens.
posted by stuartmm at 10:52 AM on September 27 [5 favorites]

Best answer: Some of my Edinburgh favorites are:

Pakora Bar - delicious Indian food, really nice owners, located at 111 Holyrood Road, near Holyrood off of the Royal Mile.

Pulse Plant Based Kitchen - excellent food and bonus location in former crypts under St. John’s Church with gravestones outside the door.

Holyrood Palace - if you’re interested in the modern and historic Royal family…tour the palace and grounds, interesting gift shop, cafe

National Museum of Scotland - exhibits, interesting building, good gift shop.

Dovecot Studio - Former swimming pool turned art studio and weaving center, small gift shop and cafe.

When in Edinburgh I always eat a lot of Borders Biscuits, Pipers Crisps and Otherly and Up Up chocolate. Caffe Nero has a lot of locations….good chai lattes.

Enjoy!
posted by veneer at 11:30 AM on September 27 [2 favorites]

It's not especially central, but The Real Wan in Glasgow does excellent Chinese food with a regularly changing menu and a lot of vegetarian options. Not linking because they don't have a non Facebook/Instagram web presence, but easily searchable and truly worth the detour.
posted by terretu at 11:43 AM on September 27

Best answer: Also previously.

I stand by my recommendation of The Lighthouse in Glasgow.
posted by buxtonbluecat at 12:53 PM on September 27 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I’m the person with the question in January! I just went to both cities in May.
Here are some things I liked:

Edinburgh
(I was there for barely two days but I ate a LOT)

Food:
-Singapore Coffee House (the curry puffs!)
-Kampong Ah Lee
-Old Chain Pier (I told the waiter it was the best fish and chips I’d ever had and he said “that’s because it was swimming out there this morning”, pointing to the Firth of Forth out the window)
-Alby’s Southside (amazing sandwiches)
-Ecosse Eclair (get the cranachan one! Well, get several but especially that one)
-Roseleaf Bar Cafe was a lovely place for brunch and looked like it would have very cozy dinners too

Things to see:
-The Water of Leith walkway, so beautiful
-The national museum of modern art
-The other national museum, it was kind of like a mini Smithsonian all in one building. The Millennium Clock was really cool!

Glasgow
(I was here longer than Edinburgh, but my Airbnb was so lovely that I just spent a lot of time hanging out there and eating cheese from Waitrose)

Food:
Ubiquitous Chip (the tasting menu had interesting takes on local ingredients and it’s beautiful inside, like eating in a botanical garden)
Eusebi Deli (more of a nice restaurant than a deli, with a very pleasant atmosphere and nice Italian food)
Homemade at No. 11 (creative and delicious sandwiches)
Cottonrake bakery

Things to see:
-The Tenement House museum is amazing if you’re interested in how people lived 100 years ago
-the Kelvingrove Museum, especially the Glasgow Boys paintings
-the Charles Rennie Mackintosh house
-afternoon tea at Macintosh at the Willow (but plan for it to take 3 hours!)
-if you’re an engineering nerd, the Falkirk Wheel is SO COOL. I was able to get there on public transit but it’s kind of an all-day excursion.
posted by exceptinsects at 1:13 PM on September 27 [3 favorites]

Best answer: In Edinburgh, a walk along the Water of Leith through Dean Village is nice (so ridiculously picturesque it’s potentially full of instagrammers/Tik Tokers but probably a little quieter in winter).
You can walk to the Modern Art galleries which are cool buildings and even if the art doesn’t float your boat they have pretty good cafes (in one of them you eat at the feet of a giant Paolozzi robot).
posted by penguin pie at 1:55 PM on September 27

Dishoom has a location in central Edinburgh. It can have a bit of a wait, may want to book ahead if possible, or go at off-times.
posted by aramaic at 3:30 PM on September 27 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Glasgow Cathedral and the Necropolis are neat to explore. Provand’s Lordship is nearby (it was built in 1417). There’s also Rottenrow Gardens in among the University of Strathclyde buildings that’s kind of neat to pass through. It’s bordered by the walls of an old maternity hospital. These are all reasonably close to the City Centre (and the suggestions that stuartmm has provided).

In Edinburgh I really liked hiking up Arthur’s Seat. There’s also tours of the vaults underneath Edinburgh, which is really neat.
posted by eekernohan at 4:02 PM on September 27

Best answer: Some of the above answers touch on this, but the West End of Glasgow is the very coolest neighborhood!! Walk down Great Western Road and Byres Road for a ton of good eating, shops, etc. Be sure to tuck in the little lanes of Byres Road, where you'll find Starry Starry Night vintage and the Ubiquitous Chip. Make a day of it with the Botanical Gardens, Kelvingrove Park, Oran Mor and Kelvingrove Art Museum. This is also a great neighborhood to stay in.

Glasgow has some of the best vegetarian food in the world, and I love Mono, Stereo and the 78, all owned by the same person.
posted by Isingthebodyelectric at 1:17 PM on September 28 [2 favorites]

Most of the things I would recommend have already been recommended. But if you want to experience something that is intriguing and weird, visit the Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre in Glasgow.
posted by rednikki at 8:07 AM on September 29

Response by poster: Thank you everyone! Now I'm wishing I had two more weeks for this trip. Empress, if you want to message me or post what you came up with for your boss, I'll have a listen. We're not on a tight budget, though our definition of "splurge" may not overlap.

Any thoughts about laundromats? We aren't packing 2 weeks of clothes, so we might do laundry while we're still in London but if not we'll do it on our first day in Edinburgh. We're staying at the Raddisson Blu City Centre. (Also open to "this will be easier in London" advice.)
posted by misskaz at 7:30 AM on October 2

They’re not a big thing in the UK but there are a few - they’re usually called launderettes here rather than laundromats. There’s one about half way down Leith Walk, which is on the tram line and a lot of bus routes. Probably others you can find on Google.
posted by penguin pie at 2:24 PM on October 2