Glasgow also makes for a great base to explore a number of Scottish highlights, from Loch Lomond to whisky distilleries to Burns Country.

Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park
One of the most popular day trips to take from Glasgow is to visit Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Loch Lomond is only around a 40-minute drive from Glasgow city centre, making it an ideal destination to visit for the day. As well as Loch Lomond itself, which is surrounded by beautiful villages like Luss, there are other lochs like Loch Katrine, where you can take a steamboat across the lake for some sightseeing opportunities.

Burns Country, Ayrshire, and Culzean Castle
A place to explore near Glasgow is Burns Country and the Ayrshire coast, which is to the southwest of the city. Being the birthplace of Scotland’s most famous poet – Robert Burns, who was responsible for writing a wide range of well-known poems, most famous of which being is “Auld Lang Syne”.

It was here that he was born, in Alloway, and today you can visit both the cottage of his birth and the Burns Birthplace Museum, which is a great place to learn all about the poet. Alloway is also home to the “Brig o’ Doon”, an old stone bridge that featured in a poem, and the crumbling Alloway Auld Kirk.

Ayrshire is also home to a lovely coastline, which is dotted with attractions. One particularly popular one is Culzean Castle. This beautiful castle, designed by Robert Adams, sits perched on top of a cliff and has rooms available to tour, gorgeous gardens to wander, an on-site cafe, and a beach.

Take a Tour of Whisky Distilleries near Glasgow
Even if you’re not a fan of the drink itself, this is something that is quintessentially Scottish, and as the distilleries are usually historically interesting and in attractive buildings and locations they make for a great addition to any Scottish visitors.

There are a number of Whisky Distilleries near Glasgow that you can visit, including one that opened in 2018 in the city itself. Here’s a quick overview of some options:

• The Clydeside Distillery | Unforgettable Whisky Experiences – Opened in 2018, this distillery is found on the banks of the River Clyde in the former Pumphouse building at Queen’s Dock. You can take a tour of the distillery and learn about the history of whisky in Scotland, plus sample whiskies from different regions of the country.
  
  
• Auchentoshan Distillery  – https://www.auchentoshan.com/ just outside of Glasgow, this distillery has been making Lowland style single malts since 1800. It is triple distilled and has a slightly more delicate and sweeter flavour than other whiskies. It’s open for tours and tastings.
  
  
• Glengoyne Distillery  –  Glengoyne is one of the most well-known in this area. They pride themselves on taking their time and using original techniques, honed over 200 years of whisky distilling. You can take a tour of their facility and try their whisky