Rated Day Trips from Glasgow

The pretty Victorian town of Oban, the seafood capital of Scotland, sits on the coast and is the main port for the ferries that connect southern Scotland to Mull, Skye, and the Hebrides islands.

Dumbarton Castle perches dramatically on a basalt rock on the north bank of the Clyde facing Port Glasgow. This strategically important stronghold was started in the 6th century and was central to the ancient kingdom of Strathclyde's rule over the surrounding area until 1018. Only the dungeon and 12th-century gateway remain of this medieval edifice where Mary Stuart embarked for France at age five.

Fans of the poetry and songs of Robbie Burns, Scotland's beloved national poet, will want to explore the places he lived and the countryside he immortalized. At the same time, you'll see one of the most beautiful coastal regions of Scotland.

In the industrial town of Port Glasgow, just 25 miles west of Glasgow's city center, stands the 15th-century Newark Castle. This attractive mansion, with its gatehouse and tower, was once the seat of the (sometimes murderous) Maxwell family.

Benmore Botanic Garden, set amidst spectacularly rugged mountain scenery north of Glasgow at the southern end of Loch Eck, is part of Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden. The avenue of giant Californian redwoods planted in 1863 line the long driveway to the property, where you'll be rewarded with a chance to wander around more than 300 different species of rhododendron and azaleas.

Fans of the hit TV series, Outlander, will definitely be interested in adding a great tour of the series' film locations to their Glasgow travel itinerary. The popular Outlander day tour from Glasgow is an immersive eight-hour adventure departing from central Glasgow that features stops in a number of spots fans will instantly recognize.

The lovely Isle of Arran is only 267 square kilometers in size but contains examples of just about everything that makes Scotland one of the world's most popular tourist destinations. It's for this reason that the island has earned the nickname, "Scotland in Miniature."

Just 30 minutes from Glasgow by car or direct train, the town of Stirling is famous as the location of the Battle of Bannockburn. It was here in 1314 that Robert the Bruce defeated the English invaders. It was also where legendary William Wallace beat the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, a victory for Scottish independence. Both these important battles are commemorated at the excellent Bannockburn Heritage Centre.

"Yon bonnie banks and yon bonnie braes" of Scotland's largest freshwater loch are only half an hour from Glasgow, at the southern end of Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park. In fact, so pretty are the lochs and mountains here that they've earned the park the nickname "The Highlands in Miniature."

What trip to Scotland would be complete without visiting Loch Ness, home of the fabled sea serpent, Nessie? While it's a lengthy three-hour drive from Glasgow, it should certainly rank near the top of your Glasgow day trips list.