Stopover guide
Glasgow is the cultural capital of Scotland and it attained the coveted accolade of Europe’s Culture Capital back in 1990. Glasgow is a vibrant city with many quality attractions including award-winning museums and galleries, and some amazing shopping, eating and drinking options. Many people also visit the town of Ayr when flying to Glasgow Prestwick Airport, a bustling coastal city and the birthplace of the famous poet Robert Burns.
Attractions:
- Twelfth century Cathedral St Kentigern on Glasgow High street is the final resting place of St Mungo (Glasgow’s founder) and it has one of Britain's largest Victorian cemeteries.
- Situated along the river, Glasgow Science Centre has a multitude of interactive displays, with multimedia and science theatres as well as cool laboratories.
- The Glasgow Art Gallery and Museum is a must-see for historians and culture enthusiasts. It is one of Glasgow’s best museums and it boasts collections of works by Rembrandt and other notable greats.
- For entertainment, St Andrew’s Square is a restored and popular precinct in the city centre.
- Not far from Ayr is the village of Alloway, the birthplace of poet Robert Burns and now a major tourist attraction, where mementoes of the penman’s life can be viewed.
- The Maclaurin Art Gallery in Ayr is another huge attraction, featuring a collection of Scottish paintings and contemporary European art.
Eating and shopping: Glasgow has a huge offering of cafés and restaurants, from trendy coffee shops, fine restaurants and fast-food joints in the city centre to traditional greasy spoons. Glasgow also boasts Scotland’s best shopping, with Princes Square Shopping Mall offering everything from high fashion to traditional Scottish gifts.
Glasgow’s nightlife is the city’s greatest asset, with literally hundreds of bars, pubs, live music venues and mega nightclubs offering something for everyone. In addition, the impressive Theatre Royal stages a star-studded line up of Scottish opera and ballet, while the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall also has regular showings.
Although Ayr’s atmosphere doesn’t quite match up to that of Glasgow’s, it does have a number of high quality restaurants and pubs including the Tam O’Shanter Inn, which is a popular thatched pub on Ayr High street.
Day trips & tours: for those that have a car, there is much to see and do in the surrounding region of Glasgow, Prestwick and Ayr. The outstanding Botanic Gardens near Glasgow contain 40 acres of tropical plants and herb gardens; its orchids and begonias are exquisite. Just to the west of Glasgow is the historical town of Paisley, which contains a 12th century abbey and a quality arts centre.
Farther to the west, at the gateway to Loch Lomond, is Dunbarton, an ancient town with a couple of intriguing museums and a castle. Dunbarton is also the gateway to the Highlands. In the opposite direction, Stirling, east of Glasgow, is best known for its massive monument of William Wallace and Stirling Castle. Meanwhile, there are castles and country parks abound in the region surrounding the town of Ayr.
Glasgow and Ayr Tourist Information Centres
Glasgow TIC
11 George Square
Glasgow, G2 1DY
Tel: +44 141 204 4400
Fax: +44 141 221 3524
Email: enquiries@seeglasgow.com
Ayrshire & Arran Tourist Information
A22 Sandgate
Ayr
Ayrshire
Tel: +44 845 225 5121
Email: info@ayrshire-arran.com
