Band trip to Scotland - Suggestions for a day trip from Glasgow

[Rama4390]

Dear Rabble,

In August I will be travelling to Glasgow from Australia to attend the Piping Live festival with my pipe band. We will have a couple of free days during our trip, so I'm looking for suggestions please for a day trip from Glasgow to make the most of my time in Scotland. I'm travelling with the band, but am on my own this trip with respect to family. Our accommodation is all in Glasgow, so I'm looking for options for day trips based from there. I'm open to hiring a car or a train trip, but am looking for something that will take me out of the city.

I'm in my mid 40s and have only been to Scotland once before, when I spent two days on a coach tour with my family last year as part of a larger UK & Ireland tour.

Sites that are already included in our band tour this year include Loch Lomond, Stirling Castle, Wallace Monument, The Kelpies, Falkirk Wheel, Edinburgh including the Tattoo, World Pipe band championships and Crieff Highland gathering.

I'd really appreciate suggestions from locals or those that have a lot more experience in Scotland than I do.

Cheers,
Luke.

[figheadair]

It depends on what you want to do: castles/houses, walking etc. If hiring a car, then 2-3 hours would get you into some spectacular countryside such as Glencoe or the Pitlochy/Blair Atholl areas. Or take the train to the likes of Oban or Fort William.

[Jock Scot]

It depends on what you want to do: castles/houses, walking etc. If hiring a car, then 2-3 hours would get you into some spectacular countryside such as Glencoe or the Pitlochy/Blair Atholl areas. Or take the train to the likes of Oban or Fort William.

I second these suggestions of the train trips.

[Rama4390]

Thank you both. I'll look at options for a train trip.

[DCampbell16B]

Apparently Rest and Be Thankful is closed. So although Kintyre, Inverary and Dunadd are usually a day trip from Glasgow, that is not likely this summer at least.

Arran could be a possibility. Not speaking from experience, but it has a variety of landscape is a small area. Would require a ferry ride, which is an experience of its own.

[Jock Scot]

Arran is not my locality, but, according to local news there have been problems with the ferries to/from Arran. It may be best to check the sailing times.

[Padraicog]

Elie - the Chain Walk and Ship Inn then St Andrews

[OC Richard]

It's tough only having one free day!

Last August our band spent two weeks in Glasgow (brilliant accomodation, Blythswood House) and we were given two free days.

One day I spent in Edinburgh, my main mission to revisit the National Portrait Gallery. Edinburgh is a quite convenient train trip and there are plenty of sights to see. I spent time on Calton Hill which somehow I'd missed on previous visits.

The other day I spent visiting Hadrian's Wall (yes I know, not even in Scotland!)

I discovered if I had the train timings just right (and I did) I could get from Glasgow Central Station to be walking on Hadrian's Wall (don't tell) in under two hours. My main goal besides the Wall was to see Vindolanda.

The caveat is that I've already visited Pitlochry, Stirling, Blair Atholl, Inverness, Loch Ness, Eilean Donan, Dunvegan Castle, Portree, Arran, Oban, Fort William, Glenfinnan, and many other places on previous trips. (We had to take a ferry to Skye. Now you can drive there.)

Had I not, I think I would want visit as much of the west coast as possible. Can one see Skye, Oban, and Fort William as a day trip? If so that's probably what I would do.

Sorry but here's a holiday selfie (LBPB is Long Beach Pipe Band).

[Rama4390]

It's tough only having one free day!

Last August our band spent two weeks in Glasgow (brilliant accomodation, Blythswood House) and we were given two free days.

One day I spent in Edinburgh, my main mission to revisit the National Portrait Gallery. Edinburgh is a quite convenient train trip and there are plenty of sights to see. I spent time on Calton Hill which somehow I'd missed on previous visits.

The other day I spent visiting Hadrian's Wall (yes I know, not even in Scotland!)

I discovered if I had the train timings just right (and I did) I could get from Glasgow Central Station to be walking on Hadrian's Wall (don't tell) in under two hours. My main goal besides the Wall was to see Vindolanda.

The caveat is that I've already visited Pitlochry, Stirling, Blair Atholl, Inverness, Loch Ness, Eilean Donan, Dunvegan Castle, Portree, Arran, Oban, Fort William, Glenfinnan, and many other places on previous trips. (We had to take a ferry to Skye. Now you can drive there.)

Had I not, I think I would want visit as much of the west coast as possible. Can one see Skye, Oban, and Fort William as a day trip? If so that's probably what I would do.

Sorry but here's a holiday selfie (LBPB is Long Beach Pipe Band).

Thanks Richard,

Great spot for a selfie. I've got at least a couple of free days, I just need to be back in Glasgow each evening. Based on advice from you and others, I'm hoping to spend a day visiting Oban, Fort William and anything else that catches my eye on the way. On the other free day there may be an opportunity to visit Arran. We do also have a mostly free day in Edinburgh before we watch the tattoo.

Our accommodation is at Base Here Students, just across the street from the piping centre. Our band is the Warwick Thistle Pipe Band (WTPB) which celebrated its centenary in 2023.



I'm the piper in front of the PA speaker in the above image.

Cheers,
Luke.

[OC Richard]

That's perfect accommodation, you can walk to anything in City Centre. That's what I liked about Blythswood House (on Regent Street) though we were a bit further out.

BTW if any of your group are Craft Beer people I highly recommend Shilling Brewing. Beyond being a brewery they feature craft beers from all over Scotland, a one-stop virtual craft beer tour of the country.