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Legendary Scottish Isles, Edinburgh & Glasgow 2027
We are slated for this trip in Sept 2027. We are on the eastbound trip, which means we've opted for an additional day in Glasgow before the official trip starts. Any recommendations for Glasgow, please send our way. Any packing recommendations for this trip, please let us know. All suggestions/ideas are welcome.
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I am in the same situation except leaving THIS September ( 2026) . Love to have restaurant tips for Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Scott, I have no idea about your interests. Suggest googling Things to See and Do in Glasgow, there is a lot to see, I used to live there.
We did the Week in Scotland land tour in 2023 which started in Glasgow and ended in Edinburgh. Here's some excerpts from my review that you might find useful:
In Glasgow we took the Hop On, Hop Off bus which gives a good overview of Glasgow. Using it we got off to visit both the Riverside Transport museum and the Kelvingrove art museum. Both free and both excellent. We also had lunch at the Kelvingrove – good choice.
In Edinburgh we ate at two places we liked. We had lunch at a small place called Deacon’s House Café across from Deacon Brodies Tavern on the Royal Mile just down from the castle. One night we had dinner at Makars Mash Bar nearby. Excellent choice and reservations are easy to make. They serve traditional Scottish entrees with your choice of mashed potatoes. Here's their website that has their menu and link to make reservations. https://makarsmash.com/
At the end of the tour we stayed 2 extra days at the hotel which gave us the time to visit the Royal Yacht Britannia using the newly opened Edinburgh tramline to Leith. Its was an easy and smooth way to get here. (Edit - military gets half prices admission including U.S. members. You just need to bring some proof.). We also had lunch in the tea room on board the vessel which was excellent and provided great views of the firth.
The next day we took the 37 bus to Rosslyn chapel. It was interesting even if you aren’t a DaVinci Code fan. Coming back into town we got off the bus near the National Museum to spend time there and across the street at Greyfriars churchyard. The church sells a 50 pence map of the Harry Potter sights – the graves that JK Rowling used for names in her books. We made another stop at Deacon’s House café for tea and scones.
As to packing, you can see a range of weather in Scotland from heat wave to cold/wet/windy. Layers and a hooded rain coat. Don't bother with an umbrella (the rain is often sidewise). Yes, you'll need some nicer outfits for dinners but not formal. Slacks and nice top or dress shirt. Some sort of sweater or wrap for cooler evenings.
The highlight of our entire trip was a couple of day trips out of Glasgow, the best being one into the Highlands all the way to Loch Ness. The scenery is so beautiful including an area where scenes were shot for a Harry Potter film. The other day trip included Oban where we had lunch at a restaurant right by the sea and delicious huge oysters and thick soups. Perhaps the name was Ee-use but that was five years ago so check recent reviews. The lunch was on our own and worth a trip itself. I think you can take the rain to Oban. We booked these day trips on the TripAdvisor site. I found a terrific Craghopper raincoat on sale in Glasgow that is the best rain gear I’ve ever had.
Yes you can take a train to Oban. That's where we headed after Edinburgh and it stops in Glasgow on the way. Easy to book online. We stayed a few nights at the Perle Oban hotel across from the train station on the water and near the ferry terminal. Loved it.
I haven't been to Scotland with Tauck, but have been several times on my own. I went to Glasgow on my own for a few days, and very much enjoyed it. There is so much to do there! I had lunch at the Willow Tea Room on Buchanan Street, with designs by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, one day (there's another Mackintosh tea room on Sauchiehall Street), went to Kelvingrove Museum and the Hunterian Museum (both excellent) and the Mackintosh home, visited the People's Palace Museum, and did a student-guided tour of the University of Glasgow. I also took a walking tour booked through Viator. (I don't remember which one.). I would have taken a tour of the Necropolis, but I ran out of time. Enjoy your trip. I loved both Glasgow and Edinburgh.