Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
scenery. Each day of the side trips involves driving, but for no more than an hour or
so out of the city. For information on car rental firms, see chapter 21, p. 267.
Days 1 to 3
Follow the “Glasgow in 3 Days” itinerary, above.
Day 4: Clyde Coast, Burns Country & Culzean
Set out for the Clyde coast, which opens up rather spectacularly into the Irish
Sea. Ayrshire is the principal county and so start with the town of
Ayr,
on the
coast southwest of Glasgow. This is the beginning of your tour of
Burns Coun-
try
—the historic stomping ground of Scotland's most famous “ploughman
poet.” In nearby Alloway, you'll find the bard's birthplace, the
Burns Cottage
(p. 257), which has been recently restored,
and
the
Burns Museum,
which
was undergoing major improvements in 2010. Depending on your time and
interest, you can also visit other landmarks, such as
Souter Johnnie's Cot-
tage
in Kirkoswald (p. 259). But leave time for
Culzean Castle
and its mag-
nificent
Country Park
(p. 260), with acres and acres to explore from sandy
beachhead to a walled garden with exotic plants. If you fancy golf, however, you
might prefer seeing world-famous
Troon
and
Turnberry
(p. 260).
Day 5: Stirling, the Trossachs & Loch Lomond
About a 35-45-minute drive northwest of Glasgow,
Stirling
has played a key
part in Scottish history and was the one-time home to royalty. The Old Town
has the impressive
Stirling Castle
(p. 253), where the buildings are currently
being restored in keeping with their historic appearance. Children will enjoy
nearby
Stirling Jail
(p. 253), but history buffs should try to visit
Bannock-
burn
(p. 253) on the southern outskirts of Stirling, where the Scots defeated
English invaders in the 14th century. Stirling also has the towering monument
to
William Wallace
(p. 253)
.
Head west and see the well-preserved ruins of
Doune Castle
(p. 253) before hitting the rolling hills and small mountains of
the Trossachs and then lovely
Loch Lomond
(p. 252) in the shadows of the
southern Highlands.
Day 6: The West Coast
This tour may take 2 days, depending on your ambitions, and whether you're
knocked sideways by the scenery of the Clyde coast. Here are just some of the
highlights. Head-clearing ferry rides take passengers to the isles of either
Arran
(p. 248) or
Bute
(p. 249). You can visit the stately mansions of
Brodick
Castle
(p. 248) or
Mount Stuart
(p. 249), or walk on quiet beaches. From
either island, you can head farther west to the Argyll peninsulas of
Cowal
and
Kintyre
(p. 250), both remote and sparsely settled.
Tighnabruaich
and
Tar-
bert
are two picturesque harbor villages worth stopping in. Finally, you might
wish to really leave it all behind and go to the small island of
Gigha
(p. 251).
Owned by a community trust, it is the southern-most of Scotland's Inner Heb-
rides. Closer to Glasgow, on the north shores of the Clyde as it widens to the
sea, is Helensburgh and the superlative
Hill House
(p. 248), designed by
Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
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