I was very fortunate to spend several days in Glasgow, Scotland a few weeks ago. While it was very cold, I managed to find a good amount of things to do that cost me nothing. When traveling, I do believe that you can save money. Luckily in Scotland, many of the historical sites are free to the public. I spent my three days there touring the city this way. So without further ado, here are 7 free things to see in Glasgow, Scotland.
7. The Glasgow Necropolis
The Glasgow Necropolis sits up on a hill just above the Glasgow Cathedral. From here, you get some of the best views of the entire city. What’s a Necropolis? It’s a Victorian-era garden cemetery. I don’t know about you, but for me, there’s always something neat and calming about wandering through a cemetery.
Castle St, Glasgow G4 0UZ
Open daily from 7 a.m. to dusk.
6. Glasgow Cathedral
This place is simply amazing. It is my favorite cathedral that I have ever visited. I love the old gothic architecture and I could simply spend hours inside looking at every little thing. Here is their website.
Castle St, Glasgow G4 0QZ
Summer hours Monday-Saturday 9:30-5:30, Sunday 1-5; Winter hours Monday-Saturday 9:30-4:30, Sunday 1-4:30.
5. The People’s Palace
This is a great place to start if it’s your first day in Glasgow and you’re just getting a lay of the land, history and culture of the city. This old, historic building is basically a museum of all things Glasgow. It takes you through the history of the city and gives you a look into the culture. Apparently Glasgow used to be ridiculously over crowded. There’s also a nice cafe that’s not super expensive and a nice surrounding park. Here is their website.
Glasgow Green, Glasgow G40 1AT
Closed Monday; Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday, 10-5; Friday and Sunday 11-5
4. Gallery of Modern Art
This is very easy place to visit because it’s right in the center of Glasgow. Some of these other sites mentioned required either 15 minute walk or a subway ride. This is perfect if you’re already just browsing around. It happened to be open on a Thursday night and so we stopped in for a bit. Here is their website.
Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow G1 3AH
Monday-Wednesday and Saturday, 10-5; Thursday 10-8; Friday and Sunday 11-5
3. Hunterian Museum
This museum is a part of the University of Glasgow. While it’s not necessarily huge, it’s got some neat things to check out. It is also Scotland’s oldest public museum. They have quite an impressive collection of Roman artifacts. Here is their website.
University of Glasgow, University Ave, Glasgow G12 8QQ
Closed Mondays. Tuesday-Saturday 10-5, Sunday 11-4
2. Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum
Dude this is quite the museum if you’re a museum person. First, the building is just absolutely beautiful. Second, there’s quite a variety of things to do. There are things for kids and adults. There are things about history, Glasgow, science, art, etc. You could easily spend hours in this musuem (and I did, of course). Here is their website.
Argyle St, Glasgow G3 8AG
Monday-Thursday and Saturday 10-5; Friday and Sunday 11-5
1. University of Glasgow
Did you know that parts of Harry Potter were actually filmed here? I’m sure you HP fans will recognise some of these shots. But yeah … like most college campuses, it’s completely free to just walk around and admire the architecture. And I totally recommend that you do that. Here is their website.
Glasgow G12 8QQ
Not really sure there are particular hours for just viewing the campus as it is a university. Obviously it’s best when it’s daytime.
I found all of these wonderful free places from People Make Glasgow. The hostel I stayed at had some of their maps sitting on the desk and I took one. It was very informative!
How do you find free things to do when you travel?
