From Glasgow - Day 2 by Christy & Karin

If you’re heading to Europe this summer and are planning your itinerary, one great destination to add to your list is Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city. Amidst the striking Victorian architecture of the City Centre, you’ll find a wealth of theatres, concert halls, shopping centers, and museums. Glasgow not only offers abundant choices to wet your cultural appetite, but also boasts a picturesque countryside and incredible castles.

If you think Glasgow might be your kind of place, check out Christy & Karin’s blogs about their recent trip. On their backpacking adventure through Europe, they spent four exciting days in Glasgow and surrounding burghs, like the ancient burgh of Stirling, which is known as the “Gateway to the Highlands.” Here, they took a tour of Stirling Castle. They write:

“Today we headed out early to Stirling Castle, about a forty minute drive from Dumbarton, with Meaghan, Adam, and Meaghan’s cousin. The drive itself was quite beautiful as we were fortunate enough to have another sunny day. Glasgow’s country-side is full of rolling green hills dotted with little white sheep and cottage homes. It was nice especially, because it’s baby season for sheep, and we saw plenty of them.

Admission into the castle was a bit pricey (£8.50 each) but well worth it. This was an actual castle, unlike in Dumbarton, with a beautiful chapel and great hall. We even got to see a woman making tapestry the old fashioned way…Another interesting bit of history about Stirling Castle was it’s active role in Scotland’s military, as it served as a base for many years. They had a large section of the castle made into a museum dedicated to this, with bits on both world wars.” (more…)

While in Glasgow, Christy & Karin also visited the Auchentoshan Distillery and learned how whiskey is made:

“The place smelled very strange, kind of like sweet oatmeal, which turned out to be barley boiling. Although I don’t think any of us were whisky drinkers, it was still really interesting to learn about the process. Everyone was also surprised to hear that Baileys Irish Cream is not in fact made in Ireland, but here in Scotland, with Irish whisky.” (more…)

To read about more of Christy & Karin’s adventures in Glasgow and other European cities, check in on their travel blog, The World on a Shoestring.

For more inspiration on planning your own trip, visit these useful links:
Glasgow Travel Guide
Scotland Guide
United Kingdom Travel Guide