FISH & SHIPS
GLASGOW & THE HEART OF ARGYLLAND INVERARAY
In Glasgow, history is all around you. You see evidence of the city’s past, from the medieval roots to Mackintosh’s influence almost everywhere you look. The Heart of Argyll is equally historic, with opportunities galore to delve deeper into Scotland’s past. If you love history and culture, then here are twelve reasons why you should pair Glasgow and the Heart of Argyll and Inveraray.
GLASGOW #1 Marvel at the museum
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is one of Glasgow’s cultural with 22 individual galleries. Discover everything from art to animals, Ancient Egypt to Charles Rennie Mackintosh. #2 Have faith Head to the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art for a fascinating exploration of religion across the world. The museum is named after Glasgow’s patron saint.
#3 Cathedral and Necropolis
Explore Glasgow Cathedral, one of Scotland’s most magnificent medieval buildings and the Necropolis, a Victorian garden cemetery with fascinating stories. #4 House For An Art Lover House for an Art Lover is a unique visitor attraction set within the grounds of Bellahoustoun Park, recreated from a house design by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. #5 Train station tour Go behind the scenes with Glasgow Central Tours. Glasgow Central train station has incredible underground tunnels, catacombs and fascinating glimpses into the city’s past. #6 Eat, drink and play. Have lunch at Mackintosh at The Willow, the original Miss Cranston’s Tea Room, now beautifully restored. For dinner head to the Avant Garde Music Bar and Restaurant in the heart of Glasgow’s Merchant City. Another favourite is Gamba in the City Centre which, since opening in 1998, is the destination for fresh, expertly prepared, fish and seafood. For a few drinks, try Islay Inn or the Ben Nevis Bar.
Stay at Glasgow’s iconic Grand Central Hotel, a wonderfully historic hotel adjoining Glasgow Central Station.
HEART OFARGYLL #7 Get out of jail
The handsome town of Inveraray is full of history. Visit the iconic Inveraray Castle, ancestral home of the Duke of Argyll, and step back in time at Inveraray Jail, where actors portray life in a 19th-century prison
#8 Nature’s paradise
Discover two of Scotland’s National Nature Reserves. Moine Mhor is a surviving remnant of a once much more extensive raised bog. Taynish is one of the largest original oakwoods in Britain.
#9 Meet the beavers
Make the trip to Barnluasgan in Knapdale, a lovely woodland area which is home to a population of re-introduced beavers. Join a guided beaver walk with Heart Of Argyll Wildlife Organisation.
#10 Short cut
Take a walk along the Crinan Canal, a nine-mile waterway steeped in history, known as ‘Britain’s most beautiful shortcut’. Take a boat trip from Crinan out to Corryvreckan, the world’s third largest whirlpool.
#11 Kilmartin rocks!
Explore Kilmartin Glen, one of Scotland’s richest prehistoric landscapes. There are hundreds of ancient monuments, including standing stones, stone circles, cairns and decorated rocks.
# 12 Eat, drink and play
Have a hearty lunch at the George Inn in Inveraray. This lively pub is full of character with original solid flag-stoned floors, roaring log fires and a beer garden. It also serves up fantastic food. For dinner enjoy Scottish produce expertly prepared at Loch Melfort Hotel. In the AA 2 Rosette Asknish Bay Restaurant there’s plenty of local seafood on offer. Stay at the Grey Gull Inn, a former hunting lodge in Ardrishaig at the start of the Crinan Canal. There’s so much to see and do in this part of Argyll, that you could easily do a two-day tour. If you do, why not stay a night with Brambles of Inveraray?
TRAVEL
Travel around Glasgow on an Open Top Bus Tour or use the Glasgow Subway to get around the city centre and west end of Glasgow. To get to the Heart of Argyll, your best option is to hire a car with Enterprise rent-a-car and drive via the famous Rest & Be Thankful pass. There are bus services from Glasgow to Inveraray and onwards to Lochgilphead.