Edinburgh or Glasgow: which to visit?
“Edinburgh or Glasgow?” I always see the question posed on various platforms and it surprises me. Why? Because for any first-time visitor to Scotland the answer should be easy: it’s Edinburgh. You’d be doing yourself a real disservice to skip Edinburgh for Glasgow.
In this post I’ll compare these two cities and tell you why Edinburg should be your choice to visit.
What’s Glasgow like?
A couple of quotes that might be very true:
“Edinburgh is a great place to visit, Glasgow is a great place to live”.
“Edinburgh during the day. Glasgow for nightlife”.
People also say that the shopping is better and that locals in Glasgow are the kindest you’ll meet anywhere. I’ll say this; the Scottish in general are just about the friendliest people in the world. We spent most of our month in Edinburgh but also had trips to Glasgow, North Berwick and Stirling…and everywhere we went we met friendly and kind locals. Very, very nice people.
But this post is about which city to visit, specifically for the first-time visitor to Scotland. And while Glasgow is generally nice and has some interesting attractions, it doesn’t in any way compare in the general aesthetic of Edinburgh, the many highlights of interest or the natural geography surrounding the city.
Instead, Glasgow is a flatter city constructed in a grid pattern with wider streets. Its architecture is varied with some beautiful 19th century Victorian buildings mixed with modern (drab) 20th century office buildings and apartment blocks. Further, out of the center and along the river, there are ultra-modern buildings, bridges and structures. The word many use to describe Glasgow is “industrial” and I’ve seen comparisons to American cities such as Chicago and New York.
A few photos of Glasgow
What to See in Glasgow
The city center has those beautiful Victorian buildings I mentioned: Buchanan Street, City Chambers and the Duke of Wellington Statue should all be seen. But our highlights were Glasgow Cathedral and the Glasgow Necropolis (a very impressive cemetery on a hill, with great views overlooking the Cathedral and the city beyond). We walked to the Glasgow Green, seeing the Nelson Monument and People’s Palace (which was closed). I should also mention that if you’re into murals, Glasgow has quite a few (they have a “mural trail”. See that website for more).
Further west are a few highlights we didn’t see: Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (which covers everything from history to natural history to fine arts) and the University of Glasgow campus (highlighted by its neo-gothic buildings).
I’ve said it and I’ll say it again: Glasgow it not known for its tourist highlights. Glasgow has lots going for it but in this respect it doesn’t compare to Edinburgh.
A few more photos of Glasgow:
What’s Edinburg like?
You can’t help but be impressed by Edinburgh. Your first view will most likely be from the New Town, looking over the gulley towards the skyline of the Old Town. Built on a ridge, it stretches from Edinburgh castle at one end of the ridge to the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the other end. Joining them together is a street called the Royal Mile, a very densely packed throughway featuring stone tenements reaching 10 to 12 stories, many built during the 16th and 17th centuries. Many of Edinburgh’s highlights are along this stretch.
Whereas Glasgow is mostly flat, Edinburgh is all hills. The Old Town is built on a ridge of volcanic rock as are Calton Hill (where you get great views of the city) and Arthur’s Seat and the Salisbury Crags (a great place for both dramatic views and hiking).
And whereas Glasgow is quite large, Edinburgh is smaller and very compact, making walking anywhere quite manageable.
What to see in Edinburgh
Edinburgh has tons to see. Its most famous highlight is Edinburgh castle which, truth be told, is overrated, overpriced and crowded with tourists. If you’re in Edinburgh, I’d really recommend you take a day to visit the town of Stirling and pay a visit to Stirling Castle (instead of Edinburgh castle). Instead, visit St. Giles’ Cathedral, go to the aforementioned Calton Hill, see Holyrood Palace, Victoria Street, Dean Village, visit all the fabulous free museums and wander through Prince Street Gardens.
There’s lots more. This post covers 30 Things to Do in Edinburgh.
The problem with Edinburgh
The problem with Edinburgh is that it just gets too many tourists. We were there for the month of July and on many days going to the Old Town was just overwhelming because of the sheer number of tourists. The problem is in part because of the geography: because Edinburgh’s Old Town is located on a narrow ridge, tourists are funnelled across the bridges that take you there and along the Royal Mile that takes you down that narrow stretch. I’ll admit I often hated going into the Old Town just because of the overwhelming number of tourists.
And that was July. It gets even worse in August when Edinburgh has its famous Fringe Festival (“the world’s largest open-access performing arts festival” according to the festival organizers.
The overtourism brings with it all the side effects: overpricing, lesser-quality food and pressure on housing. Walk around Edinburg and you’ll see lockboxes everywhere, the universal sign that the short-term rental market dominates a large part of the Old Town and City Center.
So I get it when some people say they prefer Glasgow to Edinburgh. But in good conscience, I can’t recommend missing Edinburgh for Glasgow, it’s our favorite city in the UK and one you shouldn’t miss. Especially if it’s your first time visiting Scotland.
Related: All the things we didn’t do in London…and those we did
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