For couples · Glasgow · United Kingdom
Romantic things to do in Glasgow
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Stevie Spiers, CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick answer
Glasgow's romance is in its evenings: candlelit restaurants in the Merchant City, gigs in historic venues and lit-up lanes in the West End. Days work best around art, gardens and slow walks. Couples tend to stay in Merchant City.
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 5
- Couple-friendly sights
- 2
- Area for couples
- Merchant City
- Best months
- May and September
Romantic ideas
1.Sunset at the Necropolis
Climb the hill behind the cathedral late in the day for views over the rooftops as the light fades.
2.Afternoon tea at the Willow
Share a tea stand in Mackintosh's Salon de Luxe on Sauchiehall Street.
3.A gig at the Barrowland
The Barrowland Ballroom's sprung dance floor and neon sign make it one of the UK's most atmospheric concert halls.
4.Ashton Lane evening
Dinner and a film at the Grosvenor cinema under the fairy lights of the West End's cobbled lane.
5.Kibble Palace on a rainy day
Wander among the tree ferns and statues in the Botanic Gardens' Victorian glasshouse.
Sights couples love
Architecture · City Centre
Mackintosh at the Willow
Book a table for afternoon tea in the Salon de Luxe if you want the most elaborate Mackintosh room.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Food
- Couples
- Art
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Street · West End
Ashton Lane
Arrive early on Friday or Saturday evenings to get a seat in the beer gardens and upstairs terraces.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- After dark
- Food
- Couples
Where couples should stay
$$$ · Best for couples, food lovers, nightlife and first-timers
Merchant City
The old tobacco and cotton merchants' quarter around Ingram Street, Candleriggs and Trongate is now the city's main dining and bar district, with converted warehouses, apartment hotels and the Trades Hall. It is a short walk to Glasgow Cathedral and the Necropolis one way and the shopping streets the other.
- Good
- Dense choice of restaurants and bars; Handsome streets; Walkable to the cathedral
- Watch out
- Noisy on weekend nights; Fewer large hotels than the centre
- Nearby
- Trongate, Glasgow Cathedral, George Square, Barras Market
Romantic day trips
- Loch Lomond (About 45 minutes by train) — The southern shore of Loch Lomond at Balloch has lake cruises, a visitor centre, Balloch Castle Country Park and walks along the water.
- Isle of Arran (About 2 hours by train and ferry) — Often called Scotland in miniature, Arran has the granite peak of Goatfell, Brodick Castle, a whisky distillery and coastal villages.
For dinner
Share local specialities such as Haggis, neeps and tatties, Chicken tikka masala and Glasgow curry and Fish supper. Bring-your-own-bottle (BYOB) is common at some curry houses and small cafés; ask when booking.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Glasgow romantic?
Glasgow's romance is in its evenings: candlelit restaurants in the Merchant City, gigs in historic venues and lit-up lanes in the West End. Days work best around art, gardens and slow walks.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in Glasgow?
Sunset at the Necropolis: Climb the hill behind the cathedral late in the day for views over the rooftops as the light fades.
+Where should couples stay in Glasgow?
Merchant City: Restored 18th-century warehouses, cocktail bars and restaurants east of George Square.