Our semester went something like this:
Getting around from campus
Stations
| Train | Queen Street | Scotland |
| Train | Central | England, Troon and Ardrossan for Arran |
| Coach | Buchanan Bus Station | 15 min walk. Airport 500 (opens in a new tab) at stance 46 |
| Subway | Buchanan Street | 15 min walk. West End |
Cards and tickets
| Under 25 | 16–25 Railcard (opens in a new tab) | £35 a year |
| 26 and over | 26–30 Railcard (opens in a new tab) | £35 a year |
| Weekdays | Railcard before 10am | £12 minimum fare |
| Glasgow buses | First Bus (opens in a new tab) | £2 single fares since 7 September 2026 |
| Subway | Contactless (opens in a new tab) | £1.80 a ride, £3.40 a day at most |
| Under 22 | National Entitlement Card (opens in a new tab) | Free buses in Scotland |
| East and Fife | Stagecoach DayRider (opens in a new tab) | £12.80 a day |
Beyond Glasgow
| Coach | Flixbus (opens in a new tab) | 20% off with Student Beans (opens in a new tab) |
| Coach | Ember (opens in a new tab) to Fort William | Via Glencoe, a few a day |
| Coach + ferry | Citylink/Ulsterbus 923 (opens in a new tab) to Belfast | From £37 |
ScotRail (opens in a new tab) dropped peak fares for good on 1 September 2025, so trains cost the same at any time of day.
Fourteen weeks, 
24 trips
Glasgow is a convenient base for travel: four stations are within walking distance of the halls. Every pin is a trip we took in semester 1, 2025, from Oban on 14 September to North Wales the week before Christmas. Drag the slider through the weeks.
Oban & Kilchurn
One ESN day tour we'd recommend: Oban under McCaig's Tower, with Inveraray and Kilchurn Castle on the way.
York
Medieval walls, Clifford's Tower and the National Railway Museum.
Glenfinnan
ESN day tour to the Harry Potter viaduct, via Luss on Loch Lomond and Fort William.
Falkirk
A peaceful canal walk from the Falkirk Wheel to the Kelpies.
Inchcolm Island
An abandoned abbey on an uninhabited island. The boat leaves from Queensferry, a seaside town beneath the Forth Bridge.
Loch Ness
It's a long ESN day, but you get Glencoe, the Commando Memorial, Fort Augustus and Urquhart Castle.
Arbroath
Walk the coast for red sandstone cliffs and sea stacks.
Hamilton Park
Glasgow's nearest racecourse.
Stirling
The castle and Wallace Monument are both up very steep hills. Give yourself more time than you think.
Isle of Skye
Our favourite weekend: Eilean Donan, Portree, Sligachan and the Old Man of Storr, our most scenic hike.
Culross
A small town that looks like the Italian countryside.
Dunnottar & Stonehaven
The clifftop castle ruin is a coastal walk from Stonehaven.
St Andrews
Go on a Sunday, when the Old Course opens to the public. Stop at Cheesy Toast Shack for toasties and Jannettas for gelato.
Isle of Arran
Close to Glasgow and one of our favourite trips. Take the first ferry over and the last one back.
New Lanark
A historic mill village by the Falls of Clyde, with a steep walk from the station.
Edinburgh
The castle, Arthur's Seat, the museum and the Saturday market.
Loch Lomond & Hill House
Autumn on the loch, then Mackintosh's Hill House.
Aberdeen
Footdee, the beach, the university and Crathes Castle.
East Linton & North Berwick
Preston Mill, Tantallon Castle and the beach at North Berwick.
Argyll Forest
We went via Dunoon and Glenbranter to the Rest and Be Thankful.
Dunkeld & Birnam
One of our favourite places in Scotland: the Hermitage, a 600-year-old oak and the river.
Northern Ireland
Belfast, the Giant's Causeway, the Dark Hedges and Derry.
Inverness, Aviemore & Wick
Culloden, Fort George, outdoor trails at Rothiemurchus and the far north coast at Wick.
Chester & North Wales
Chester, Conwy, Llandudno, Snowdonia and Shrewsbury.
April to 
October
Island boats, the steam train and several castles only run from April to October. Here are Strathclyde’s 2026/27 dates (opens in a new tab) against them. Arriving in September? You'll catch the end of the season. January arrivals catch the start of the next.
TeachingAssessmentsWelcome week and holidaysOpenSaturdays only
Where to go 
next
Thirty-six places, with travel details, opening times and prices. Pick a place to preview its photo.
Weekend tours
ESN Strathclyde (opens in a new tab)'s weekend tours cost about £45 and pick you up from campus. Last year's code was ESN25.
Isle of SkyeESN or Rabbies weekend tourYear-round. Eilean Donan is shut all JanuaryHostels up to £70 a bedThe Old Man of Storr was our most scenic hike. Check the wind before you go.
Glencoe (opens in a new tab)Ember coach from BuchananYear-roundFree to walkGlencoe takes some planning to reach. We found the journey worthwhile.
Glenfinnan (opens in a new tab)ESN day tour or ScotRailViewpoint daily. Steam train June–OctoberViewpoint free. Steam train £76 returnThe Harry Potter viaduct. One of the ESN tours we'd recommend.
Loch Ness (opens in a new tab)ESN day tourUrquhart Castle 9:30–16:30 in winter£1 with Young Scot or NEC. Book parking
By train
ScotRail (opens in a new tab) has no peak fares. A Railcard (opens in a new tab) takes a third off.
Dunkeld & Birnam (opens in a new tab)Queen StreetThe Hermitage, dailyFreeOne of our favourite places in Scotland, especially on a clear day.
Aviemore & RothiemurchusQueen StreetYear-roundPay for activities separatelyTrails, quad bikes, ziplining and horse riding make Aviemore a good base for outdoor activities.
Oban (opens in a new tab)Queen StreetStaffa boats April–October
Loch Lomond & Hill HouseTo Balloch, then HelensburghYear-roundFree to visit the loch
Stirling (opens in a new tab)Queen StreetCastle 9:30–17:00 Oct–Mar, to 18:00 Apr–SepCastle £1 with Young Scot or NECVery hilly, so give yourself time. If you pay for the castle, follow the free guided tour.
Falkirk (opens in a new tab)Queen StreetWheel 9:45–17:30 dailyBoat from £14.63, students £13.20 (not June–September)A peaceful canal walk from the Wheel to the Kelpies.
ArbroathQueen StreetYear-roundFree
New Lanark (opens in a new tab)Central to LanarkYear-round£15.50, concession £11.50A historic mill village. The walk down from the station is steep.
AberdeenQueen StreetYear-roundFree to explore
Dunnottar Castle (opens in a new tab)Train to StonehavenShorter hours in winter£13.50, students £12
East Linton & Preston Mill (opens in a new tab)Train to East LintonMill shut 20 Dec – 28 Feb£11, concession £9Farmers' markets, village streets and a modern bakery.- Linlithgow (opens in a new tab)Queen StreetPalace year-round£1 with Young Scot or NEC
Thurso & WickVia InvernessYear-roundIf you like remote, peaceful places, the coastal walk is lovely.
By ferry
Most island boats run spring to autumn. Check the calendar first.
Isle of Arran (opens in a new tab)Central to Ardrossan (55 min crossing) or Troon (80 min)Year-roundClose to Glasgow and one of our favourite trips. Allow a full day.
Inchcolm Island (opens in a new tab)Train, then Maid of the ForthAbbey open April–OctoberBoat £29.50 + abbey £8.50An abandoned abbey on an uninhabited island. Queensferry, where the boat leaves, is a seaside town beneath the Forth Bridge.
Puffins & North Berwick (opens in a new tab)Scottish Seabird Centre boatsLate March – early OctoberCatamaran £32Book fast when tickets drop: the cheap Puffin Express sold out in a day. We saw puffins and seals.- Isle of May (opens in a new tab)May Princess from AnstrutherSeasonal£40, students £35
- Shetland (opens in a new tab)NorthLink overnight from AberdeenYear-roundFrom £29.50 one way, November–March
By bus
The Stagecoach East Scotland DayRider (opens in a new tab) is £12.80 for a day.
St Andrews (opens in a new tab)Direct bus from BuchananSundays: Old Course open to walkersCastle £1 with Young Scot or NECGo on a Sunday, when the Old Course opens to the public. Cheesy Toast Shack serves toasties, and Jannettas Gelateria serves gelato.
Culross (opens in a new tab)StagecoachPalace shut Nov–MarPalace £14, concession £11A small town that looks like the Italian countryside.- Anstruther & Fife Coastal Path (opens in a new tab)Stagecoach, one changeYear-roundDayRider £12.80
Hamilton ParkTrain from CentralRace days
By coach
Flixbus (opens in a new tab) is usually the cheapest. Student Beans (opens in a new tab) gets you 20% off.
Edinburgh (opens in a new tab)Flixbus or trainCastle 9:30–18:00 Apr–SepCastle £23.50 onlineCalton Hill has city views and a café. We enjoyed the fish and chips at Bertie's.
Giant's Causeway & Belfast (opens in a new tab)Citylink/Ulsterbus 923 via CairnryanYear-roundFrom £37 advance single
YorkTrain from CentralYear-round
Chester & North WalesTrain from CentralYear-round
In Glasgow
Most of the big museums are free.
West End & Kelvingrove (opens in a new tab)Subway from Buchanan StreetOrgan recital 1pm Mon–Sat, 3pm SunFree
Cathedral & Necropolis (opens in a new tab)Walk from campusNecropolis 7:00–16:30 dailyFree. Book a cathedral slotWalkable from campus, with good evening light for photos.
Pollok Park & the Burrell (opens in a new tab)Train or busMuseum opens at 10:00 or 11:00FreeHighland cows up close, and a free art museum.- Hunterian Museum (opens in a new tab)Subway to HillheadTue–Sun 10:00–17:00Free
- City Chambers (opens in a new tab)WalkTours Mon–Fri 10:30 and 14:30Free
- Tennent's Brewery (opens in a new tab)Walk1.5-hour toursFrom £17, 18+
Questions about trips
How do buses work?
Every company does it differently, but they all take contactless cards like YouTrip or Wise. We ran into four systems:
- Tap on and tap off, like in Singapore.
- Tap on for one flat fare, however far you go.
- Tell the driver your stop and tap the fare they key in.
- Book online in advance, mostly for long routes.
In Glasgow, First Bus singles cost at most £2 since 7 September 2026, and the Subway takes contactless: £1.80 a ride, never more than £3.40 a day if you use the same card or phone.
Under 22 and living in Scotland? Buses are free with a National Entitlement Card (opens in a new tab). Traffic lights work differently from Singapore's. Give yourself a few days to get used to them.
Is National Trust for Scotland worth it?
Membership (opens in a new tab) is £6.60 a month, or £3.80 on the Young rate, and gets you into every NTS castle, house and garden. Entry is usually £15–20, so a few visits can cover the cost.
You cannot cancel during the first year, so the minimum cost is £79.20 (£45.60 Young). Under 22 with a National Entitlement Card? Historic Environment Scotland (opens in a new tab) castles cost just £1.
Best hikes?
- Old Man of Storr (Skye): the most scenic, if the wind lets you up.
- Goatfell (Arran): take the first ferry over and the last one back.
- Arthur's Seat (Edinburgh): easy and scenic, but the final section is exposed bare rock, so take care.
- Ben Nevis: we did not hike it; friends recommended it.
Where can I see the northern lights?
Glasgow's light pollution makes sightings difficult. One of us tried at the Necropolis on a high-activity night, and it was 90% cloudy. Calton Hill in Edinburgh sometimes works.
Shetland is the best bet in Scotland: NorthLink (opens in a new tab)'s overnight ferry from Aberdeen, from £29.50 one way in low season (November to mid-December and January to March), which is also when the nights are longest. Iceland, Norway and Finland work too, but they're expensive.
We checked prices, ferry seasons and opening times on the official sites on 24–25 October 2026. They change every year, so check again before you book. All the sources are listed on the Guide tab.