The Electric Brae has been a weird memory in my life as long as I can remember. My Dad is from down…read morethis way, and every time he would drive us back to his hometown for whatever reason, we'd invariably take a detour here to see the Electric Brae. For those uninitiated, "brae" is a Scottish word for a hill. This in essence, is a "magic" hill - there's a laybay with the stone you see in the picture, and not much else. Park your car on the hill, take the brake off... and the car rolls uphill! Pour some water on the floor - it runs uphill! As the stone says, it appears to be an optical illusion, or some people think it's magnetism, others prefer to just go with the theory that it's MAGIC. Whatever it is, it's a hell of a talking point if you're looking to confuse tourists or children, and it's a genuine one off in Scotland. I did hear tales of somewhere similar in New York, but that could just have been hearsay... pro tip: Stop in the layby near the AA phone point, that's the sweet spot :)

The Merchant City pretty much covers everything from George Square to High St, and is one of my…read morefavourite parts of Glasgow. Classed as a residential area, you'll also find all sorts of businesses: from the City Chambers, GOMA, bars, cafes and restaurants. Not to mention music venues like The Fruitmarket and City Halls. The buildings are beautiful - you'll find quite a few of them poem to the public during Doors Open Day each September - look out for St Andrews in the Square. One of the focal points is Merchant Square - a converted market with an awesome internal roofed courtyard, which is surrounded by bars, restaurant, and is home to a weekly craft and design fair. The Merchant city festival runs for around 10 days every July, and is well worth a wander round. All in all, one of the friendliest and most vibrant places to be.

My first ever visit to Merchant City was pretty underwhelming - I'm going to say that during the…read moreday in the middle of the week, this area can seem a bit dull. At night is when it really comes alive and there's lots going on! You have the obvious drawcard of Merchant Square but personally, I don't love the offerings. Other streets of Merchant City have great bars and restaurants, and a few favourites for me are Guy's Restaurant, Wilson Street Pantry for brunch, Spitfire Espresso for a great cake/meeting/working spot and Blackfriars for a pint. New additions like BrewDog and Hutchesons are just wonderful, and really add something special to this great part of Glasgow. Parking can be a pain so I recommend parking at King St car park which is a great excuse to pop into the 13th Note/Mono for a pre-post soft drink. There's also a fabulous walking tour/art trail you can do if you pick up a leaflet at GOMA which shows off some of the amazing art in this area.

This is the land that time forgot. It didn't get the hectic rush, the brash noise, nor the 24 hour…read moreshopping day. As a consequence it is calm, peaceful and a great place to relax. The scenery is unsurpassed in Scotland and it is heavily populated by bird and animal life (Except foxes and grey squirrels which are unknown on the island). If you are looking to have a relaxing holiday with a smaller carbon footprint look no further.

Very pretty but if you don't have a car you will be very limited in what you can do on the island…read more Although if you are a backpacker that is a different story. After seeing the brewery, soap and cheese shop, a castle and a few other sites you have pretty much covered the island. Limited restaurants and cabs so just know that before going. 2 days is all you need but worth going to with some planning.

It's a tired cliche in Scotland to harp on about the stunning countryside "on our doorstep" that we…read morepay little attention to, but a trip on The West Highland Line proves that even if Scotland is a country filled with bitter, self pitying drunkards, it's an exceptionally good looking one. This rail line is considered amongst the most scenic in the world, and takes you through Loch Lomond, various mountain ranges, past Oban then onto Fort William. The scenery really is beyond belief at some points, with notable money shots being the Loch Lomond section which is viewed from halfway up a mountain (or a big hill, I'm not sure), and towards the end of the line when the train crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct, a magnet for tourists as it was used in the Harry Potter films. There is one slight downside. Despite the summer months being packed with bumbag wearing tourists, Scotrail use an older, slower, and sometimes quite uncomfortable train for this service. It's either down to bad business sense or deliberate usage of a slower train for lovers of the rugged terrain, but it grates that they don't even bother with the buffet car. It's not too huge a deal though, and shouldn't detract from what's always a jaw dropping journey.

Great history! Visited here when you visit Sweetheart Abbey. Good video. Very informative. Good oat…read morecakes and cookies too. Mill was interesting.

This pub is a MUST if you're in Linlithgow. It's a historical staple named after a famous black dog…read morethe town fell in love with. It's filled with locals and local drink options. You can get chips (crisps), but not real food. If you're hungry there is a good chippy next door. Great for travelers. They also have a garden for the rare nice days in Scotland. You may not understand their accents but it's great fun!

The oldest pub in Linlithgow, this tavern actually derives its name from the town coat of arms…read more The pub is a traditional, local pub, but very welcoming. They are proud of their namesake, which centres on the story of the black greyhound of Linlithgow, whose master was imprisoned on an island in the middle of the nearby Loch and sentenced to starve to death. Everyday the greyhound swam out to her master with food and ended up saving his life. The locals call themselves 'Black Bitches' after the dogs symbolic loyalty. A great local, if quiet, tavern serving a range of real ales. It also has a nice beer garden. Apparently there is a folk music night every third Sunday of the month too.

This is a wonderful way to pass a few hours. Some of the artwork is just incredible. I could…read moreprobably stare at some of the pieces for hours, there's so much to see in them. To create works of art like this on such a massive scale must be hugely challenging - these artists are highly talented, and I feel very lucky to be able to see their work for free. I particularly like the pieces by Smug - they are just beautiful, particularly the 'Fellow Glasgow Residents', which is absolutely stunning. I love the Rogue One pieces too - 'The World's most economical taxi' is another of my favourites. I'm not normally a fan of Glasgow City Council - they're a bit hopeless at most stuff bless them, but commissioning these works is probably one of the best things they've ever done. Well, that and the Commonwealth Games, which was also pretty awesome. We did the tour on bikes, as doing the full thing on foot was probably going to be too much walking for us, particularly as the weather was pretty changeable. Given that most of the works are right in the city centre, we were happy to take a break in The 13th Note half way through for a warming cup of tea. I'm sure you could work in some sort of pub crawl to this tour if you wanted. Completing the tour is enjoyable, and it's very pleasing to see how these artists have brought life and brightness to dark wee corners of Glasgow, a burst of colour amongst the dereliction. I made a mental note to do this tour regularly - to check up on my favourites, because during the tour, I realised that one of my favourites has already gone! It was the Rogue One 'View of the Clyde', featuring a sunken Dalek, amongst other curiosities that might be lurking down there. But that's what will happen - the artworks are done on derelict or empty spaces, so at some point, they will be built over. Be sure to see them while they last!

Fantastic street murals. We arrived in town very tired only 1 night but I wanted to see the murals…read moreso we set off walking in the cold rain. We didn't find them all but most i wanted. The mural of the breast feeding woman is covered by construction.. hope they don't destroy it.

This bridge of sighs is not the one in Venice unfortunately but we have our very own in the…read morebeautiful Glasgow! Bridge of sighs allows you to go to and from the Necropolis cemetery which houses around 3,500 graves and the bridge of sighs is named because of the amount of funeral processions that crossed the bridge to the Necropolis.

Anyone that knows me, knows I love me a good bridge…read more And this is one of Glasgows finest. The Bridge of Sighs spans the old Molendiner Burn (now redirected into a big pipe), linking Glasgow Cathedral and the Necropolis. In years gone by, folks had to carry the coffins of their loved ones across this bridge - hence the melancholy name. Nowadays, the bridge connects war memorials with the Commonwealth Graves in the Necropolis. It's one of those bridges that people always forget about, but which was important to Glasgows history. And you get a nice view from it, looking our across Glasgow.

Banging. Might just be the best chocolate I've ever had, bloody brilliant, it was amazingread more

They make the best tea, cakes and caramel biscuits. They are so delicious and satisfying. I live in…read morethe USA and buy them all the time. I am so glad they import them here. It brings back memories of my mom who was born in Scotland.

Beautiful ruins full of history. We got there close to sunset and had the place to ourselves. Just…read morebeautiful

The Finlaggan Trust is responsible for the stewardship of the once fortress belonging to the King…read moreof the Isles. The castle ruins in the middle of this loch shows the strategic importance of this location. Among the castle ruins is a gravesite showing one of the most intake gravestones depicting an armored soldier. While you are walking around the ruins you will find reading panels giving you a more in depth look into the Lord's life. While the visitor center is open seas only, the castle ruins are accessible year round.