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.

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.

The business here is actually Staffa Tours, but since people appear to be reviewing the island…read moreitself I'll join them. 1) The island is easily the highlight of my Scottish vacation. Worth the £100 day trip alone. So fascinating and gorgeous. 2) The Tours warned me Staffa was closed for maintenance. Apparently that just got postponed by a week 2 days ago, so we landed! Didn't just sail around it like they threatened. 3) They expertly docked and gave us an hour to tour. Do go to Fingal's Cave first It's breathtaking to be there. Then with your remaining time you can explore the top of the island for views out and down (at the rock formations). 4) Tour guides were very helpful and friendly. Just in case other tour groups serve the island: choose Staffa Tours. Or West Coast Tours, the owners of my overall booking for an amazing day out. Five stars to all of them.

A must see if you are on Mull or staying nearby on Iona. Beautiful views from the cliff or in the…read morecave. You can also see whales and dolphins on the way there. If the weather is good, this is a place that you don't want to miss. 5 Stars!

The Toy Shop is a lovely little addition to the scenic Clydeside town of Helensburgh…read more I am aware I have given quite harsh reviews to other local businesses in the area but thankfully this place merits a good one. With four nieces and nephews under the age of two who all have more toys than they can handle, I know how difficult it is to find something they will love that they don't already have. But on my first visit to the Toy Shop, I immediately spotted a few things I could buy them. This isn't one of those bohemian toy shops that is more for adults than children. Definitely worth a visit if you have little ones.

Meticulously set up and beautifully presented, the Toy Shop is an integral part of the traditional…read morehigh street feel which resonates across West Clyde Street. Stocking a wide range of goodies for kids aged 0-12, it's not only young children who love this place, but also adults who recognise the rarity of an independently owned toy business in this day in age. In fact, how about adding a rocking horse for those over 6ft so we can have a shot as well?

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.

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.

The Greenside Reservoir or "the Greenie" as it is known as by locals, is a reservoir tucked away in…read morethe Kilpatrick Hills. I know of it because I grew up in Duntocher, a village around a half hour walk away from the reservoir. The walk up offers stunning views of Glasgow and beyond, however the silence makes you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere. Be warned; during the summer holidays local toerags swarm to the Greenie like moths to a flame so keep this in mind if you don't want your picnic ruined by pink sunburned teenagers jumping into the water.

The Greenside Reservoir is a scenic space of water. Perched on the Old Kilpatrick Hills, it…read moreprovides a great view of Glasgow and beyond. Sadly, it is not the idyllic retreat you may imagine as it is a meeting place for local neds.

Callander House is a nice place to visit for a day out with children. The house is free to visit…read moreand had a great Scottish gift shop. They have a cute, wee museum that tells you about falkirk and it's past including Antonine's Wall which is in Callander park. They also have an exibition room that has different events on that are mostly interactive. The tearoom has been reopened where you can have afternoon tea. The Georgian kitchen is a cosy kitchen where you can try their Georgian foods.

I only heard about Callendar House because of an exhibition on that I wanted to visit. It's located…read morein a beautiful big park right in Falkirk so is a really nice place to visit even if you're not all that interested in what's inside (and it's free). We decided to have lunch in the tearoom which was quite strange - they really only have tables of 4/6 so you have to sit with people you don't know for lunch. The menu is pretty basic and what you'd expect of a cafe, I got a baked potato with mince and requested cheese, but even though the waitress noticed I didn't have cheese when she delivered the meal, she never then went to get it which was a bit of a bummer. That being said, the food was way nicer than it looked. We then went to see the Rob Ryan exhibition which is on til 4 September. The space is a little hard to find as you walk through the usual exhibition which is on here but we got there eventually. The exhibition is a little small (maybe 15 pieces) but it was amazing to see the papercuts in person, especially the really large pieces. There's a shop right inside the front door of Callendar House which has some nice souvenirs (tat) and all the staff were really friendly and helpful. There's a huge grassed area around Callendar House so it's worth having a picnic or bringing the dog.

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.

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.

Though my particular walking tour of Glasgow was not focused on the City Centre Murals, per se, it…read morewas inevitable that I'd come across these giant works of art; the tour took me through Merchant City where many of the murals can be seen. Commissioned by Glasgow City Council to revitalize the city, there are around 29 murals beautifying buildings & walls. If you aren't on a guided tour, google will point you to several mural maps, locations, & descriptors. Murals that stood out for me were the Strathclyde University Wonderwall which celebrates the 2014 Commonwealth Games & the two popular pieces by street artist Smug, St. Mungo as well as St. Enoch and Child. I absolutely love strolling through a new city to get to know its distinct areas; these murals made my stroll that much more fascinating.