Glasgow is a lively city and there are plenty of options available for a day trip. We eagerly wait for the summer when we can enjoy the extended daylight. We love to start our day a bit lately. That’s why the afternoon is the best time for us to start the journey. Our kids love to go for a long drive and if you are looking for a suggestion for a short road trip from Glasgow, we can ensure that you will not be disappointed.
We have gone through this route several times; the actual driving time is about two and a half hours but we easily spend 4 to 5 hours on this route. So, if we start at around 4 or 5 pm on a sunny day then will come back home at around 8 to 9 pm. Then let’s start the journey without wasting time.
Itinerary for the Short Beautiful Road Trip From Glasgow:
From Glasgow to Port Glasgow:
Our journey started from somewhere in Glasgow and our first destination was Port Glasgow. Google Maps will suggest some other road options, but we think if you follow the above route via M8 then it is more scenic, convenient and stunning by the river Clyde. Once you cross Glasgow airport, after some time, the river Clyde will be on your right side and the entire road till the end will be very beautiful. That’s why we prefer this route although it is a little bit longer.
From Port Glasgow to Greenock:
We have not stopped at Port Glasgow. If you keep driving straight for another 10 minutes, you will reach Greenock. We have taken our first break there. We drove straight to KFC to buy some chicken, burgers and drinks for us. You have many options here based on your preferences in this area, other than KFC, you have almost all other food options like McDonald’s, Starbucks, Greggs etc. There were some other shops in the same area, so we bought our food and kept driving to our next destination, Gouroch.
Road Trip From Glasgow to a coastal town near Glasgow, Gouroch:
After purchasing our food from Greenock, we had multiple options. The first option is to enjoy it at either Gurach (which is only a 5-10 minute drive away). And the second option is to have it at Largs. Since we had previously eaten at Largs, we decided to try Gouroch this time. We could park our car anywhere along the road, but we were searching for a nice spot. Eventually, we found a great parking spot beside the sea at Cloch Road. It is located between the city centre and the ferry terminal, just a few hundred meters from the Ferry terminal.
After we finished our food, the kids had a great time playing on the grass while we sipped hot coffee at this wonderful place. We even played a game of counting the ferries and small boats on the sea with our daughter. After enjoying our food and having a fun time, our next destination was Largs Bay Beach.
Road Trip From Glasgow – Best coastal town near Glasgow, Largs:
We spent some time on Largs Beach before heading towards Glasgow. Although we had planned to stay and watch the sunset, we left early. The best part of the beach is that you can park right beside the sea and enjoy the view from the comfort of your car. Even though there was a shorter route available, we chose to take the longer one along the coast as shown on the map.
Largs is a hidden gem on the west coast of Scotland that is definitely worth a visit. I felt the same vibe while visiting Blackpool. The road from Greenock to Largs is 17 miles long, and the entire route runs alongside the sea. We loved the entire route from Glasgow to Largs driving by the side of the water, first by the River Clyde and then by the Firth of Clyde.
Other Options you may think of for a short Beautiful Road Trip From Glasgow near Largs for a day trip
Visit The Largs Viking Festival:
Largs is renowned for its Viking festival, which takes place during the first week of September every year. We also attended the festival last year. The event features the Living History Viking Village which is open to the public. Visitors get the opportunity to experience life in a 13th-century Viking Village. They witness the activities carried out by the Vikings. It was fascinating to see how they lived.
Visit to Great Cumbrae:
An option while in Largs is to take a day trip to Great Cumbrae island. There is a very short ferry trip to Scotland’s most accessible island. As we visited Largs in the evening during our trips, we did not get a chance to explore the island. But if you are planning for a day trip, Great Cumbrae is also a good option.
On our way back to Glasgow, we decided to take a 3-mile longer route through the Walled Garden so that we could spend more time by the sea. We have spent many evenings in different places near Glasgow, but the evening we spent on this trip was exceptional and we would love to experience it again. In our next post, we will share some other short road trips from Glasgow that you can take in a summer evening.