Central Belt
Free date ideas in Glasgow
Updated
A surprising amount of the best of Glasgow costs nothing. The big museums are free to get into: Kelvingrove, the Riverside Museum, GoMA and the Burrell are the city’s, and the Hunterian is the university’s, so a wet afternoon is sorted without spending a penny. On a dry day, climb through the Necropolis or up to the flagpole in Queen’s Park for a view over the city, or walk the Clyde from Glasgow Green to Finnieston, or the canal towpath out to the locks at Maryhill. The Botanic Gardens work either way, with the Kibble Palace glasshouse for when the weather turns. The only thing you’ll pay for is a coffee after, and even that’s optional.
Our picks
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
Argyle Street, West End, on the edge of Kelvingrove Park
Address: Argyle Street, Glasgow G3 8AG- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
Wander one of the UK's best-loved free museums, from Dalí's "Christ of Saint John of the Cross" to the hall of floating heads.
Why it's a good date: There's enough variety that you'll never run out of things to talk about, and it's made for a wet day. Finish with a walk through Kelvingrove Park if the weather clears.
Photo: Suicasmo, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Glasgow Botanic Gardens and the Kibble Palace
Great Western Road, at the top of Byres Road, West End
Address: Glasgow Botanic Gardens, 730 Great Western Road, Glasgow G12 0UE- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Rainy day
Stroll the gardens, then warm up in the Kibble Palace, a Victorian glasshouse full of tree ferns and statues.
Why it's a good date: Half indoors, half out, so it works in most weather. Grab a coffee on Byres Road and follow the River Kelvin walkway from the gardens. Dogs are welcome in the gardens on a short lead, but not inside the glasshouses, so take turns in the Kibble Palace.
Photo: Pacifier, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
The Glasgow Necropolis
Cathedral Square, next to Glasgow Cathedral, East End
Address: Glasgow Necropolis, Castle Street, Glasgow G4 0UZ- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Romantic
Climb through the Victorian garden cemetery on the hill beside Glasgow Cathedral, crossing in over the Bridge of Sighs.
Why it's a good date: Atmospheric rather than morbid, with some of the best views over the city. Go near sunset on a clear evening and pop into the cathedral on the way. Dogs are allowed on a lead shorter than two metres, as in all the council's cemeteries.
Photo: TomZoy, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
Riverside Museum
Pointhouse Place, on the Clyde at Partick
Address: 100 Pointhouse Place, Glasgow G3 8RS- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
Explore Glasgow's transport museum, with old trams, cars, bikes and a recreated Glasgow street, then step outside to the Tall Ship moored on the Clyde.
Why it's a good date: It's playful and properly nostalgic, and most people find something they remember. The zigzag building by Zaha Hadid is worth the trip on its own.
Photo: Leslie Barrie, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
A walk along the Clyde
Glasgow Green to Finnieston, along the river
Address: Glasgow Green, Templeton Street, Glasgow G40 1AT- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Active
Start at Glasgow Green and follow the Clyde Walkway west, under the city-centre bridges to the Finnieston Crane and the Armadillo.
Why it's a good date: A long, easy walk with a changing view, and plenty of places to stop for food at the Finnieston end. Good for talking side by side rather than face to face. Dogs are welcome on a short lead or kept close at heel, as in all of Glasgow's parks.
Photo: Rosser1954, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Pollok Country Park and the Burrell Collection
Pollokshaws Road, South Side
Address: The Burrell Collection, 2060 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow G43 1AT- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Culture
Walk the woodland paths, say hello to the Highland cattle, then head into the Burrell Collection, a free museum right in the park.
Why it's a good date: Feels like a day in the country without leaving the city. The Burrell makes it rain-proof, and the collection is as varied as the park. Dogs are welcome in the park on a short lead or close at heel (mind the cattle), but not inside the Burrell, so take turns going in.
Photo: David Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA)
Royal Exchange Square, city centre
Address: Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow G1 3AH- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
See what's on at GoMA, then take the obligatory photo with the Duke of Wellington statue and his traffic cone outside.
Why it's a good date: A short, easy visit that slots into a city-centre afternoon. Contemporary art gives you plenty to agree or (better) disagree about over a drink afterwards.
Photo: Raymond McCrae from Glasgow, UK, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
The Hunterian
University of Glasgow, Gilmorehill, West End
Address: Gilbert Scott Building, University Avenue, Glasgow G12 8QQ- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
Visit Scotland's oldest public museum, inside the University of Glasgow's Gothic main building, then wander the cloisters.
Why it's a good date: Curious, quiet and a wee bit unexpected. The university's cloisters and quadrangles are a lovely walk in their own right.
Photo: David Hawgood, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
A walk along the Forth and Clyde Canal
Speirs Wharf, Port Dundas, to Maryhill
Address: Speirs Wharf, Port Dundas, Glasgow G4 9TG- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Active
Follow the towpath from the old grain mills at Speirs Wharf out through north Glasgow to the flight of locks and the Kelvin Aqueduct at Maryhill.
Why it's a good date: Scottish Canals welcomes dogs on the towpath as long as they're under control and you clean up after them. Bikes share the path, so a short lead helps. It's flat, quiet and greener than you'd expect, with narrowboats at the start and wide views from the locks.
Photo: William Starkey, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Queen's Park and the flagpole view
Queen's Park, Victoria Road, South Side
Address: Queen's Park, Victoria Road, Glasgow G42 8LU- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Romantic
Climb to the flagpole at the top of Queen's Park for a view right across Glasgow, then wander down past the pond to the cafés on Victoria Road.
Why it's a good date: Glasgow's parks welcome dogs on a short lead or kept close at heel, so it's an easy one to bring them on. Go on a clear evening: on a good day you can pick out the University tower and the hills beyond.
Photo: John Lindie, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Quick answers
Are Glasgow's museums really free?
Yes. Kelvingrove, the Riverside Museum, the Gallery of Modern Art and the Burrell Collection are run by Glasgow Life and free to get into, and so is the University of Glasgow's Hunterian.
What's a free date in Glasgow when it's raining?
Any of the museums, and the Kibble Palace, the Victorian glasshouse in the Botanic Gardens. Kelvingrove and the Burrell both sit in big parks, so if the rain stops you can walk it off after.
Save these to your jar
Dote keeps every date idea you find in one jar you share with your partner, and tells you which ones suit the weekend weather. It's free on iPhone and Android.
