Central Belt
Outdoor date ideas in Glasgow
Updated
Glasgow is a city of parks, rivers and hills, and nearly all of it is free. Cross the Bridge of Sighs into the Necropolis for a view near sunset, or climb to the flagpole in Queen’s Park. The Clyde Walkway runs from Glasgow Green to the Finnieston Crane, and the Forth and Clyde Canal towpath heads out to the locks at Maryhill, both flat and good for talking side by side. Pollok Country Park has woodland paths and Highland cattle, the Botanic Gardens have the Kibble Palace for when the weather turns, and the Kelvin Walkway ends at Inn Deep’s tables by the water. For a pint brewed on site, take a garden table at WEST on Glasgow Green.
Our picks
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)
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)
WEST on the Green
Templeton Building, Glasgow Green, East End
Address: 15 Binnie Place, Glasgow G40 1AW- Bar
- Mid-price
- Dog friendly
- Cosy
- Outdoors
Share a pint brewed on site at WEST, in the old Templeton carpet factory on Glasgow Green, a red-brick building made to look like a Venetian palace.
Why it's a good date: WEST says its beer hall and beer garden are both dog friendly, right up to closing time, so nobody has to wait outside. Walk the dog round Glasgow Green first, then take a garden table if it's dry or a seat in the beer hall if it isn't.
Photo: Colin Park, 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)
Inn Deep and the Kelvin Walkway
Great Western Road, Kelvinbridge, West End
Address: 445 Great Western Road, Glasgow G12 8HH- Bar
- Cheap and cheerful
- Dog friendly
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Outdoors
Walk the River Kelvin up through Kelvingrove Park to Kelvinbridge, then settle in at Inn Deep, a craft beer bar in the arches under the bridge, with tables by the water.
Why it's a good date: Inn Deep gives the dogs that drink there their own page on its website, and the walkway is park path, so dogs are fine on a short lead or close at heel. The riverside tables are the ones to get.
Photo: Tbatb, CC BY-SA 4.0 (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
Where's the best view over Glasgow?
The Necropolis, the Victorian garden cemetery on the hill beside the cathedral, and the flagpole at the top of Queen's Park. Both are free, and both are best on a clear evening.
Is there somewhere outdoors with a fallback if it rains?
The Botanic Gardens have the Kibble Palace glasshouse, Pollok Country Park has the Burrell Collection, and WEST on Glasgow Green has a beer hall as well as its beer garden.
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