City breaks shouldn’t be the preserve of those on two legs, and Glasgow offers proof. This dynamic urban sprawl on the west side of Scotland has plenty to entertain a dog and its humans for a weekend away in the country’s second city.
Its very name alone is tempting: ‘Glasghu’ in Gaelic means “dear green place”, and green it is – in parts.
Dogs will love sniffing about Kelvingrove Park, where a rushing river flows through its centre – ideal for doggy paddles on those rare hot days – and bandstands and statues make excellent perching places for picnics.
Those who need a good game of fetch will enjoy the wide open lawns of Glasgow Green, set right on the Clyde in the east side of the city, and if you’re feeling adventurous, get out to Pollok Country Park for longer walks amid woodlands and manicured gardens.
With diverse neighbourhoods from trendy Southside with its neat rows of tenement houses to buzzing Finnieston with its student population, and the city’s thronging centre around Merchant City, here’s how to spend a great weekend in Glasgow with your dog.
- Things to do
- Dining out
- Where to stay
Things to do
Glasgow is famous for its arts and culture, with a healthy roster of free museums and art galleries to explore. Sadly, dogs with a nose for the arts can’t enjoy the vast majority of these, as pets aren’t allowed in these spaces.
However, bringing the dog means you can go a little off piste and see a side to the city many don’t. These are the best dog-friendly things to do in Glasgow.
Take a walking tour
Desperate to see some art but can’t take the dog into Glasgow’s galleries? Glasgow Walking Tours offer a fine solution to your problem: street art abounds in Glasgow, as does fabulous architecture by the lauded Charles Rennie Mackintosh. See plenty of both on a 90-minute exploration of the city, which takes in its history and geography for an all-round excellent orientation. Tours begin in George Square right by the regal City Hall, and they finish in Merchant City beside the Duke of Wellington statue, where you’ll learn just why he wears traffic cone (or sometimes three) on his head at all times.
Daily tours from £12 per person; private tours start at £95
Police Museum
Forget the Met – Glasgow’s police force was the very first in Britain to attempt to keep law and order on the mean streets of this city, and now there’s a museum dedicated to its long, 225-year history. It’s a tiny, low-key exhibit put together largely by volunteers and passionate collectors, but it’s fascinating and has some deeply entertaining tales of grave robbers, tavern brawls and the UK’s first ever police dog unit, whose first working dog was an Airedale-Collie-Retriever cross called The Executive. A fine hound, indeed.
Free
Glasgow Botanic Gardens
Take a pleasant wander with the dog in this botanic garden; spring brings bright tulips and daffodils to the lawns, while throughout the year the impressive National Collection of ferns is a luscious sight to behold. At its centre lies the tantalisingly named Kibble Palace – it’s not a royal home for Scotland’s finest Pedigree Chum, unfortunately, but a vast glasshouse with a spectacular domed ceiling. Dogs can’t go inside, but it’s well worth taking it in turns to nip in to see all manner of tropical foliage. There are sometimes guided tours of the gardens, too, so keen botanists should look out for the schedule online.
Free
The Necropolis
A dog walk through a graveyard might seem macabre, but Glasgow Necropolis is one of the most beautiful cemeteries in Britain. This vast Victorian burial site is set across a steep 37 acres of land overlooking the city’s cathedral and contains the memorials and stories of over 50,000 people. There are ornate and ostentatious tombs and mausoleums, some truly beautiful and others a little more modest, and you can either wander aimlessly between them or join a guided tour with the Friends of Glasgow Necropolis.
Free
The Grosvenor Picture Theatre
The city’s oldest cinema might not seem like the obvious day out for the dog, but when the weather’s dreich, it’s an ideal spot to relax for a couple of hours. Each month, the 104-year-old Grosvenor Picture Theatre puts on dog-friendly screenings, where you can settle down in a soft leather armchair, dog snoozing by your feet – just like home. Expect themed months, with the likes of a ‘Wes Anderson Season’ and ‘David Lynch Season’, and bottles of fizz in a cooler to take into the cinema.
£12 for a standard adult ticket
Dining out
Pubs aplenty will welcome dogs into their bars and beer gardens throughout Glasgow, but this city has more than just brilliant boozers. Posh dogs will be able to sip from bowls in cocktail bars, bakeries and even breweries. These are the best places for eating and drinking with your dog in Glasgow.
Ubiquitous Chip
This much-loved Glasgow institution in the city’s West End has a dog-friendly pub and brasserie on its upper floor, where you can dine by a burning log fire or at the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Ashton Lane. The menu changes seasonally and provenance is key here – mussels come from Shetland, venison comes from Galloway and beef from Aberdeen, while all manner of Scottish herbs and flowers garnish their inventive salads. If you prefer something a little more upscale, book a dog sitter for the night and dine downstairs where the tasting menus get rave reviews.
The Last Bookstore
Quite literally stuffed floor-to-ceiling with 8,000 books, this literary-leaning cocktail bar has small plates – think venison meatballs and vegan sweetcorn ribs – and a drinks list to please any pained writer. Cocktails are named after famous literary faces, from the Parker with gin, vermouth, olive and rosemary, to the Steinbeck, which has rum, calvados, apple, lemon, pear and pomegranate.
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An ever-changing cocktail list makes this bar near Kelvingrove Park a favourite among locals, who come back over and over again to sip their latest take on a dirty martini or negroni. Dogs are warmly welcomed with much fuss from the staff, but be warned: they have been known to welcome cats in the past, too.
Drygate Brewery
Ignore the gargantuan Tennent Caledonian brewery that dwarfs this one and you won’t regret making time for Drygate. Dogs are truly welcome here – there’s a wall of photos of their four-legged patrons as you walk in (don’t be surprised if someone accosts yours with a Polaroid camera) and a cooked-to-order dog menu for hungry mutts. Food for humans is just as high grade, with squid and chorizo tortillas, wild rice and Mexican chicken bowls, and classic pub-style burgers.
Inn Deep
A pleasant walk along the River Kelvin lies this excellent pub beneath the railway arches. Food comes by way of piping hot hand-baked pizzas and loaded fries, and their beer selection is almost unrivalled. Expect over 20 beers on tap, and several bottles, cans, and a good whisky collection, too.
Where to stay
Glasgow’s hotel scene has something for every dog (and their owner), from high-end luxury in the city centre to handy self-catering apartments in the heart of the action. For pleasant morning walks, pick a property near the river or close to one of the city’s many parks, or choose somewhere just beyond the city limits so you can enjoy day trips into the throng.
voco Grand Central
For those coming into Glasgow by train, this might just be the city’s most convenient hotel – and it happens to have a dog-friendly Champagne bar to boot. voco Grand Central is set within Central Station, right in the heart of Glasgow. Its dark-wood panelled lobby offers quite the arrival, and the original 19th-century wooden staircase leads to several floors of contemporary bedrooms (there are elevators, too). Dogs get beds and bowls in the room, and the closest patch of grass for a morning wee is George Square, an eight-minute walk away. Have breakfast with the dog in the bar, or get really indulgent and order it to the room for a £5 tray charge – just don’t forget a sausage for the dog.
Bed and breakfast from £109, dogs stay free
Native
Set within the former headquarters of the historic Anchor Line Shipping Company, Native blends Edwardian architecture, Mid Century Modern furnishings and contemporary artworks inspired by Glasgow’s iconic places within its dog-friendly apartments. Each has its own kitchenette – complete with fridge for anyone feeding their dog raw – and many have views over some of the city’s most handsome buildings on George Square. Dogs get beds and bowls in the room, and George Square is a handy late-night loo stop for the dog before bed.
Room only at Native available from £125, dogs £25 per pet per day
Moxy Glasgow Merchant City
Merchant City isn’t the greenest area in Glasgow, but this Moxy by Marriott is just a short walk from one of its most enchanting green spaces: the Necropolis. This makes it an ideal base for dog owners looking to explore some of the oldest areas in the city. Inside, rooms are the typical urban Moxy style, and the hotel offers dog-friendly dining in the bar downstairs. For those late-night loo trips with the dog, there’s a small patch of grass just beside the hotel for any emergencies.
Room only available from £60 per night
Malmaison
Expect the typical sumptuous decor Malmaison is famous for – velvet bed heads, boldly patterned carpets – but with a little tartan twist at this hotel found just around the corner from Blythswood Square in central Glasgow. With a dog-friendly dining area in the bar, you will never need to leave the dog alone in your room, and grassy Garnethill Park is a less-than 10-minute walk away for those morning sniffs.
Room only at Malmaison available from £95 per night, dogs £25 per night for one, £40 per night for two
Ingliston Estate & Country Club
If you don’t fancy being in the thick of it, there are dog-friendly lodges at the rather manicured Ingliston Estate & Country Club. Rub shoulders with Glasgow’s equestrian set on the restaurant terrace, or cater for yourselves in the open-plan lodges before spending the evening in your own private hot tub. You could also opt to camp if you have your own motorhome or campervan, and there’s even an off-lead dog area within the campsite. From here, trains to Glasgow leave Bishopton every 20 minutes or so.
Self-catering lodges are available at Ingliston from £199 per night, dogs £20 per stay
Insider tips
Lots of shops in Glasgow are dog-friendly, so if you fancy a little retail therapy while in town, look out for their branches of Oliver Bonas, John Lewis, Lush, H&M and Waterstones. Need dog supplies? Head to The Barras market near People’s Park where you’ll find a dog chocolatier selling treats inside, and among the antiques shops outside, there’s a vendor offering all manner of mystery meats and animal body parts as enrichment chews for your pet.
Dogs are allowed on all public transport in Glasgow, including the buses and the subway – they don’t even need a ticket. Taxis, however, can be a challenge – if using Uber, you’ll need to book with the Uber Pet option at least half an hour in advance of your trip, or just hail a more expensive black cab, most of which allow pet dogs inside.
If you’re coming up from London, don’t miss a chance to snooze your way to Scotland with the dog on the Caledonian Sleeper, which runs from London Euston and has pet-friendly cabins on board.
Local etiquette
It’s essential to keep your dog on a lead when walking around the city centre, not least because of the dangers of moving traffic. The same rule applies when on public transport, too. In parks and larger open spaces, dogs kept under control can be off-lead providing their recall is suitable. Note that sunny days often bring plenty of picnickers to the parks in Glasgow, so hungry labradors might need tighter control than usual. Don’t forget to carry dog mess bags, as there’s an £80 fine for fouling.
It’s worth noting that most hotels in the city won’t allow the dog to be left alone in your room, so if you need a sitter for a dog-free night out, ask Dog Days Glasgow for their availability.