Glasgow (Greenock), Scotland

When the bonny isle of Scotland is on your cruise itinerary, Greenock shore excursions are your best bet for enjoying the lochs, legends, castles, and cathedrals of Glasgow, Edinburgh, and the surrounding area.

On a British Isles cruise, you’ll discover that Scotland is famous for its lochs, or lakes. There are about 7,500 in the area around Glasgow and Edinburgh alone, and by most estimates over 31,000 freshwater lakes throughout the country. On Glasgow shore excursions to Inveraray Castle, the ancestral home of the Duke of Argyll, you’ll be treated to a scenic ride along Loch Lomond, the second largest loch in Scotland, known as the “Queen of the Scottish Lakes”. While there, you’ll have ample time to explore the castle’s 1,300-piece armory collection, its 18th century furnishings, and the exquisite English china collection.

On other Greenock shore excursions, you’ll ride along the banks of Loch Lomond and the River Forth, stopping at the charming village of Luss on the way to Stirling Castle, where you’ll be dazzled by the sweeping, panoramic views of the Scottish lowlands from the high rocky outcrop on which the castle is set. Revel in the array of armaments, the grandiose furnishings, and the Great Hall, where the Royals, including Mary Queen of Scots, lived, ruled, and held court from the 16th to 18th centuries.

On tours that stop at the Bannock Heritage Center, you can take a deep dive into the heart and soul of Scotland. You’ll learn about the country’s fierce beginnings with the warrior king Robert the Bruce and the Battle of Bannock.

If city sights are more your cup of tea, book Greenock shore excursions to explore the city of Glasgow, with its classic and modern art galleries, Medieval Glasgow Cathedral, and Buchanan Street and Princess Square for shopping. You can also explore Edinburgh, where you will walk the Royal Mile, the city’s oldest street, viewing Edinburgh Castle, the Holyrood Palace, and the exhibits at Camera Obscura. Stop at Royal Mile Whiskies for some serious single malts.

While stopped on our cruise to Glasgow, sniff, sip, sample, and savor Scotch whisky on tours to the 150-year old Glengoyne Distillery. As you tour the distillery, you’ll learn the secrets of generations of whisky production. See the Campsie Fells, where the purest water is drawn for the start of the process, to the selection of air-dried barley for complexity, and the choosing of the various oak casks for flavor development. At the end of the tour, you’re invited to sample Glengoyne scotch as you look out on a scenic waterfall.