9 Best Sights in Glasgow, Scotland

This ordinary first-floor apartment is anything but ordinary inside: it was occupied from 1937 to 1982 by Agnes Toward (and before that by her mother), both of whom seem never to have thrown anything away. Agnes was a dressmaker, and her legacy is this fascinating time capsule, painstakingly preserved with her everyday furniture and belongings. A small museum explores the life and times of its careful occupant. The red-sandstone building dates from 1892 and is in the Garnethill area near the Glasgow School of Art.

Built in the 1750s by the Adam brothers, Dumfries House has preserved the living conditions of the landed aristocracy of the time. The restored house contains a large collection of furniture by Chippendale that is original to the property, as well as pieces by other great designers of the period. Run by a charity headed by King Charles, the surrounding 2,000-acre estate is currently in development as a site for an eco-village and centers practicing historic crafts. Entry is by guided tour only; booking ahead is essential. There are 22 guest rooms, some cottages, and a restaurant on the property as well.

This large mansion was designed by Alexander "Greek" Thomson, Glasgow's second-most-famous and most active architect (after Mackintosh), for the wealthy owner of a paper mill. Its classical Greek architecture and stunningly ornamented wood and marble are among his finest, and have been lovingly restored by the National Trust for Scotland. The house is half-hidden behind a residential street in the Cathcart area and is an impressive example of a wealthy family home from the 1800s. The house is part of an ongoing renovation project by the National Trust, meaning there are always new areas to see on each visit. It is sometimes even possible to view some of the ongoing renovations in action—it is worth calling ahead to ask if this interests you.

Within Bellahouston Park is a "new" Mackintosh house, based on a competition entry Charles Rennie Mackintosh submitted to a German magazine in 1901. The house was never built in his lifetime, but took shape between 1989 and 1996. It is home to Glasgow School of Art's postgraduate study center, and displays show designs for the various rooms and decorative pieces by Mackintosh and his wife, Margaret. The main lounge is spectacular. There's also a café and shop filled with art. Buses 9, 53, and 54 from Union Street will get you here. Call ahead, as opening times can vary.

Bute's biggest draw is spectacular Mount Stuart, ancestral home of the marquesses of Bute. The massive Victorian Gothic palace, built in red sandstone, has ornate interiors, including the eccentric Horoscope Room and the Marble Hall, with stained glass, arcaded galleries, and magnificent tapestries woven in Edinburgh in the early 20th century. The paintings and furniture throughout the house are equally interesting. You can also appreciate the lovely gardens and grounds.

This classic Georgian house, dating from the mid-1700s, sits amid landscaped gardens and avenues of trees that are now part of Pollok Country Park. It still has the tranquil air of a wealthy but unpretentious country house. The Stirling Maxwell Collection includes paintings by Blake and a strong grouping of Spanish works by El Greco, Murillo, and Goya. Lovely examples of 18th- and early-19th-century furniture, silver, glass, and porcelain are also on display. The house has beautiful gardens that overlook the White Cart River. The downstairs servants' quarters include the kitchen, which is now a café-restaurant. The closest train station is Pollokshaws West, from Glasgow Central station; or you can take Bus 45, 47, or 57 to the gate of Pollok County Park.

Glasgow's oldest house, one of only four medieval buildings surviving in the city, was built in 1471 by Bishop Andrew Muirhead. Before it was rescued by the Glasgow City Council, this building had been a pub, a sweetshop, and a soft drinks factory. It is now a museum that shows the house as it might have looked when it was occupied by officers of the church. The furniture is 17th century, and the top floor is a gallery with prints and paintings depicting the characters who might have lived in the surrounding streets. Behind the house is a medicinal herb garden, and the cloisters house and its rather disturbing carved stone heads.

Visit the humble thatched cottage where Scotland's national poet lived for his first seven years. It has a living room, a kitchen, and a stable, one behind the other. The life and times of Burns, born in 1759, are beautifully and creatively illustrated in the fly-on-the-wall videos of daily life in the 18th century, while the garden is lush with the types of vegetables the poet's father might have grown.

It's just one part of the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. Besides being a poet of delicacy and depth, Robert Burns was also a rebel, a thinker, a lover, a good companion, and a man of the countryside. The main museum building, a short walk from the cottage along the Poet's Path, explains why the Scots so admire this complex "man o' pairts." The imaginative displays present each of his poems in context, with commentaries sensitively written in a modern version of the Scots language in which he spoke and wrote. Headsets let you hear the poems sung or spoken. The exhibits are vibrant and interactive, with touch screens that allow you to debate his views on politics, love, taxation, revolution, and Scottishness.

In the price of your ticket, you can also visit the spooky churchyard where Tam o' Shanter faced fearsome ghosts, and the neoclassical Burns Monument, built in 1823 and overlooking the Brig o' Doon—take care if climbing to the top.

To get an idea of the life led by textile industry workers, visit the Sma' Shot Cottages. These re-creations of mill workers' houses contain displays of linen, lace, and paisley shawls. Two typical cottages, built 150 years apart, are open to visitors.