What To Do In Glasgow as a Student When It Rains

Glasgow is one of the most vibrant and happening cities in the entire UK, with no shortage of things to do and things to see – but if it’s raining (and, sorry to say it, it probably is raining) then what is there to do? How can you get out of the downpour and stay entertained while it’s bucketing down outside? Well, whether you’re looking for art and culture, music, sports and physical activity, shopping, dining, a show, or even a walk in nature, Glasgow’s got it all, conveniently roofed to keep the rain off!

If you’re studying at one of Glasgow’s world-famous universities, then you might have to get used to the rain – but there’s so much to do in the city that you’ll never be bored. Once you’re done in town, come home to luxury student accommodation from Homes for Students, who can help keep you warm and dry with their luxury student accommodation in Glasgow. Live your student life to the full in high-quality accommodation, conveniently located and perfect for nipping to class and back!

Check out these amazing ways to spend the day:

1. Auchentoshan Whiskey Distillery

Take in a little local culture at the Auchentoshan Whiskey Distillery – home of classic scotch whiskeys. You can book a tour online, and take in a trip that’s part museum visit, part local history and part whiskey enthusiast’s dream.

As the distillers themselves put it, they’ve got a simple three step method:

1. brew a beer. The foundational step of whiskey brewing.
2. distil that beer three times. Unlike many other distilleries, Auchentoshan insist on distilling every single drop three times for purity and quality of flavour.
3. add time. Their not-so-secret final ingredient is to age the whiskey for years in specially-chosen casks, creating the legendary flavour scotch is known for.

That sounds simple, but there are awesome hidden depths to it – it’s like a reflection on the distillery visit as a whole: simple, straightforward, unpretentious, and with a gorgeous end result.

2. Glasgow Botanic Gardens

Fancy a beautiful nature walk, but the rain’s not cooperating with your plans? You can still take a stroll around Glasgow’s Botanic Gardens! The Gardens are “arguably the finest gardens in Glasgow” and have a number of glasshouses which are all open from 10am to 6pm in the summer, and 10am to 4.15pm in the winter, so you’ll be able to get out of the rain while still enjoying a gorgeous, leafy walk in a beautiful and exotic garden, no matter how bad the weather is!

There are tours and guided tours available, including health walks, although these probably take place outside the glasshouses, so you might want to save them for a slightly less rainy day. The Botanic Gardens are located on the West Side of Glasgow, just a stone’s throw from other great attractions you can move on to once you’ve finished your walk.

3. Glasgow Climbing Centre

Looking for something a little more active? Get out of the rain and into one of the coolest new athletic facilities in Glasgow – Glasgow Climbing Centre. If you’re a complete beginner, they hold accessible introductory courses that will teach you how to climb safely and build your skills quickly, which is a great way to spend a rainy afternoon. It’s a full-body workout, but you set the pace, so you’ll leave feeling tired, but excited to come back!

Other climbing disciplines like bouldering and even abseiling are all available too, so you can learn cooler and more advanced climbing styles as you progress, or if you’re already a climber looking to try something new for the day. Group sessions are also available, and if you’re a seasoned climber already then you can just pop in and enjoy a few hours on the walls – there’s no better way to spend a few hours than getting the intense endorphin kick that comes with a great climb!

4. Escape Glasgow

Escape rooms have never been more popular, and Escape Glasgow is one of the best puzzle-masters out there. Locked in a mysterious room with 60 minutes to figure out a way out, can your team beat the puzzles and the clock?

Escape Glasgow has a number of themed rooms, including a witches & wizards room, a Sherlock-Holmes-inspired Baker Street room, and a crime thriller room among others. Choose your team (might we recommend your cleverest halls mates from your Homes For Students accommodation?) and solve some mysteries!

Common escape room puzzles include combination locks, the combinations for which must be deciphered, word locks, hidden keys, password games, colour puzzles, riddles and other cerebral challenges. You never need to use force to solve a puzzle, so if you find yourself trying to break a door down, that’s probably not the solution. Try to find additional clues, figure out angles that you might have missed, or take a step back and see whether the answer was right in front of you the whole time!

5. Go Shopping

It’s hard to beat a bit of retail therapy when the weather’s bad, isn’t it? From the West End to the City Centre, Glasgow has a huge number of high-end shops and cute boutiques, all thankfully under cover in its shopping centres and malls.

Looking for an outfit for Saturday night? Something designer, or some makeup, shoes, the latest gadget, or just an excuse to have a coffee and watch the world go by? Then you’re going to love Glasgow. Take a trip over to Princes’ Square Shopping Centre or the Buchanan Galleries and see what’s on offer!

6. Comedy at The Stand

The Stand in Glasgow has been the home of a number of household-name comedians in the past, and it’s still a bustling comedy hub in the city. With regular comedy nights, guest troupes, celebrity comedians and roasts on the regular, The Stand is the go-to place for a laugh in Glasgow. The Scottish sense of humour didn’t become legendary for no reason, and you’re about to experience it first hand at The Stand.

There’s a show every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with guest acts and specialty shows every week, so there’s always something to keep you laughing throughout the week and into the weekend!

7. Glasgow Museums (There Are Lots To Choose From!)

Glasgow has a magnificent variety of museums to choose from, but a few of the big hitters that you absolutely have to see include gems like: The Kelvingrove Museum, an artistic and historical museum which has a very eclectic collection from all over the world, including weird and wonderful works like a bust of Queen Victoria, an actual Spitfire plane from the Second World War, and even a few paintings by the great Salvador Dali! If you’re looking to expand your general knowledge and enjoy a day wandering around the odd wonders of the world, then you’ll love the Kelvingrove Museum. There’s also:

The Hunterian Museum – one of the oldest museum collections in the world, the Hunterian is a must-see for any museum lover in Glasgow. You don’t need to be studying history to love it, but you might wish you were studying history by the time you leave! The Hunterian presents a small, very carefully-curated collection in which every artefact has been individually chosen and described, and covers all manner of treasures, from ancient Roman items to anthropological and historical gems, geological wonders like rare rocks and crystals, and even preserved human organs and wildlife.

Other museums that might catch your eye include museums of football, science, history and art – like the incredible Modern Art Gallery or the footy fanatic’s paradise of The Scottish Football Museum. Glasgow is an immensely storied city, with a history that stretches back thousands of years – and there’s something in that history for everyone!

8. The Libraries

Finally, there’s the ultimate rainy-day attraction – The Library! Glasgow has a number of them to choose from, being one of Scotland’s foremost cultural, historical and academic hubs. One of the largest and most popular of these is The Mitchell Library, which is one of the leading public libraries in Europe, with research, archive and business facilities as well as a stunning collection of books.

Get lost in entire worlds of reading and research, wander the stacks or find somewhere to cosy up and enjoy one of life’s simplest and most wonderful pastimes – a good book. The Mitchell Library is just one of many similar collections across Glasgow, so if you ever fancy a change of scene, or you’re looking for a specific book that they don’t have, try the others, or ask one of the librarians, who are always happy to help.