Travelling to Glasgow Uni?

[LordPercy]

DD and I are heading over to Glasgow Uni from the East coast on Saturday. I keep being told the parking is awful, but I’m very nervous about getting the underground etc, having never been on it before. I had planned to bus it over but apparently it’s too far from the bus station to walk?

What would you think is best? Bus/train/drive, Glaswegian folks?

Would you be coming into Queens St via the train?

If so, it's easy from there. Just hop on the underground from Buchanan St (right opposite Queen St station) and get off at the Hillhead stop in Byres Rd (ten minute journey).

From there, it's a hop, skip and a jump.

The subway is the easiest in the entire world

I'd get the train. From Queen Street you can connect directly to the subway (Buchanan Street). It's only a diddy circle line, so you get it the Inner Circle round to Hillhead (even if you get the Outer Circle, going the other way, you'll still get to Hillhead - it'll just take a few more stops ) - about 8 minutes.

From Hillhead, you turn left out of the station, up to the traffic lights and then turn left and you'll see the main University building up on the hill - at most a 10 minute walk.

Train to Queens Street or bus to Buchanan Street. Get the underground to Byres Road. Parking round the Uni is restricted and really congested and very hard to navigate if you don't know the area.

Half hour uphill walk from the bus station so probably too far but there are lots of buses going that way if you really can't cope with the underground. It is nothing like trying to navigate the underground in London. There is only one circular route, so the worst that can happen is you get on it going the wrong direction and go a few extra stops - not nicknamed the Clockwork Orange for nothing.

Or low level train to Partick and walk up from there. it's really VERY simple.

Thanks for this OP I was just thinking exactly the same! And thanks to all for the info too.

OP honestly the Glasgow underground is nothing like the underground trains anywhere else. It’s called the clockwork orange because the trains just go round in a circle. What specifically are you nervous about and we’ll try to help?

Ach I posted earlier but it obviously didn’t post. DH is working all weekend so it’s just DD and I. My health isn’t great just now which is already making me anxious. I’m panicking that I won’t be well enough on the day and the thought of strange trains/stations etc is just putting my anxiety into overdrive. My usual Glasgow experience is check into hotel, go shopping, drink cocktails, dawdle back to hotel 😂

Honestly - the link between Queen Street and the Buchanan Street underground station is very straight forward. There is even a moving walk way!

It would be less stressful than trying to find parking near the Uni.

Glasgow Subway is O shaped

Easiest subway in the world to navigate.

Op in that case you could hop in a cab and consider it the cost of a cocktail foregone. Honestly though the Underground is probably even less stressful and almost certainly quicker than doing that. Bonus is the route from the Underground to the Uni goes past Ashton Lane with loads of posh retail and restaurants.

You could always get a cab going, then if you feel up to it the subway back. Have a great day!

Definitely do the underground, it's v easy - promise! Once you come out you turn left and walk along Byres Road for a few mins then left again towards the uni.

Buchanan Street to Hillhead, Buchanan St station is right outside Glasgow Queen St train station. Enjoy your day out!

Or just hop in a cab at the station - it's not that far.

I’m heading there with DS on Saturday too. We need to travel down on the Friday so staying in town and getting the low level train to Partick.

I agree with the others that it’s easy to get around Glasgow, but can see why it’s daunting if you’re not used to navigating your way round. So I’d definitely go for a cab up to the campus and once you’ve got your bearings, you can take the subway or train back.

Maybe see you there

I'm not sure about going or not now to be honest. We've been to a few and DS in no clearer on actually what or where he wants to apply for. I kind of feel I am wasting my time.

He is not really looking at anything on-line either (in terms of course content) so I keep questionning whether he actually wants to go or not and he insists that he does! .

I think he is just waiting for DH and I to tell him what to put on the form. We obviously don't want to do that though are happy to act as a sounding board and guide him if required, but we need him to contribute.

wax what about sending him on the train on his own, or with a friend or his brother, to try to get him more engaged in the process? Mine are a year behind your 2 and I completely recognise the problem.

DH suggested we just get him there and leave him to get on with it. I think whilst he is right, it's still wasting time as he would engage even less in the process (as we weren't pushing him) and be no further forward. I'm not sure any of his friends are doing Glasgow this time (think some have been already and maybe going to Aberdeen?) and he probably wont ask them anyway. DH sees no point in going all the way to Aberdeen with someone who isn't really engaging very much in the process. Baby bro didn't enjoy his trip to Heriot Watt and is saying he doesn't want to go to Uni and if he was going he'd be looking to do something completely different to DS1.

I don't know, I'll probably end up taking him down on the train if he says he wants to go. He told me yesterday afternoon he was going to finish his UCAS registration stuff but then I was out so no idea what he has done or not done.

To be fair to him he does have a lot on at the moment. 3 AHs, 2 computing projects, learning to drive, studying for his theory and finishing off his Gold DofE stuff and all the paperwork (which reminds me we still need to find and book his residential week). Then all the UCAS/School stuff for uni. I see loads of homework coming through on the automated thing as well. I've asked him if he okay getting eveything done and he says he is fine though.

We stay on the east coast and DD1 went to Glasgow uni. She used to get the bus or the train back and forth and depending how much luggage she had she would get a taxi or a bus out to the uni. I would say if you have any level of anxiety then hop in a taxi. It isn't too far and shouldn't cost much. I hope your DD likes it. My DD loved her time there.

DS wouldn't automatically get accommodation for Strathclyde as we are a mile and a half inside the exclusion zone. You need to be 25 miles away apparantly. I'm presuming that Glasgow may be outside 25 miles so if they have the same policy he should be okay?

Not that we have any idea whether he wants to live out or at home though...

We were talking Christmas presents though and DS2 hinted that both he and DS1 would like new CPUs for their computers. I pointed out to DS1 that he wouldn't be taking his gaming PC and three screens with him to Uni if he was living out and that maybe he'd like money towards getting a better laptop instead and I think it may have got him thinking about whether he wants to move out or not.

We’re going by bus from the local park and ride. DD went through about every emotion known to man at the Dundee open day last month 🙈. So this is really about letting her see the distance from home and to let the whole “you’re leaving school after S6 like it or not” thing set in a bit more.

Ha ha, yes, I don't think it's sunk in that he won't be going to school next year yet. Though to be honest he'd still like to be carried about on my hip and be fed with a spoon! all 6'3 of him.

Hopefully Glasgow will be less emotional.

From what I've seen so far, I liked Heriot Watt the best in terms of a good fit for DS1.

Worth asking for clarification on the likelihood of getting into halls for Glasgow. When I went, many moons ago, I lived over 30 miles and 2 hour commute and was deemed to be too close. The accommodation has changed a lot recently though so it may be better now.