What day trips can I take from Edinburgh?

Good day trips from Edinburgh (roughly under 100 miles) include Glasgow, Stirling, St Andrews, Dundee — close enough to visit and return in a day.

Which nearby cities are best for a weekend getaway from Edinburgh?

The closest cities make easy day trips, while anything farther is worth a longer break; use the distance links above to plan.

How do I get from Edinburgh to nearby cities?

Most nearby cities are reachable by car, train or bus; for the longer hops a regional flight can be quicker. Tap any city in the table for its full distance, drive-time and flight-time breakdown, or use our distance and flight calculators for a specific route.

Cities Near Edinburgh

Cities near Edinburgh, UK: 10 notable destinations within day-trip and weekend range, including Glasgow, Stirling, St Andrews. Compare distance, drive time and flight time, with day-trip and getaway ideas.

The closest notable city to Edinburgh, UK is Glasgow, about 42 mi (67 km) away — roughly 1 hr 14 min by road. Below, 10 nearby cities are ranked by distance, with real drive and flight estimates and whether each works best as a day trip or an overnight getaway.

City	Distance	Drive	Flight	Best for
GlasgowArt, music and Victorian grandeur	42 mi / 67 km	1 hr 14 min	Drive/rail	Day trip
StirlingCastle and the Wallace Monument	31 mi / 49 km	59 min	Drive/rail	Day trip
St AndrewsHome of golf and a ruined cathedral	31 mi / 50 km	1 hr	Drive/rail	Day trip
DundeeWaterfront V&A design museum	37 mi / 59 km	1 hr 6 min	Drive/rail	Day trip
Dunfermline	13 mi / 21 km	44 min	Drive/rail	Day trip
Livingston	13 mi / 21 km	44 min	Drive/rail	Day trip
Cumbernauld	31 mi / 49 km	59 min	Drive/rail	Day trip
Hamilton	35 mi / 56 km	1 hr 3 min	Drive/rail	Day trip
Carlisle	74 mi / 119 km	1 hr 43 min	Drive/rail	Day trip / overnight
Newcastle upon Tyne	92 mi / 148 km	2 hr 8 min	Drive/rail	Day trip / overnight

Day trips from Edinburgh

Within about 100 miles and easy to visit in a day: Glasgow, Stirling, St Andrews, Dundee, Dunfermline. These are close enough to go and return without an overnight stay.

Getting around

Nearby cities are usually quickest by car or train; for the longer hops a regional flight can save time. Tap any city above for its full distance, driving-time and flight-time breakdown, or plan a specific route with the tools below.

Distance calculator Flight time calculator

Frequently asked questions

Notable cities near Edinburgh include Glasgow, Stirling, St Andrews, Dundee, Dunfermline. The closest is Glasgow, about 42 miles (67 km) away. The table above lists each with its distance, drive time and best use.

Cities Near Edinburgh

Day trips from Edinburgh

Getting around

Frequently asked questions

More about Edinburgh

Nearby city travel guides

Distances from Edinburgh

Travel tools