CAR HIRE IN GLASGOW

Take a top-of-the-range Avis Prestige car out for a road trip with high style. We stock a limited number of high-calibre Range Rovers, executive Jaguars and sleek Mercedes.

Evolving from a nondescript fishing village on the River Clyde into the biggest sea port in the UK, Glasgow has an industrious past. It witnessed the construction of the Roman Antonine Wall – the central belt of Scotland erected in 140 AD to segregate Britannia from Caledonia (the Latin name for Scotland). Its notable University of Glasgow, founded in 1451, was a pioneer in the Scottish Enlightenment. And the city nurtured a booming transatlantic trade with the United States and West Indies in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Now the fourth most-visited city in Britain, its unique aesthetic marries Victorian grandeur with Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Art Nouveau Glasgow Style. Stroll through George Square to admire the towering 18th-century City Chambers, and chase some serious sightseeing with a wee dram at one of the city’s numerous lively music venues. Glasgow was named UNESCO City of Music in 2008, testament to its appreciation for a good live act and diverse range of musical genres – including the famed Scottish Opera.

Beer enthusiasts will enjoy a snifter at Tennent's Wellpark Brewery, Scotland’s oldest, while whisky aficionados might prefer a tour of Glengoyne distillery, a 40-minute drive north of Glasgow. Local Glaswegian cuisine is not for the faint-hearted: haggis, black pudding, chip sandwiches and, of course, the ubiquitous deep-fried Mars bar. For something a little more highbrow, Cail Bruich in the West End serves Scottish cuisine with a French bent.

For an adventure into the Lowlands, the Trossachs National Park, home to Loch Lomond – the largest stretch of water in Scotland, will be your first most arresting encounter with the Scottish wilds. A 50-minute drive from Glasgow, its here that nature-lovers can bliss out on the area’s spectacularly diverse geography. The 21 Munros in this area, reaching summits higher than 3,000ft, are home to more than 50 special nature conservation sites and 22 sparkling lochs.

Fort William is located a two-hour drive further north. Breeze past pretty waterfalls and through heather-covered glens and ancient hunting forests to reach this settlement on the eastern shore of pretty Loch Linnhe. It’s known as the gateway to Ben Nevis, the tallest summit in the British Isles.

Head east into the Scottish Highlands to discover the expansive peaks of Cairngorms National Park, popular with skiers and home to the quaint town of Aviemore. Venture further north, and you’ll reach the picturesque coved coastline of Inverness.

Hiring a car with Avis in Glasgow guarantees you access to this remarkable region’s most far-flung scenic sites.