museum
Riverside Museum
Glasgow's Zaha Hadid-designed transport museum on the Clyde, packed with classic cars, a recreated cobbled street of vintage vehicles, and the tall ship Glenlee moored outside.
20 km · about 25 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomScotland
Hamilton
Scotland, United Kingdom · Europe
About Hamilton
Hamilton is worth a stop: 5 minutes from Motherwell, 40km from Stirling Castle.
Hamilton is in Scotland, United Kingdom, with about 54,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Motherwell, about 4 km away.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Hamilton?
Within an hour or so of Hamilton: Riverside Museum (20 km), The Kelpies (33 km), The Dunmore Pineapple (38 km), Stirling Castle (40 km).
Are there any good drives near Hamilton?
The nearest famous roads are The Royal Mile, Electric Brae and Rest and Be Thankful (A83).
Where is Hamilton?
Hamilton is in Scotland, United Kingdom, about 4 km from Motherwell.
Road trip
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Quick Information
- Population
- 54,480
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- Scotland
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 55.7667, -4.0333
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Hamilton
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
The Kelpies
Two 30-metre steel horse-head sculptures towering over the canal at Falkirk, a striking modern landmark off the M9.
33 km · about 40 min drive
landmark
The Dunmore Pineapple
An outrageous 14m stone pineapple crowns this 1761 walled-garden folly, built for the Earl of Dunmore and rated among Britain's most eccentric buildings. Free to visit, hidden down a lane near Airth.
38 km · about 45 min drive
castle
Stirling Castle
One of Scotland's largest and most important castles, sitting atop Castle Hill and closely associated with Scottish independence.
40 km · about 45 min drive
photogenic
Culross
Scotland's most complete 17th-century burgh: ochre-coloured Culross Palace, cobbled wynds and white-harled cottages on the Firth of Forth, preserved by the National Trust. Doubles as Cranesmuir in Outlander.
41 km · about 45 min drive
film location
National Wallace Monument, Stirling (Braveheart)
The Victorian tower commemorating William Wallace overlooks the Stirling battlefield central to Braveheart's story; the film itself shot largely in Ireland.
42 km · about 50 min drive
cafe
The Oak Tree Inn
A popular stopping point on the A82 beside Loch Lomond, where road trippers heading to the Scottish Highlands pause to take in one of Scotland's most beautiful lochs.
47 km · about 55 min drive
cafe
The Bikers Cove
A waterfront biker cafe in South Queensferry beneath the iconic Forth bridges, offering stunning views and a warm welcome to riders.
47 km · about 55 min drive
Driving roads near Hamilton
- 47 kmQueensferry CrossingThe world's longest three-tower cable-stayed bridge, opened in 2017, carrying the M90 high over the Firth of Forth alongside its famous Victorian and 1960s neighbours: three centuries of bridges in one view.
- 57 kmThe Royal MileEdinburgh's historic spine of cobbled streets and closes linking the castle to Holyrood Palace, lined with landmarks.
- 57 kmCalton HillAn accessible hilltop crowned with neoclassical monuments, giving the classic skyline view of Edinburgh at sunset.
- 58 kmArthur's Seat, EdinburghAncient volcanic peak rising 251 metres in the heart of Edinburgh, offering panoramic city views from its dramatic summit.
- 63 kmElectric BraeFamous optical-illusion stretch of the A719 on the Ayrshire coast where cars appear to roll uphill. Drivers have pulled over to test the gravity-defying slope since the 1930s.
- 70 kmRest and Be Thankful (A83)The famous climb out of Glen Croe in Argyll with the old military road beside it; landslide-prone but a spectacular gateway to the west coast.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
May to September
Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.
Nearby Destinations
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