Glasgow Cathedral

Glasgow, United Kingdom

Glasgow Cathedral is the oldest cathedral on mainland Scotland and is the oldest building in Glasgow. The history of the cathedral is linked with that of the city, and is allegedly located where the patron saint of Glasgow, Saint Mungo, built his church. The tomb of the saint is in the lower crypt. Walter Scott's novel Rob Roy gives an account of the kirk.

Built before the Reformation from the late 12th century onwards and serving as the seat of the Bishop and later the Archbishop of Glasgow, the building is a superb example of Scottish Gothic architecture. It is also one of the few Scottish medieval churches (and the only medieval cathedral on the Scottish mainland) to have survived the Reformation not unroofed.

James IV ratified the treaty of Perpetual Peace with England at the high altar on 10 December 1502. The cathedral and the nearby castle played a part in the battles of Glasgow in 1544 and 1560. Twenty years after the Reformation, on 22 April 1581 James VI granted the income from a number of lands to Glasgow town for the kirk's upkeep. He traced the ownership of these lands to money left by Archbishop Gavin Dunbar as a legacy for repairing the cathedral. The town council agreed on 27 February 1583 to take responsibility for repairing the kirk, while recording they had no obligation to do so. The church survives because of this resolution. Inside, the rood screen is also a very rare survivor in Scottish churches.

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Address

Church Lane 50, Glasgow, United Kingdom
See all sites in Glasgow

Details

Founded: 1136
Category: Religious sites in United Kingdom

More Information

www.glasgowcathedral.org
en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Gallery of Modern Art (1,2 km)
St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art (0,1 km)
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (3,6 km)
Riverside Museum (4,5 km)
Provand's Lordship (0,2 km)
Glasgow Necropolis (0,2 km)
People's Palace (1,3 km)
St Andrew's Cathedral (1,4 km)
St Andrew's in the Square (1 km)


Paisley Abbey (11,8 km)
Stirling Castle (34 km)
Argyll's Lodging (34 km)
Church of the Holy Rude (33,9 km)
Doune Castle (37,6 km)
Wallace Monument (36,4 km)
Leighton Library (39,9 km)
Dunblane Cathedral (40 km)
Falkirk Old Parish Church (31,8 km)

User Reviews

Nina Dela Cruz (3 months ago)
Entrance is free, but tickets need to be pre-booked online. Staff were very friendly and helpful. The place itself is very nice and offers informative signages throughout the church.
Sophie L (4 months ago)
Lovely cathedral. Beautiful inside and out. Takes about 30 mins to do the tour around. Great social distancing measures in place - just prebook a ticket! Friendly staff
Saami Powell (4 months ago)
Beautiful architecture. Great parks and scenery. A must-see for anyone travelling to Glasgow.
rajeesh r (4 months ago)
It's a great experience to visit the Glasgow cathedral. On my first visit, I was not aware about the history of Cathedral. Later came to know it was more than 800 years old, which means than 10 generation would have worshipped. Previously due to Covid situation, I couldn't make another trip. Now Cathedral has reopened with online booking. Staff was very friendly and since there was less crowd, it was good experience to explore the place. A Bible which is more than 400 years old is also kept on display. If you like historical place,it's a place you shouldn't miss.
Matt Roberts (4 months ago)
I love it. One of the best churches I've been to. I love how there's a downstairs.
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