At the first look, the Glasgow cathedral may give you goosebumps. It seems to have stepped straight out of a dark Goth movie and you will almost expect otherworldly creatures to lurk around its premises. The cathedral is beautiful and dark in an eerie way and has the ability to transport its visitors back in time. The church is built on sloping ground and though layers of grime now coat it… the beauty of its spire and the rich copper-clad roof is still intact.
Also known as the St Kentigern and the St Mungo Cathedral, the cathedral is Glasgow’s oldest building and an excellent illustration of medieval Gothic architecture. The worship of the almighty has been unceasingly carried out in the cathedral for more than 8 centuries. The cathedral is flanked on the east by the Glasgow Necropolis and the nearby St Mungo Museum (built in the year 1993) that serves as a cathedral visitor centre.
An impressively proportioned building, the Glasgow cathedral is 285 feet long by 63 feet wide while the roof goes up to 105 feet. Technically this is no longer a cathedral as it hasn’t possessed a Bishop seat since 1690…however, it’s one of the most spiritually active seats of Christianity in Scotland.
History
The Scottish Gothic architecture of the cathedral was constructed between the 13th and 15th centuries and is lauded as the epitome of cathedral building in Europe. The first stone of the cathedral was however dedicated in 1136 in the presence of King David.
The history of the church is tied up with the history of St Mungo (originally named Kentigern) who was the illegitimate child of a 6th century banished princess and indeed the history of Glasgow city. St. Serf raised Kentigern as his own son and gave him the name Munro or ‘my dear one’. Munro began practising Christianity in the Clyde region and built a tiny church beside Molendinar Burn where he existed in a small cell and converted many locals to Christianity.
Munro’s followers steadily grew in numbers and soon they began to be known as ‘Clas gu’ (means Dear Family) and that’s how Glasgow was born. It’s believed that Glasgow’s patron saint and founder St Munro breathed his last in his wooden church on this site and he was buried here in 612 AD. By this time he has performed many miracles and was hailed for his kindness and spirituality all across the country.
It’s a widely accepted fact that St Munro’s tiny church prospered and his sea of followers who continued to grow in number even after his death originally created the settlement that was to become Glasgow. A canonry and a burgh both sprung up on either side of the church… the first seeds of today’s Glasgow. Later a splendid Norman church was built over the wooden St Mungo shrine and the Bishops and Archbishop of Glasgow sat there. The modified version of this church is today’s Glasgow cathedral… a juxtaposition of old and new structural elements.
What To See & Do
Some elements of the cathedral such as its crypt were constructed in the mid-12th century to house the tomb of St Kentigern. Note that the most distinguishing facet of the building is its lower church …a lovely vaulted space that occupies the whole area under the choir. The tomb of St Kentigern lies at the centre of this lower church and to its east is a collection of chapels.
The tomb of Bishop Wishart who was a friend of William Wallace and Robert Bruce is also in the crypt. Bishop Wishart was greatly respected for having played an important role in the Scottish freedom struggle against the English crown. You will also find a nice collection of ancient church relics around the crypt.
There is the Chapel of St John the Evangelist that contains a well that supposedly St Munro himself used in the latter 500’s. After the year 1451, the Pope declared that a visit to the Glasgow cathedral warrants the same importance as a visit to Rome. Incidentally, this is the same year in which the cathedral laid the foundation stone of Glasgow University. The first classes of the iconic Glasgow University were held inside the cathedral in the 15th century.
The spectacular white ceiling on Blackadder Aisle was built in 1500 by Archbishop Blackadder. The aisle has glamorous colourful roof bosses with rich fruit and flower carvings and paintings. The four-headed boss is especially beautiful though all of them are painted in bright striking colours.
Another notable aspect of the church is its beautiful stained glass windows that were built much after the Glasgow wars. These are in the Nave and will probably be the first design element to strike your eyes since you will enter the cathedral through the Nave. The great West Window has been created by Francis Spear and the Resurrection window was designed by Professor Hubner of Dresden. The North wall of the Nave has the exquisitely pretty Millennial Window….it depicts the changes in the world in the last 1000 years.
The glasses have been made by the Royal Bavarian Stained Glass Establishment of Munich… interestingly, most of the major windows were gifted to the church by eminent personalities and noblemen of Scotland like Duke of Hamilton, Sir Andrew Orr, William Stirling of Keir Lord Belhaven, Cecilia Douglas of Orbiston, and John Tennant of St. Rollox etc.
One of the best medieval features inside the cathedral is the Pulpitum that’s a lovely carved stone screen between the nave and chancel…a rare example of medieval architecture in Scotland. The screen was built in the 15th century and later altar platforms were added in 1503. The upper portion of the church is divided by the pulpitum into nave and choir and in spite of this, the cathedral creates an impression of outstanding height. The figures at the top of the pulpitum show seven deadly sins i.e. lust, gluttony, pride, sloth, envy, wrath and avarice.
The Upper Chapter House is light airy and relaxing and is done in light colours that set off the red seats… a marked contrast to the Goth character of the Chapel.
Don’t miss a look at the Grand Church Organs that are placed in the triforium on both sides of the choir with 2 large cases flanking the pulpitum. The Great organ is in the northern case and the solo organ in the south case. The church musical instruments and pipework are said to be one of the finest in Scotland and there are frequent live broadcasts of its recitals.
Outside the church, there are quaint lampposts bearing 4 symbols; fish, tree, bell and bird. Note that the same symbols appear in Glasgow’s Coat of Arms and Glasgow University…. the signs are indicative of the 4 miracles performed by St Munro.
Look up as you enter the church and know that parts of the open timber roof date back to the 14th century.
Miraculously the Glasgow cathedral survived the Reformation period without being unroofed. The Cathedral has seen some momentous events like the ratification of the treaty of Perpetual Peace by James IV on 10th December 1502. The cathedral played a crucial role in the Glasgow battles that took place in 1544 and 1560.
Some 20 years after the Reformation, James VI declared that the income from a number of lands from Glasgow town will go towards the upkeep of the Kirk and later the town council swore to repair the kirk. The church survived the reformation period probably because of this resolution.
A number of congregations have been hosted in the cathedral and it’s still lauded as a place of Christian worship. The Church is owned by the crown and is maintained by Historic Scotland.
The Glasgow Cathedral audio guide is par excellence as it’s created in partnership with music historians and details the journey of the cathedral through compositions of music set in different periods of time. The Binchois Consort and Glasgow Cathedral Choir perform the pieces and hymns. The 1-hour audio guide is available in 8 languages including English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin, Polish and European Portuguese.
You can do a guided tour of the cathedral with a church volunteer guide… it’s a free and informative tour but you need to prebook this experience from the Official Website of the church. These tours are not available on Sundays. Otherwise, a non-guided tour is also equally interesting especially if you buy an information booklet or guidebook from the bookshop around the premise entrance. The bookshop is open from Monday to Saturday and guidebooks and information booklets in Spanish, English, German, French and Italian are available here.
Apart from this, there is a Historic Environment Scotland Shop selling souvenirs, sketches and trinkets and it opens whenever the Cathedral is open to the public.
Incidentally, the Glasgow cathedral is partially adaptable for the needs of the differently-abled. There is a handrail flanking the 25 steps that lead down to the crypt and Blackadder aisle. The nave is on level ground with a smooth floor and entry to the choir is up via a stairlift. Entry to the nave can also be made by a stairlift accessible by the west door… but you need to inform in advance in order to have the door opened. The church steward is helpful in arranging access for visitors with special needs.
Tours & Tickets
Entry to the cathedral is free. The audio guide is priced at 3 pounds per adult and 1 pound per child. If you have a Historic Scotland membership then you will get a 20% discount on the audio guide prices.
You can find several great tours of Glasgow Cathedral (including combination tours) and book online from this Viator site.
Timings
Kids and teens under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult while visiting the cathedral.
The Cathedral is open from 1st April to 30 September from 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. (Monday to Saturday). On Sunday the cathedral is only open between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
The Cathedral is open from 1st October to 31 March from 10 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. (Monday to Saturday). The cathedral is open on Sunday mornings for those who wish to attend the 11 a.m. worship session.
The cathedral opens for Sunday morning (Church of Scotland) service at 11 a.m and it admits only those visitors who have specifically come for the morning worship session. The Choral Evensong Service or the Evening service is held in the Nave at 4 p.m. on Sunday and those not attending the service are asked to maintain silence while they finish their tour of the cathedral. Please note that the Lower Church area closes at 4 p.m. i.e by the time the Evensong service begins. The Lower Church generally closes an hour before the other parts of the Church are closed to visitors.
The only dates on which the Glasgow cathedral is closed are 25th and 26th December and 1st & 2nd January.
Location & Contacts
Usually, the coaches will drop tourists off at the entrance of the cathedral and almost every Glasgow city tour will cover this attraction. A public car parking is available a little distance away from the main cathedral. The Hop on Hop off city sightseeing buses also stop here. It’s possible to reach the cathedral from Glasgow city centre in 15 minutes…. you can either walk up north on High street from Glasgow cross or go east along Cathedral Street after crossing Buchanan Street.
The closest stations to the Glasgow Cathedral are Cathedral Square and Stirling Road (both about 4 minutes walk away) while St James Road is 5 minutes walk away. The 11, 36, 37, 38, 38 B, 38 E and X1 bus lines stop near the Glasgow cathedral. You can reach the Glasgow cathedral by a 10-minute walk from High street Railway station.
On Castle Street, there are plenty of cafes and restaurants including The Clock Tower Café and Empire Coffee both of which are known for their excellent coffee blends and snacks. The McCune Smith Café on Duke Street serves hearty Scottish fare while the Cathedral House on Cathedral Square is a good place for a British/ Scottish lunch. For Italian food, you can head off to Qua on Ingram Street and for Mediterranean style pizza, there is the Italian kitchen. there is a lot to see in this area so taking away a packed food hamper from Picnic on Ingram street is also a good idea… they specialise in healthy food options.
Once you are done visiting the church, pop into the St Mungo Museum of Religious Art and life across the square. It’s a lovely interfaith centre containing spiritual exhibits all across the world and a Zen garden. There is the Provand’s Lordship…one of Scotland’s nicest surviving medieval buildings…it will give you a glimpse into the lives of the clergy of the cathedral. The Necropolis…a major attraction of Glasgow city is also nearby.
Glasgow Cathedral. Royal Infirmary Castle Street, Glasgow, G4 0QZ
Phone: Cathedral Office: 0141 552 8198; Historic Scotland Custodians: 0141 552 6891
Official Website
A travel addict. Still celebrating the day when he quit his high-profile corporate job to pursue his passion for travel writing.