Church Overview

Glasgow Cathedral is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in Glasgow, having been, prior to the Reformation, the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Glasgow since the 12th century. It became Crown property in 1587 and passed into state care in 1857, a role now overseen by Historic Environment Scotland. It is the oldest building in Glasgow and, along with St Magnus Cathedral in Orkney, it is one of only two cathedrals to survive the Reformation in Scotland virtually intact.

A Christian burial ground is reputed to have been established by St Ninian on this spot, near the Molendinar Burn, in the 5th century and it was in the centre of this holy site that St Mungo (also known as St Kentigern) is said to have established a small monastic foundation in the late 6th century. His followers buried him in a crypt there in 614 and the church that was built around this venerated saint’s tomb soon grew in reputation and importance as an important place of pilgrimage.

The initial timber churches were eventually replaced with a stone building, with the saint’s shrine at its heart, that was raised by David I, and dedicated in 1136 as the Cathedral Church of St Mungo. Centuries of rebuilding, reconfiguring and restoration have followed, but much of the surviving fabric is 13th century and the grandeur of the building is undiminished. Its stone ‘pulpitum’ screen is medieval, a rare survivor in Scotland, while its woodwork is 20th century. There are also many important monuments to be seen throughout the building, including the reconstructed tomb of St Mungo in the medieval crypt.

The church also possesses a truly outstanding assemblage of 20th century glass, by artists such as Francis Spear, Herbert Hendrie, Sadie McLellan, William Wilson, Gordon Webster, Harry Stammers and John Kenneth Clark. These windows replaced a collection of stained glass installed in the 1860s, created by the Royal Bavarian Stained Glass Establishment in Munich, of which only a few smaller examples have survived in the sacristy and southwest porch.

The magnificent pipe organ by Henry Willis was installed in the triforium of the choir in 1879, and rebuilt by the Willis company in 1903, 1913, 1922  and 1931, during which the enlarged it to a four manual instrument. It was again entirely rebuilt in 1996, this time by Durham organ-builders Harrison & Harrison and is used during weekly services and regular musical performances in the cathedral.

A site of pilgrimage for centuries, the cathedral is a Destination Hub on our St Mungo Pilgrim Journey and the surrounding densely packed graveyard contains numerous remarkable memorials and interesting mortsafes. In 2025, the long-covered water well in the centre of the crypt was excavated by archaeologists from the University of Glasgow, before being restored and lined with a shimmering mosaic art installation by Scottish artist Joanna Kessel and renamed ‘Glasgow’s Wellspring’ as part of the city’s 850th anniversary celebrations.

Services

Sundays: 11.00am and Choral Evensong at 4.00pm.

Opening Arrangements

1 April to 30 September – Mon-Sat: 9.30am-5pm and Sun: 1pm-5pm (Last entry 4.15pm) 
1 Oct to 31 Mar – Mon-Sat: 10am-4pm and Sun: 1pm-4pm (Last entry 3pm)

Disclaimer

The information about churches in Scotland’s Churches Scheme has been provided by the congregations or taken from the Historic Scotland list and published sources, in particular, the Buildings of Scotland volumes and the RIAS Illustrated Architectural Guides. To contact this specific church please complete the Contact this Church form above. The information is not authoritative; please contact Scotland’s Churches Trust to let us know of any errors or omissions.