Cathedral with the stunning architecture and history. Glasgow Cathedral, Located about a mile to the east of George Square, the Cathedral has one of the finest post-war collections of stained-glass windows in Britain.
Glasgow Cathedral is on the eastern edge of Glasgow city centre and is accessible on foot from the centre by walking north up High Street from Glasgow Cross (Merchant city), or by going east along cathedral Street from Buchanan Street. The Necropolis is on high ground adjacent to Glasgow Cathedral and is not very accessible to anyone who has difficulty walking up steep and sometimes soft paths.
Become the main tourist attraction in Scotland, Glasgow Cathedral has a rare timelessness. The dark, imposing interior conjures up medieval might and can send a shiver down the spine. It's a shining example of Gothic architecture, and the only mainland Scottish cathedral to have survived the Reformation.
The cathedral, divided by a late-15th-century stone choir screen, is decorated with seven pairs of figures to represent the Seven Deadly Sins. Beyond is the choir. The four stained-glass panels of the east window, depicting the Apostles (also by Francis Spear) are particularly effective. At the northeastern corner is the entrance to the 15th-century upper chapter house, where Glasgow University was founded. It's now used as a sacristy.
The most interesting part of the cathedral, the lower church, is reached by a stairway. Its forest of pillars creates a powerful atmosphere around St Mungo's tomb (St Mungo founded a monastic community here in the 5th century), the focus of a famous medieval pilgrimage that was believed to be as meritorious as a visit to Rome.
Behind the cathedral, the necropolis stretches picturesquely up and over a green hill. Its elaborate Victorian tombs of the city's wealthy industrialists make for an intriguing stroll, great views and a vague Gothic thrill.
