The Church that Endures the Test of Time: Quick Tour to Glasgow Cathedral

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The Church that Endures the Test of Time: Quick Tour to Glasgow Cathedral

The city of Glasgow in Scotland offers the best of both worlds. On the surface, the city is modern and vibrant. But if you examine closely, it is a city with a rich and colorful history as evidenced by the splendid array of monuments and buildings that date all the way back to the Middle Ages (12th-century). The best example of its rich history and wonderful architecture is the Glasgow Cathedral, also known as the High Kirk of Glasgow or St. Mungo’s Cathedral.

This popular attraction in Glasgow exhibits Gothic style architecture. The architectural display is both awe-inspiring and elegant. However, the beauty of this medieval structure belies its strength and persistence: the architectural structure has survived the 1560 Protestant Reformation in Scotland. The majority of the building was re-constructed and reinforced in the 15th century although some of its parts were preserved from the original 12th century structure. The square located in front the Cathedral houses St. Mungo Museums of Religious Life and Art, which also hosts different international art exhibitions from every religion all over the world.

A Cathedral of Romantic Mystery

In spite of the tall windows of the Glasgow Cathedral, its interior is quite dark, resulting to an impressively mysterious and romantic vibe. The Gothic arches easily catch anyone’s attention along with its breathtaking 32-meter high wooden ceiling. This ceiling was restored multiple times already while some of its panels date all the way back to the 14th century.

Another great feature inside the church is the colossal stone choir, which depicts the 7 deadly sins. All of its impressive stained glass windows were made and installed in 1947.

The door to sacristy is located right behind the choir in the left corner of the church. This is where the University of Glasgow was founded in 1451, making it one of the most historic places in the city.

St. Mungo’s Tomb

Another really interesting feature that adds to the cathedral’s mysterious appeal is the tomb of St. Mungo, also known as St. Kentigern, The tomb is located underground, in the old crypt, beneath the arches of the church. St. Mungo is a late 6th-century apostle of the Britonnic Kingdom of Strathclyde. He is the founder and patron saint of the city of Glasgow. This is why there’s a symbol of the saint – a bell, a tree and a fish with a ring – in the city’s coat of arms.

This tomb was once a shrine and a great center for Christian pilgrims, until the Scottish Reformation. It was said that his remains still rests inside the crypt. There’s a spring called “St. Mungo’s well” that is located eastward from the apse.

A Historical Structure that Adapts to Modern Times

Unlike many churches in the world, Glasgow Cathedral survived the test of time and even able to adapt to the requirements of modernization, particularly in the area of new systems of communication. Through this, it allowed one company to start a new and efficient way of communication line known as Broadconnect private network and Broadconnect hosted PBX. Both technologies are designed for private network, delivering important voice and confidential data communications between the church’s personnel on a 24/7 basis.

Today, Glasgow Cathedral remains as one of the top visited attractions in Scotland. Its combination of historic charm and persistence throughout the centuries add to the factors that have helped it generate tourist interest.

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Scotland has no secrets anymore except for where my carry-on luggage is

Yes, you read the title right. On this last trip abroad I discovered Scotland and all it had to offer. Unfortunately I also lost my carry-on during this trip. So that’s a short explanation of the title.

Flying to Scotland

I booked a flight at the website of United airlines for a really cheap price in economy class. You need good timing and some luck to get the best price.

I left from JFK airport in the US where I checked in my luggage. I didn’t have a direct flight to Scotland so I landed in Heathrow, London. From there I had a transit flight with British Airways to Glasgow International Airport.

Upon arrival in Glasgow I noticed that I forgot to take my carry-on luggage with me from my flight before. I immediately reported this to United, but it seems they didn’t find my carry-on luggage in the overhead compartment. So it’s lost.

Discovering Glasgow

After checking into my hotel I fell asleep. This is normal when you have been on an exhausting transatlantic flight.

During the week I stayed their overseas I visited a couple of important places in Glasgow such as the Glasgow cathedral, the botanic gardens, the Gallery of Modern Art and the Clyde Auditorium.

I also visited the soccer stadium of the Glasgow Rangers and Buchanan street where I bought some souvenirs for some friends and family. It’s really easy to get everywhere by subway.

Besides Glasgow I also went to see other major Scottish cities such as Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh (the Scottish capital), Inverness and Stirling.

About the Scottish folks

Most people in Scotland are heavy drinkers. This doesn’t mean they are alcoholics of course. But on average Scots drink more than people in the USA. Also we drink beer, but over there they prefer stronger liquor such as whisky.

They also have special traditional clothes called kilts. These are actually skirts but then worn by men. In combination with these traditional clothes they also have a legacy to play traditional music with bagpipes.

They speak English, but they also have their own language called Gaelic.

Independency of Scotland

Recently the Scots had a referendum to vote for their independency. Currently they are part of the United Kingdom. However not every Scot is happy with this and so a referendum was asked. It was close but most people voted to remain part of the United Kingdom. Most of them thought that being independent wouldn’t help their economy and also wouldn’t create any new jobs.

Will I go back

If it’s up to me I wouldn’t go back immediately. I think I’ve seen most of what Scotland has to offer. So maybe I will go back at a later stage of my life when there are some new things worth seeing. Also keep in mind that a flight from the US to Scotland isn’t cheap, certainly not if you lost your carry-on bag. I had to buy a new suitcase. So I immediately bought a carry-on bag that is within the carry-on luggage restrictions of most major airlines in the US. I’m looking forward to take it with me on my next vacation.

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The Medieval Ambience of the Glasgow Cathedral

Medieval age is described as the history that took place from the 5th to the 15th centuries in Europe. Many significant events took place during these times such as the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery. In addition to that, many infrastructures like churches were built during this period with some of them still standing to this day. An example of such medieval churches is the Glasgow Cathedral. This church is also called St. Mungo’s or St. Kentigern’s Cathedral as well as High Kirk of Glasgow. This is the current place of worship for worship for Catholics of Scotland.

The title cathedral is historic and honorific. In fact, this title dates back from the period prior to the famous Scottish Reformation. This church was given the status as the mother church of the Glasgow Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic and the Cathedral of the Glasgow Archbishop. The current congregation of the church is included in the Presbytery of Glasgow of the Church of Scotland. Glasgow Cathedral can be found at the eastern side of the Cathedral Street that is beside the hospital known as the Glasgow Royal Infirmary and at the northern part of High Street.

The cathedral’s history is connected with that of Glasgow City. It is supposedly situated where Saint Mungo (patron saint of Glasgow) built his church. The tomb of St. Mungo is located in the lower crypt of the cathedral. This cathedral was built before the Scottish Reformation during the latter part of the 12th century and it serves as the seat of the Bishop as well as the Archbishop of the city. This cathedral is an excellent illustration of the Scottish Gothic style of architecture. In addition, this is one of the few Scottish churches of medieval origin that was able to survive the Reformation movement and is not unroofed. This is the only cathedral in Scotland that was built during the medieval times.

The first stone that was used to build the Glasgow Cathedral was devoted in the attendance of their monarch, King David I in 1136. In 1197, the church building that can be seen today was consecrated. Since that period, the Cathedral has been safe and never been subjected to unroofing. For more than 8 centuries, Roman Catholics have been worshiping God within the cathedral’s walls.

The superb accomplishments of the builders and architects of the church are still present and can be admired or studied by the public. Nevertheless, not all things you see in the cathedral are old because it underwent several modifications, but still, the cathedral is the house for one of the premium post-war collections of stained glass windows that you can see in Britain.

In the same vein, medieval crossbows are something worth seeing in the United Kingdom. All kinds of storage of crossbows can be viewed on display and it is amazing how many people are still avid fans of this ancient art. Great cases for crossbows have been fashioned out of wood, metal and glass elaborately decorated.  You must make it a point to visit a museum when you get the chance.

The Glasgow Cathedral is one of the crown properties of the country and great care is given to it by the authorities. As a visitor in Glasgow or Scotland in general, you will not leave the city without having to visit this magnificent medieval church.

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Stroll around Glasgow and Appreciate the Architectural Structures

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Glasgow is one of the best places in the world. It has tons of places for you to visit. From historical sites to modern structures, everything that you want is in the place. You can just spend a day moving around and appreciating everything around you.

The best places

One of the reasons why people appreciate Glasgow is because everything simply looks marvelous. There are lovely structures that you can never see anywhere else in the world. It is as if they were made by someone who really knows how to please people. In fact, you would want to have one in your home too, especially those that have been painted perfectly from the outside to the interiors. If you want to have the same at home, you can use an air brush powered by an air compressor. Check out more air compressor from these most trusted air compressor reviews. On the other hand, if you are interested to improve the overall look of your home, you can use a planer and see the best planer for you to use.

A closer look at the structures

Glasgow is a perfect blend of modern and traditional. As you move around the city, you will see ancient places and structures. You will also see old churches and buildings. However, in some parts of the city, you will appreciate modern structures and places for entertainment. There are modern parks with modern amenities too. World class hotels with magnificent structures are also found in the area. Whatever it is that you think of, you can always find one when you are in Glasgow. This is why people keep on coming back. 

Organizing your trip

The next thing to do now is to plan your trip. You just have to identify the best places in Glasgow according to reviews. If there are places that you really want to visit, then include them in your list. If you don’t know how to get there, you can research in advance. You might also ask for people who have been to Glasgow before. However, it is more interesting if you just discover the city and be amazed of what it has to offer. You will never regret it in the end since Glasgow is definitely filled with surprises.

Share your experience

Upon coming back home, you should also let others know what you have experienced and convince them to visit Glasgow. Too. There are only a few million people visiting Glasgow each year. However, the number simply keeps on growing bigger. Since you have seen just how perfect the place is, you should also let others experience what you had. In fact, you can always go with them the moment they decide to visit the place. You have already seen the place before and you know the way around. Thus, it helps a lot that you try to bring them to different places as well. Again, this is an experience that is totally worth it.

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