The Reformation saw the destruction of hundreds of cathedrals across Europe, but Glasgow Cathedral is the only one on mainland Scotland which remained intact.

In doing so, it preserved over a thousand years of history and continued its legacy to modern times.

The cathedral actually served as the location for a turning point in Scottish history, when a disgraced Robert the Bruce fled there to meet with bishop Robert Wishart, after killing a nobleman John Comyn.

Glasgow Times: Robert the BruceRobert the Bruce

It was here that Bruce was granted absolution and the clergy began to rally around him and accompany him to Scone where he would be crowned as Robert I, a monumental step in the wars of independence.

Its origins begin in the 6th century AD when Saint Mungo – our city’s patron saint – built a small church out of wood and a community formed around it. When he died in 614 AD, Saint Mungo himself was buried near to what is now the Lower Choir.

Glasgow Times:

David I oversaw the building of the first stone cathedral in 1136, but it would only last a few decades and was destroyed in a fire. Its replacement is the building we see nowadays, consecrated in 1197.

Over the next few centuries, the cathedral would undergo extensive construction work, and in that time the central tower and spire, a belltower and a south-west tower were added. The central tower, spire and chapter house were rebuilt after lightning struck the building in 1406.

But lightning would not strike twice. While the Catholic features of the building, and lead in the roof, were stripped during the Scottish Reformation, the building itself was kept to be used as a place of Protestant worship.

Despite the vandalism, the people of Glasgow were dedicated to taking care of it. The town council raised a tax for repairs, the lead in the roof was repaired, and in 1581 King James VI used income from other lands to Glasgow town just for the cathedral.

The Cathedral is open daily to the public who can visit for free.