Things To Do in Glasgow: The Glasgow Necropolis in East End

Whether you live in Glasgow or are coming to visit, we want to highlight the biggest, best and no-to-be-missed spots around the city. 

To kick off the series, we took a tour around The Necropolis in Glasgow's East End.

What is The Necropolis?

If you are a fan of Paris's Père Lachaise Cemetery, or appreciate the finer, gothic things in life, this one's for you.

The Glasgow Necropolis is a 37-acre Victorian cemetery, which stands east of Glasgow Cathedral (St. Mungo's Cathedral).

With the first burials dating back to 1832, the cemetery is home to wonderful architecture, breathtaking sculptures and entirely intoxicating stories of the 50,000 people buried on the premises. 

The Necropolis has around eight burials a year to this day and has attracted visits from Hollywood A-listers such as Miley Cyrus and Hugh Jackman. The site has also been a hub for filming over the years, such as the most recent Batman movie starring Robert Pattinson. 

So, it's safe to say that its history is still pulsating today. 

Where can you find the Necropolis? 

Glasgow Necropolis is located on the eastern edge of Glasgow City Centre and is open from 7am until 4.30pm daily.

The main gates lie behind St Mungo’s Museum of Religious Life and Art, and is adjacent to Glasgow Cathedral. 

The Postcode is G4 0UZ.

What can you expect from the Necropolis? 

Though it may seem morbid to call a cemetery a top-class experience or a history hit, it cannot be helped in the case of Glasgow's Necropolis. 

When you first arrive at the cemetery, you will be greeted by beautiful black and gold gates and the Bridge of Sighs, which is known as the trip to your final destination. 

From Scottish giants such as "Wee Willie Winkie" poet William Miller and John Henry Alexander to the King of Bavaria and Queen of the Gypsies, there are around 3,500 monuments to explore. 

The cemetery is also non-denominational. It has a Jewish section, as well as memorials to stillborn children, the Korean War and Glaswegian recipients of the Victoria Cross. 

You will also be able to see Charles Rennie Macintosh's first publicly commissioned work and learn a thing or two about the personalities, creativity and outrageous stories of us legendary Scots which blew me away. 

How long does it take to explore The Necropolis? 

You can tour the famous Necropolis freely or via a walking tour. 

A walking tour takes around two hours, but if you want to freestyle your walk, you may be longer, especially if you want to explore every single nook and cranny on offer.

It took me around two-and-a-half hours to tour what felt like an inch of the cemetery and truthfully, I could have stayed all day. 

Walking tours are taken by volunteers at The Friends of Glasgow Necropolis. They are free and donations, which go towards conservation projects, are welcome. 

Tours take place on limited days and times, so booking is essential. 

To find out more about the tours on offer, click HERE

What are the highlights?

Whilst on the tour, you will learn a lot of quirky and inspirational stories about the elite and famous in Glasgow. 

Some of the highlights for me were learning about interesting Glasgow murders, the history of Glasgow's 'most important' road and the spinster sisters, Margaret, Jane and Elizabeth Buchanan who left their money to educate children and feed the elderly and poor.

I left the tour with a feeling of enhanced pride in Scotland and a belief in our persons, which have been shining, clearly, for almost 200 years. 

And as with any great tour comes a great tour guide, so naturally, I have to shout out Annette who was a vessel of knowledge, excitement, passion and energy. 

She even provided some sweets for the walk, what more could you want?

How do we rate it?

The Glasgow Necropolis tour is even more interesting than a Saturday night on Sauchiehall Street. 

I have never done the tour before, and as an avid history lover, I was completely fascinated by the stories that lie within each acre of the land and grave. 

I left feeling as though I knew my city more than when I entered the gates and I learned that Glasgow's history is so much more spectacular than we think.