St Mary’s Cathedral

St Mary's Cathedral
St Mary’s Cathedral

St Mary’s Cathedral is mother church to the united Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway in the Scottish Episcopal Church.   The congregation moved from its original building in Renfield Street to the current site in 1871, and was considered to be one of the finest ecclesiastical edifices in the city. It is estimated to have cost about £20,000 to build.

The church was designed in 14th century gothic style by Mr. Gilbert Scott, of London, who also designed the University of Glasgow. The church consists of a 30 x 100ft. nave, north and south aisles and transepts, chancel and chancel aisles. Its organ is a three manual William Hill instrument which was rebuilt in 1967 and completely restored in 1990.  The cathedral has a fine peal of ten bells, and a regular bell ringing team.

St Mary’s combines two roles, as the cathedral for the diocese and as a large urban congregation which has a rapidly changing population.  Today, members are drawn from a wide area in and around the city of Glasgow.