St Mary’s Cathedral (Glasgow)

West End, Glasgow
★★★

St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral occupies a spot on the busy Great Western Road, in the heart of Glasgow‘s bustling West End. The building opened as a place of worship in 1871 as a large church: the 63-metre spire was only completed in 1893 and cathedral status only came in 1908. Perhaps it’s the noisy, city location, but today the nave looks smaller on the outside than you might expect, and appears to hide behind its tower. Only when you head inside is its full size apparent; the painted ceilings are well worth admiring in addition to a few other architectural features, including an ornate font. The cathedral is open for a few hours each day over summer, but perhaps the best time to visit is for a service, as the musical tradition here is one of the finest in Scotland.