Covering 15 hectares, the Glasgow Necropolis is one of the largest green spaces in the city centre and deserves at least a couple of hours of your time. There are tens of thousands of graves and over 3,000 tombs, and the Gothic site is not as creepy as you might expect.
The site was originally used as an arboretum and city park, but in 1831 construction work began to turn it into a graveyard. The first person to be laid to rest in the Necropolis was a Jewish jeweller named Joseph Levi. The cemetery is home to a number of intricate monuments that have been designed by famous Glaswegians, including the architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the artist James Hamilton.
Notice the Hindu gargoyles perched atop the Monteath Mausoleum for military man Archibald Douglas Monteath, who once served in India. At the Baroque tomb of the former manager of the city’s Theatre Royal, John Henry Alexander, you can see a Celtic Cross designed by Mackintosh. You can’t miss the 21-metre-tall John Knox Monument.
If you want to delve deeper into the cemetery’s past, join one of the guided walking tours offered at the necropolis. Volunteers will guide you through the tombs and give you an insight into the stories, architects and historic figures related to the burial ground. The official website has information about scheduled tour times, and while the tours are free, a donation is much appreciated. If you would rather explore the necropolis alone, then you can pay a small fee and download a guide to the grounds from the official website.
If you have the time, combine your visit to the necropolis with a tour of the adjacent Glasgow Cathedral and the St. Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art. Each of these sites is part of Glasgow’s Heritage Trail, which takes visitors on a tour of the city’s most important historic buildings.
You can easily reach the Glasgow Necropolis on foot from central George Square. Catch a train to High Street station or take a bus to nearby Castle Street. If you decide to drive, you can leave your car on a nearby street for a fee. The necropolis is open every day and closes at around sunset.
