In the following article the reader will be introduced to the Scottish city of Glasgow and three of the places you may wish to visit if you choose to take a short city break there. Glasgow is steadily increasing in popularity as a vacation destination and for good reason.
If you see anything about Scotland you will, almost certainly, also see either bagpipes, kilts or, at the least, some tartan. These items represent "tourist" Scotland, the nice shortbread box cover type of country with spectacular countryside featuring stags and golden eagles. The truth is that Scottish history often reads as a long list of bloody battles and historic sites dotted all over the landscape are the physical remains of a long struggle.
Sometimes it can be difficult to get around to see a reasonable number of these important sites but if you choose to stay in Glasgow you will be pleasantly surprised how many superb historical sites are within easy reach. Below I take a look at three brilliant examples of the places you can visit when you stay in this exciting city, Glasgow Cathedral, Crookston Castle and Newark Castle.
Glasgow Cathedral
The foundations of Glasgow were laid during the seventh century when St. Mungo built his small church on the site. He died in 612 and today he is the city's patron saint. Over the years the site expanded and the church was much modified and then, during the 12th and 13th centuries, it was built over. On the 6th July 1197 it was consecrated and today it remains as one of the most important landmarks of the city. Few medieval churches managed to survive the Scottish Reformation as most were utterly destroyed, damaged beyond repair or simply abandoned and left to be ravaged by the elements and locals who reused the stone.
Crookston Castle
Crookston Castle is an ancient stone keep and ringwork fortress, that dates back to the 12th century when Sir Robert de Croc, who also gave his name to the village of Crookston, built the castle. The lands of Crookston were bought by Sir Alan Stewart in 1330, and passed to Sir John Stewart, 1st Lord Darnley, in 1361. Henry Stewart, the most famous of the Darnley Stewarts, was the second husband of Mary Queen of Scots, and it has been said that couple were married there under a yew tree. Crookston Castle is a Category A listed building, and was the first property acquired by the National Trust for Scotland.
Newark Castle
Newark Castle sits on the south shore of the Firth of Clyde, enjoying wonderful views across the river. In 1478, George Maxwell inherited the Barony of Finlanstone, and built himself a castle on the site. There are still parts of his castle visible today. Major changes were made to Newark Castle by the most notorious of George Maxwell's descendants, Sir Patrick Maxwell. In 1597, Sir Patrick constructed a new north range replacing the earlier hall, in the form of a three storey Renaissance mansion. In 1694, the last Maxwell died, and the castle was sold. When the last owner died, in 1909, the castle passed into state care, and is now looked after by Historic Scotland.
Of course there are numerous other historic places to visit in and around Glasgow but I hope that the three introduced above inspire you to discover more. Hopefully it will not be too long before you decide that your only option is to take a city break in Glasgow.
If you see anything about Scotland you will, almost certainly, also see either bagpipes, kilts or, at the least, some tartan. These items represent "tourist" Scotland, the nice shortbread box cover type of country with spectacular countryside featuring stags and golden eagles. The truth is that Scottish history often reads as a long list of bloody battles and historic sites dotted all over the landscape are the physical remains of a long struggle.
Sometimes it can be difficult to get around to see a reasonable number of these important sites but if you choose to stay in Glasgow you will be pleasantly surprised how many superb historical sites are within easy reach. Below I take a look at three brilliant examples of the places you can visit when you stay in this exciting city, Glasgow Cathedral, Crookston Castle and Newark Castle.
Glasgow Cathedral
The foundations of Glasgow were laid during the seventh century when St. Mungo built his small church on the site. He died in 612 and today he is the city's patron saint. Over the years the site expanded and the church was much modified and then, during the 12th and 13th centuries, it was built over. On the 6th July 1197 it was consecrated and today it remains as one of the most important landmarks of the city. Few medieval churches managed to survive the Scottish Reformation as most were utterly destroyed, damaged beyond repair or simply abandoned and left to be ravaged by the elements and locals who reused the stone.
Crookston Castle
Crookston Castle is an ancient stone keep and ringwork fortress, that dates back to the 12th century when Sir Robert de Croc, who also gave his name to the village of Crookston, built the castle. The lands of Crookston were bought by Sir Alan Stewart in 1330, and passed to Sir John Stewart, 1st Lord Darnley, in 1361. Henry Stewart, the most famous of the Darnley Stewarts, was the second husband of Mary Queen of Scots, and it has been said that couple were married there under a yew tree. Crookston Castle is a Category A listed building, and was the first property acquired by the National Trust for Scotland.
Newark Castle
Newark Castle sits on the south shore of the Firth of Clyde, enjoying wonderful views across the river. In 1478, George Maxwell inherited the Barony of Finlanstone, and built himself a castle on the site. There are still parts of his castle visible today. Major changes were made to Newark Castle by the most notorious of George Maxwell's descendants, Sir Patrick Maxwell. In 1597, Sir Patrick constructed a new north range replacing the earlier hall, in the form of a three storey Renaissance mansion. In 1694, the last Maxwell died, and the castle was sold. When the last owner died, in 1909, the castle passed into state care, and is now looked after by Historic Scotland.
Of course there are numerous other historic places to visit in and around Glasgow but I hope that the three introduced above inspire you to discover more. Hopefully it will not be too long before you decide that your only option is to take a city break in Glasgow.
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