On a sunny Sunday afternoon, we set off for the Necropolis, Glasgow’s Victorian garden cemetery, armed with two leaflets about it: Glasgow City Council’s Heritage Trail and Glasgow Women’s Library’s Women’s Heritage Walk. It proved confusing trying to follow them both at once, so we went round with the Women’s Walk and then went back later to fill in some of the gaps from the other leaflet. I must say, given the choice I would stick with the Women’s Library one which gives very clear directions to the monuments you are expected to look at. We got confused a few times with the City Council trail. If you’re interested, you can also join a guided tour by the Friends of Glasgow Necropolis.

Two things dominate the Necropolis: the Cathedral at its gates and the John Knox Monument at its peak. We ended up with photographs of both from all angles. Here’s the Cathedral from above the Davidson of Ruchill Mausoleum:

And John Knox amongst a forest of other monuments:

This is a rather sad relief from a memorial to Agnes Strang who died in childbirth in 1849 leaving the baby and three other small children:

Isabella Ure Elder was a pioneer in promoting Higher Education for women and is one of only three women commemorated as statues in Glasgow – not here, but in Elder Park which she founded in Govan as well as a library, a hospital and a School of Domestic Economy. She sounds wonderful.

We liked the Major Archibald Douglas Monteath Mausoleum, mainly because of the quirky faces round the doorway, one of which definitely resembles a cat:

After that there was time for one last general view:

Then it was back to the rather splendid gates before setting off for home after an enjoyable afternoon: