This was our first visit to Provand’s Lordship which is believed to be the oldest building in Glasgow, dating back to 1471 and one of only four that date back to medieval times. In the past it has been used as a hospital and a sweet shop but since its restoration by Glasgow City Council it has been a museum and open to the public.
The ground floor of the building is accessible to all but as both the upper levels are reached by ascending a stone spiral staircase, they are not available to everyone. There were several exhibitions in the upper rooms on the day of our visit, including one of royal portraits and another of some paintings by self-taught nonagenarian artist Thomas McGoran, who paints vivid scenes of his childhood memories of Glasgow.
As we had a little more time we had a visit to St Mungo’s Museum of Religious Life and Art which is directly across the road and according to Wikipedia is the only public museum in the world devoted solely to this subject. It’s an impressive collection that’s beautifully presented and well worth a visit.
This project is funded by The National Lottery Community Fund.
