St George's Tron
Glasgow, City of Glasgow
It’s a strange name, St George’s Tron, more reminiscent of legends about dragon slaying or cult science fiction films, than the name of a Presbyterian place of worship!
The Roman Catholic church in Great Clyde Street is justly considered one of the finest ecclesiastical edifices in the city, and occupies a prominent site on the north bank of the river. The exterior is very ornamental, and is fitted up in a plain manner, unlike the general appearance of Roman Catholic churches. The driving force behind the building was a priest from the Enzie of Banff, Revd Andrew Scott. He had been given the care of the Catholics of Glasgow in 1805 and was determined to build a church that would serve the needs of the growing Catholic population of the city. The foundation stone was laid in June 1814. For the first two centuries after the Reformation there was practically no Catholic presence in Glasgow, but by the end of the 18th century Glasgow's industrial expansion was attracting many Catholic workers from Ireland and parts of the Scottish Highlands. The church building is relatively modest in scale, without a steeple or bell tower. This was due primarily to continuing restrictions on the prominence of Catholic places of worship under the Relief Act of 1791.