Glasgow Cathedral is built on the site where Saint Mungo, patron saint of Glasgow and the first bishop within the ancient British kingdom of Strathclyde, built his church. The tomb of Saint Mungo, who died in 603 A.D, is in part of the church, the ground having been consecrated for Christian burial by St. Ninian in 397 A.D.

The present cathedral was built during the 13th to 15th centuries and is the only medieval cathedral on the Scottish mainland to have survived the Scottish 1560 Reformation virtually complete.

Technically, it is not a cathedral, since it has not been the seat of a bishop since 1690. However, unlike many disused and ruined cathedrals in Scotland, it is still a place of active Christian worship hosting a Church of Scotland congregation.