CityofGlasgowGORBELSBlessedJohnDunsScotus(wellcomecollectionCC-BY-SA4.0)1 WellcomeCollection

Blessed John Duns Scotus

Completed in 1975 the church is shaped like the prow of a ship.

Gorbels, City of Glasgow

Opening times

Sorry, there are no regular opening times for this church.

Address

Ballater Street
Gorbels
City of Glasgow
G5 0YT

It is now home to the Franciscan Oder and is named after Blessed John, born in Duns in the Scottish Borders at the time of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. It is the only remaining Catholic church in the Gorbals and maintains a tradition of holding a monthly mass in Lithuaninan.

This friary is neither grand nor imposing, but it is home to something no other place of worship in Scotland has. On the left hand side of the light, wood panelled interior is an ornate 3ft wide chest, known as a reliquary. It is gilded with the words ‘Corpus Valentini Martyris’. Inside, shielded from the public by a thick glass pane, are some of the remains of St Valentine.

The reliquary containing the forearm of St Valentine arrived in Glasgow via a donation from a wealthy French Catholic family in 1868. It was kept in St Francis’ Church for over a century before being transferred to its current home in 1993. Though the remains are given a prominent position at the front of the church, it’s also easy to walk right straight past them. St Valentine’s Day, after all, only happens once a year.

  • Social heritage stories

  • Glorious furnishings

  • Famous connections

  • Captivating architecture

  • Walkers & cyclists welcome

  • Space to secure your bike

  • Parking within 250m

  • On street parking at church

  • Level access to the main areas

  • Dog friendly

  • Café within 500m

  • Bus stop within 100m

  • Accessible toilets nearby

  • Catholic Church

Contact information

Other nearby churches

Glasgow Metropolitan Cathedral

Glasgow, City of Glasgow

The Metropolitan Cathedral Church of St Andrew built in the city centre of Glasgow is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Glasgow, designed in 1814 by James Gillespie Graham in the Neo Gothic style.

Baldernock Parish Church

Baldernock, Strathclyde

The best way to approach this charming 18th century parish church is to stroll the mile from Milngavie.

St Moluag Cathedral

Lismore, Strathclyde

Now a parish church with ancient features, derived from the chancel of the old cathedral.