Alba Historical

 Govan's ancient treasures It is easy to pass Govan Old Parish Church without suspecting the remarkable history that lies within. On the banks of the River Clyde, flanked by the Pearce Institute and the offices of a housing association, the church does not outwardly reflect antiquity. It was built in 1820, but the land on which it stands has been used for Christian worship since the 9th century when it was the Britons major Christian centre before that. It is home to a collection of early carved stones that attract archaeologists from all over the world.  Long before the birth of Christ, this was a significant place. Evidence has been found that Bronze Age people settled in Govan. It was then almost an island in the River Clyde, which could be reached only by a ford. It is not certain when the first church was built there, but the collection of sculpted stones spanning the 9th to 11th centuries suggests it was very early indeed. In fact, they represent a major school of stone-...

 Forgotten folk Close to the centre of Glasgow is a collection of early Scottish works of art, which attracts experts from around the world. It is a national treasure, as important as lona, yet its historical importance has been neglected by the city fathers and the tourist industry. So much so, that 16 priceless stone carvings were scooped up and dumped as rubble. It seems incredible, but these symbols of our Christian heritage from more than a thousand years ago are virtually hidden, looked after by the minister and elders of Govan Parish Church. Few people knew about them. And the reason appears to be simply that no one knows about the people who created them, the Britonic people, who were the first Glaswegians. The belief is widely held that The when the Romans left Scotland, they turned off the lights, plunging us into centuries of barbarism known as the Dark Ages. Wrong. This was the time when the Kingdom of the Scots started to take shape with the blending of differing natio...