Sabitlenmiş Tweet
Glasgow - A tale in many parts.
Part two.
When the Roman legions finally withdrew from Britain — only a few years after St Ninian’s visit — the little hill‑fort of Cathures (the future Glasgow) may once again have had to defend itself against the Picts pressing southward.
It is even possible that its garrison witnessed the passage of King Arthur himself — not the later medieval knight of romance, but the historic war‑leader described by Nennius. One can imagine Arthur descending the line of the Drygate, riding out from his fortress capital at Alcluid (modern Dumbarton Rock) on his way to the last great battle of his life: Camlan, near Falkirk, in AD 537, where he fell.
Six years after Arthur’s death, another figure destined for legend arrived at the same spot. This was Mungo (also known as Kentigern), son of:
Eugenius/Owain, Arthur’s nephew and successor, and
Theneu, sister of Medraut — Tennyson’s Modred — the man who had slain Arthur.
Mungo came to Cathures driving an ox‑cart carrying the body of a holy man named Fergus. He buried Fergus in the Christian ground consecrated by Ninian, and in the glen beside it he built a small wooden cell — a monk’s dwelling and oratory.
This little cell was called Eglais‑acha (“the church in the field”), a name that evolved into Glesca and finally Glasgow.
One of the most evocative moments of Mungo’s life here was the visit of Columba, the Irish missionary who had founded Iona twenty years after Mungo settled in Strathclyde. It is easy to picture the two men — Columba the gentle‑voiced Gael, Mungo the noble Briton — walking together along the banks of the Molendinar Burn, deep in conversation. When the time came to part, they exchanged their pastoral staffs as a sign of friendship.
After Mungo’s death, the story of Glasgow falls silent for nearly five centuries. The curtain rises again only when David, youngest son of Malcolm Canmore (the king who overthrew Macbeth), came to the region as Prince of Strathclyde — and began the transformation of Mungo’s humble monastic settlement into the medieval city.
---
This is one of those moments where legend, landscape, and archaeology line up so cleanly that you can walk Arthur’s supposed route on a modern map. What follows is a historically plausible reconstruction of Arthur’s march from Alcluid (Dumbarton Rock) to Camlan/Camelon (near Falkirk), passing directly through the line of the Drygate at early Glasgow.
This is not fantasy — it’s a route any late‑Roman Brittonic war‑leader would probably have taken.
Arthur’s Route: Alcluid → Drygate → Camelon (AD 537)
A historically grounded reconstruction
1. Alcluid (Dumbarton Rock) — Arthur’s Fortress Capital
Start point: The towering volcanic plug at the mouth of the Clyde. This was the capital of the Kingdom of Strathclyde, and the strongest fortress in northern Britain.
Arthur’s warband would leave by the eastern landward gate, descending into the valley of the River Leven.
2. Along the Clyde Valley to Old Kilpatrick
Arthur would follow the Roman military road that once linked: Dumbarton (Alcluid)
Old Kilpatrick (western end of the Antonine Wall)
This road hugs the north bank of the Clyde, a natural corridor.
3. Crossing the Clyde near Old Kilpatrick
There was no medieval bridge yet, but the Clyde here was:
narrower
shallower
fordable at low tide
Roman logistics depended on this crossing, so Arthur’s army would too.
4. Up onto the Antonine Wall Line
From Old Kilpatrick, the army would climb onto the Antonine Wall’s military road (the via militaris), which ran just behind the rampart.
This road leads eastward, straight toward Glasgow’s northern heights.
5. Descent toward Cathures (Glasgow Cathedral hill)
Approaching the future Glasgow, the Roman road bends southward.
Arthur’s column would descend toward the Brittonic stronghold of Cathures, passing:
the line of modern Castle Street
then onto Drygate, which is the Roman road alignment
This is the moment the passage imagines: Arthur riding down the Drygate toward the Clyde.
6. Crossing the Molendinar Burn
At the foot of the Drygate, the army would cross the Molendinar Burn, then a clear, fast stream in a wooded ravine.
This crossing lies near:
Wishart Street
Duke Street
7. Southward to the Clyde Fords (Saltmarket / Clyde Street)
Arthur would descend the steep slope (modern High Street → Saltmarket) to the fords of the Clyde.
This was the main crossing for centuries before any bridge existed.
8. Eastward Along the Clyde to Rutherglen
Once across, the army would follow the south bank of the Clyde, passing:
Oatlands
Rutherglen (an early royal site even in the 6th century)
This avoids the marshier ground north of the river.
9. Turning Northeast Toward the Carron Valley
From Rutherglen, the route climbs toward:
Cambuslang
Uddingston
Bothwell
Bellshill
Coatbridge
This line shadows the Roman road toward Bar Hill and Croy, then turns toward the Carron Valley.
10. Arrival at Camelon (near Falkirk)
Camelon was a major Roman fort complex on the Antonine frontier, controlling the approaches to the Forth.
This is the traditional site of Camlan, Arthur’s last battle.
end of part two.
Please note- This is my own personal viewpoint, it's how I interpret our history.
English
