VISITORS to historic Glasgow Cathedral will be charged an admission fee from April next year.

A petition criticising the decision has already been signed by more than 600 people.

And city council leader Gordon Matheson has now written to Historic Scotland's chief executive asking that the decision be scrapped.

His letter points out all the council's historic buildings and visitor attractions - including Kelvingrove, the Gallery of Modern Art and the Riverside museum - are all free.

The council boss said he has been contacted by a number of individuals who have expressed "significant concerns" over the entry fee plan.

His letter reads: "For well over 800 years now Glasgow Cathedral has been a place of worship and a welcoming place where both residents of Glasgow and visitors to the city can spend time enjoying our unique history or as a place for quiet prayer and reflection.

"The Cathedral is also used by both visitors to and patients of the neighbouring Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

"I share the concerns about the prospect of Glaswegians, including hospital patients and their families, being asked to pay a fee to enter the Cathedral.

"I would urge you to halt your proposals to charge for entry to Glasgow Cathedral."

The petition, a link to which can be found on the Glasgow Cathedral website, says admission to a building of such historic and religious significance is a civic and human right.

It goes on: "For more than 800 years, Glasgow's St Mungo's Cathedral has been serving its parish, city and country and has been freely open to all who wish to enter.

"If Glasgow Cathedral belongs to anyone it is to the people of Glasgow.

"It belongs to the congregation who regularly worships there and to the thousands of Scottish people from the city and the region who come with their organisations and families every year to their special services.

"Hundreds of thousands of international visitors also come every year.

"When they enter Glasgow Cathedral, the welcome they receive through access freely given reflects the humanity and warmth of a great city and country.

"Are they now to be made to pay to enter this building of national and international historic and religious significance.

"The cathedral belongs to all those who need somewhere for private thought when life is challenging, who seek solace or to leave their heart-breaking requests for help through prayer.

"Will Historic Scotland turn them away if they cannot pay?"

The petitioner, Mary Thomson, says she understands admission might be free on Sundays.

But she adds: "This would have the result of making the management of the experience of the expected even larger numbers of visitors and the pursuance of morning worship and evensong mutually difficult and uncomfortable."

A spokesman for Historic Scotland said: "We are investigating the possibility of charging for admission for visitors to Glasgow Cathedral.

"In line with many other cathedrals which perform a dual function as both a place of worship and a visitor attraction, any admission charge introduced would apply to visitors only and would not affect worshippers with any income generated from the introduction of a proposed admission charge reinvested into the Cathedral and the wider historic environment

"Discussions with the Church of Scotland and other interested parties are on-going."

vivienne.nicoll @eveningtimes.co.uk