Scottish Tour Guide's Blog

Anchor Mill, Paisley, Scotland

This morning I took the opportunity to visit the town of Paisley near Glasgow.

Paisley has a long and proud history, possibly dating back to the Roman era. The town was at the forefront of the industrial revolution with a special emphasis on textiles -te famous Paisley Pattern and thread making, with latter employing tens of thousands at its 19th C peak. The textile industry generated huge wealth which filtered down into the construction of (a) a stunning Baptist ‘Cathedral’ and (b) a magnificent Town Hall.  Here is a video clip of the Abbey and Town Hall.

For the visitor there  is a diversity of architecture and places to visit which include a 13th century Abbey, former textile mills, Coats Baptist Church and much more including a statue to local church ministerJohn Witherspoon who was a signatory to the American Decalaration of Independence. The musuem is well endowed with a wide range of exhibits (incl textile hertiage) and close by is a 19th century observatory.

Paisley is actually home to Glasgow Airport but few tourists actually visit . As a faded industrial town Paisley has low self esteem and does not seem to position itself to receive volumes of visitors. From time to time I provide small group tours of the town which inavariably receive positive feedback.

This the Russell Institute featuring 1920s architecture. Built as a child welfare clinic.

Russell Institute, Paisley, Scotland

 Street name reflecting textile industry history.

Shuttle Street, Paisley, Scotland

Architectural Detail, Russell Institute, Paisley

 Statue of John Witherspoon of Paisley who was a signatory to the American Declaration of Independence.

Witherspoon Statue, Paisley, Scotland

 Coats Memorial Church aka ‘Baptist Cathedral of Europe’. Financed by wealth of the Coats textile family.

Coats Memorial Baptist Church, Paisley, Scotland

 Paisley Museum, the first publicly run museum in Scotland. Holds the world’s finest collection of Paisley shawls.

Museum, Paisley, Scotland

War Memorial, Paisley, Scotland

 Well kept central square of Paisley.

Paisley Town Centre, Scotland

 Paisley Town Hall. Financed by the wealthy Clark textile family.

Town Hall, Paisley, Scotland

 Paisley Abbey, founded 1163 and restored in the 14th century.

13th C Paisley Abbey, Scotland

Baptist Cathedral, Paisley, Scotland

This morning, I collected guests from their Glasgow hotel and then proceeded to nearby Paisley to research family history.

First stop was Hawkhead Cemetery where we finally located the grave stone of Annie Brown McLaren who died March 15th 1922. This was a great source of satisfaction to all concerned as this particular marker had proved elusive.

Next we embarked on a walking tour of Paisley taking in:

• 13th century Abbey
• Main High Street and shopping area.
• Baptist Cathedral
• Museum
• Observatory
• Witherspoon Statue
• Laigh Kirk
• Anchor Mill
• Threadmill Museum

Paisley Abbey, Paisley, Scotland

Inside Paisley Abbey, Paisley, Scotland

Next we visited Paisley sites associated with guest’s personal ancestry including:

• Underwood Lane
• Sutherland Street
• Garthland Lane/Place
• Cochran Street

Sutherland St, Paisley, Scotland

Garthland Lane, Paisley, Scotland

After concluding our Paisley visit and with time to spare we drove to nearby Glasgow where we visited the Cathedral and Necropolis.

Inside Glasgow Cathedral, Scotland

Overall, a productive day aided by reasonably sunny weather.

 Today, Christmas Day 2010, I decided to take advantage of the weather ( sub -zero but dry) to cycle over to Paisley and obtain some images of the town centre in midst of extreme cold spell. This jaunt proved a success, the results of which are provided below.

Paisley is often overlooked as a visitor destination which is unfortunate considering the extensive history packed into a relatively small area. However, I am working on two personal ancestry themed tours of Paisley for 2011.  Paisley’s main claim to fame is as the centre of the textile industry in the 19th and 20th centuries which has left a legacy today of former mill buildings which have since converted to other uses. Paisley’s hand loom weavers were highly skilled and were able to develop the famous Paisley design from the intricately patterned Kashmir shawls imported by the East India Company. Huge wealth and employment was generated by the textile businesses which was focused on such famous names as Coats and Clark both of which families being benevolent and philanthropic employers.

Below is an image of Paisley Abbey which dates from 1163. It was originally established as a Priory subsequently became an abbey answerable to Rome in 1245. It is possible that William Wallace aka ‘Braveheart’ was educated here.

Historic Paisley Abbey

 Here is one of the remaining textile mills on the White Cart. This building now houses a mix of business and residential accommodation. Quite impressive in the semi-frozen environment.

Close by I found a wildlife photographer with a huge long lens on the alert for an otter which is know to inhabit the waters.

Anchor Mill on Christmas Day

 Here is the Town Hall dating from Victorian times. it was originally financed by the Clark textile family and reflects the power and confidence of that era when Paisley was an industrial ‘boom town’.

Paisley Town Hall on Christmas Day

 The White Cart runs through the centre of Paisley. Today it was almost completely frozen over reflecting the very cold temperatures we have experienced of late.

Frozen White Cart

 Here is another view of the Anchor Mill in its icy surroundings.

Winter Scene at Anchor Mill

Overall, a productive trip. Arrived home cold and hungry!