Scottish Tour Guide's Blog

This evening I am presenting some images taken during recent research for an ancestry tour.

Seedhill Road, Paisley is on old industrial/residential part of Paisley with a former textile mill (Anchor Mill) which has been converted to a business centre.

This is Seedhill Road with the former mill in the middle distance.

Once aspect of the former mill.
This is 19 Seedhill Road where the ancestor of my client lived at one time in the 1800s.
Seedhill Road and the mill.

Overall, I think its fair to say that Paisley is somewhat jaded and need to reinvent itself to re-capture the glory days of the 1800s boom town when the local textile industry reined supreme. Paisley has a great heritage, particularly the magnificent Abbey which is underrated and does not normally feature on the tourist trail.

On each visit I get a different appreciation of Paisley, with its fascinating industrial history, and may set up a dedicated web page in the future.

This evening I am presenting some images of my visit today to Paisley, near Glasgow.

Paisley was a boom town in the late 1800s and generated wealth on a large-scale textile industry the remains of which are still evident as in street names such as Gauze Street, Cotton Street and Linen Street.

The sun was shining which was good. The downside was that I had only my cellphone camera, so quality of images is not brilliant.

In the foreground of this image is the museum, art galleries and central library. In the background is the Thomas Coats Memorial Church.

Here is an image looking towards Gilmour Street Station

Here is an image of the Town Hall, a magnificent Victoria edifice reflecting the confidence of the era.

Here is the famous Abbey which dates back to 1163. The former priory became an abbey answerable to Rome in 1245. It is possible the William Wallace was educated at the Abbey.

Paisley is a vibrant place with lots of history and well worth a visit

This evening I am marshalling some images of historic Paisley Abbey

Paisley Abbey was founded in 1163 by Walter Fitzalan who became High Steward of Scotland. The original priory subsequently became an abbey which was dedicated to St.Mary, St James, St.Martin and St.Milburga. William Wallace of ‘Braveheart’ fame may have been educated at Paisley Abbey in the 13th century.

Marjory Bruce, daughter of Robert the Bruce died in the Abbey infirmary in 1326 but her unborn son, Robert survived and became the first of the Stewart dynasty from which the British royal family is descended.

The Abbey sits in the center of the historic textile town and is well worth a visit.