Paisley is a large town situated 7 miles (11 km) W of Glasgow, and 53 miles (85 km) W of Edinburgh, Paisley is the largest town in Scotland. The town grew up around Oakshaw, on the west side of the White Cart river, a tributary of the Clyde, once declared dead from pollution, now teeming with life. A ford in the river, just downstream from the Hammills waterfall, provided the reason for the settlement’s beginnings, beside the church founded by the 6th century Celtic monk Saint Mirin. Later the Baron of Renfrew, Walter fitzAlan, founded a monastery close to the site, to celebrate his appointment as High Steward of Scotland. The magnificent Abbey church now dominates the scene as it has done for eight hundred years.

We are very fortunate to have had a rich and interesting history in our town, indeed the surrounding area has been at the heart of Scottish History for hundred of years.

Its growth in the early 19th century was primarily through textiles (printing, bleaching, cotton thread) The town’s weavers were highly skilled, weaving fine lawn and muslin, so were able to seize the opportunity when the intricately patterned Kashmir shawls imported by the East India Company became the height of fashion.
Paisley’s output soon dominated the market to the extent that the shawls and their traditional patterns became known throughout the English speaking world as paisleys. Later, huge thread mills supplied the world with sewing thread manufactured by the Coats and Clark companies.
These and other wealthy industrialists gifted to the town a magnificent legacy of public buildings which give an air of Victorian and Edwardian splendour to the streetscape.

In recent years, support for full city status has been gathering momentum. The town already meets the criteria for city status, boasting both a cathedral and a university.

We have a Cluniac Monastery which was built in 1163 "Paisley Abbey" a magnificent Baptist Cathedral "Coats memorial" and Paisley Town Hall which is an excellent example of Victorian architecture built in Renaissance style and prominently positioned at Paisley Cross among our fine buildings so come on what are you waiting for get down to one today and explore Paisley's fine heritage.

Notable buildings include the Paisley Town Hall (1879-82), Paisley Museum and Art Gallery, the Coats Observatory (1883), the John Neilson Institution (1849-52), Stanley Castle (15th century, in the Stanley Reservoir to the south of the town), the Sma' Shot Cottages, and St Mirin's Roman Catholic Cathedral.