Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Paisley (United Kingdom). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Paisley Abbey, Paisley Town Hall, and Coats Observatory. Also, be sure to include St Mirren Park in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Paisley (Scotland).
Table of Contents
Paisley Abbey
Monastery in Paisley, Scotland. Paisley Abbey is a parish church of the Church of Scotland on the east bank of the White Cart Water in the centre of the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, about 7 miles west of Glasgow, in Scotland. Its origins date from the 12th century, based on a former Cluniac monastery. Following the Reformation in the 16th century, it became a Church of Scotland parish kirk.[1]
Address: Abbey Close, PA1 1JG Paisley
Paisley Town Hall
City or town hall in Paisley, Scotland. Paisley Town Hall is a public hall in Abbey Close, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. The building, which is being converted into a centre for performing arts, is a Category A listed building.[2]
Coats Observatory
Public observatory in Paisley, Scotland. Coats Observatory is Scotland's oldest public observatory. It is currently closed for refurbishment as part of a 4-year long £42m transformation of the observatory and museum buildings. Located in Oakshaw Street West, Paisley, Renfrewshire, the observatory has been operational since 1 October 1883 and continues to function to this day, offering visitors the opportunity to view the night sky through the powerful telescopes housed within the building. The observatory is currently closed for redevelopment and is due to reopen in 2023.[3]
St Mirren Park
Arena in Paisley, Scotland. St Mirren Park, also known as The Simple Digital Arena and The SMISA Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Paisley, Scotland. It is the home of St Mirren. The stadium is the sixth home of the club and replaced Love Street.[4]
Address: St. Mirren Park 75 Greenhill Road, PA3 1RU Paisley
Thomas Coats Memorial Baptist Church
Event venue in Paisley, Scotland. Thomas Coats Memorial Baptist Church, colloquially known as the Baptist Cathedral of Europe, stands at the west end of the High Street in Paisley, Scotland. It has been a dominant feature of the Paisley skyline for over 100 years with its striking crown steeple rising to 60 metres above the ground. The church is a category A listed building.
A recent fundraising campaign helped save this stunning church from falling into disrepair. The venue will soon be renovated to accommodate an array of entertainment and private events.[5]
Address: High St, PA1 2BA Paisley
Barshaw Park
Park in Paisley, Scotland. Barshaw Park is public park in Paisley, Scotland. It has 55 acres of recreational parkland and garden areas which are open to the public.[6]
Address: 165 Glasgow Rd, PA1 3TJ Paisley
Fountain Gardens
Garden in Paisley, Scotland. Fountain Gardens is in Paisley, Scotland. It has recreational parkland and garden areas which are open to the public. The park is Paisley's oldest public gardens. Within the park is Grand Central Fountain, one of only three Category A listed fountains in Scotland.[7]
Stanely Castle
Castle in Paisley, Scotland. Stanely Castle is located in the waters of Stanely Reservoir, to the south of Paisley, Scotland, at the foot of the Gleniffer Braes. It was probably built in the early 15th century, on an island within a marsh. The castle is now a ruin. Since 1837 it has been partially submerged by the reservoir, and is completely inaccessible. When the water is drained it can be seen that the castle stands on a narrow promontory, which is connected to the reservoir bank on the southwest.[8]
Address: Stanely House 14 Stanely Crescent, Paisley
Paisley Museum and Art Galleries
Museum in Paisley, Scotland. Paisley Museum and Art Galleries is currently closed for refurbishment and is due to reopen 2023. It is a museum and public art gallery located in the town of Paisley and is run by Renfrewshire Council. It houses one of the largest municipal art collections in Scotland, including over 800 paintings.
The Museum and Art Galleries were gifted to the town of Paisley by the industrialist Sir Peter Coats in 1871. The building, which also houses Paisley Library and the Coats Observatory, was designed by Glasgow architect John Honeyman of the firm of Honeyman and Keppie. The first curator of the Museum was the entomologist Morris Young who remained in post until his death in 1897 leaving the Museum a bequest of £500 to be invested and the returns used to pay for the upkeep of the entomological collections and all his books. The museum has been extended on several occasions since it opened. There are plans for a revamp of the Museum to transform it into an "international-class destination" based around the Paisley's heritage story.
The art collection concentrates largely on works by late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century Scottish artists, such as the Glasgow School and the Scottish Colourists. In addition there is a contemporary collection which includes work by artists such as Steven Campbell and John Byrne, who was born in Paisley.
The museum houses a collection of objects and documents covering the local history of Paisley and Renfrewshire, especially the importance of the textiles industry, tracing the history of the luxury shawl industry which developed in Paisley. The museum has recreated the work and a weaving using a traditional hand loom can be seen on site It also contains an archaeological collection which includes objects from Ancient Egypt and Babylon and an extensive natural history collection, the museum also houses the local biological records centre.
One of the most important items in the Museum's collection is the Arbuthnott Missal which was presented to the Museum by another of the Coats family, Archibald. This missal is the only extant pre Reformation missal (liturgical book) of the Scottish Use and in 2007 it was awarded a prestigious top award in the British Library's Hidden Treasures Brought to Life competition.
The museum is currently closed to the public.[9]
Address: High Street, PA1 2BA Paisley
Abbey Bridge
Abbey Bridge is grade B listed road-bridge over the White Cart Water in the centre of Paisley in Scotland. It was erected in 1879, widened in 1933, and comprehensively restored in 2009.[10]
Glenburn
Glenburn is a large suburb situated to the south of Paisley, close to the Gleniffer Braes. Glenburn has three primary schools. A public library and many shops can be found at Skye Crescent. Other shops can be found in Glenburn on Braehead Road and Glenburn Road. Glenburn is also close to Foxbar, another suburb in Paisley.
A new agreement has been launched to help take forward the regeneration of Glenburn in Paisley. The Glenburn Estate Management Agreement brings together the community and a number of organisations to work together so that the area continues to improve for the benefit of the community.
Organisations involved in housing, regeneration, planning and environmental issues have pledged to deliver services to agreed standards. And the organisations involved have pledged that promoting community involvement developing services is "a priority."
Councillor Brian Lawson, Renfrewshire Council's previous housing spokesperson, welcomed the new agreement, saying: "The development of this agreement is a positive step for Glenburn. It's important that the council and other organisations working in the area have worked together to deliver agreed levels of service. It is equally important that the community of Glenburn plays its part in helping the agreement work properly for the benefit of everyone living in the area."
Shirley MacLean of Glenburn Community Forum and the local tenants' and residents' association said: "A lot of hard work, time and effort has gone into the production of this agreement. The estate management agreement will prove to be an invaluable tool for the people of Glenburn as it is full of relevant and very useful information together with contact details in one easy to read document. I'm sure that the benefits of the agreement will speak for themselves."
Among the services and issues which are covered in the estate management agreement are: housing; land maintenance; street cleaning; community policing; roads and pavements; utility services; and ways of enabling the community to have a greater responsibility for the local environment. Glenburn is the latest community in Renfrewshire to benefit from an estate management agreement following on from Ferguslie, Moorpark, Foxbar and West Johnstone.
Media related to Glenburn, Paisley at Wikimedia Commons[11]