Renfrewshire

One of Scotland's 32 council areas, Renfrewshire is home to more than a million people. It is one of three council areas that make up the historic county of Renfrewshire and can be found in the central west of Scotland, along with East Renfrewshire and Inverclyde. It is on the southern bank of the River Clyde and has common borders with Glasgow, North Ayrshire, and West Dunbartonshire.

Historic Renfrewshire, also known as the County of Renfrew and Greater Renfrewshire, dates back to the 16th century. Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, and East Renfrewshire are still considered part of the larger Renfrewshire for electoral registration and local tax valuation purposes, as well as for the purposes of the registration county and lieutenancy area.

The historic county town, the royal burgh of Renfrew, is located within the city of Paisley, the area's main settlement and the seat of local government.

History

Toponymy

Renfrew, the county town, has been around since the Romans occupied Britain, hence the county's name. Common Brittonic/Cumbric ren (as in Scottish Gaelic rinn) and frew (as in Welsh fraw or ffraud) are thought to be the source of the name (flow of water). This sounds like a spot on land close to a major waterway, like where the Cart and Clyde rivers meet.

Emergence as a county

From territory centered on the ancient lordship of Strathgryfe, King Robert III of Scotland created the county of Renfrew in 1402. This region was once a part of Lanarkshire. Historically, Paisley Abbey had jurisdiction over all of the churches in the surrounding towns and villages.

In accordance with the provisions of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, the County Building in Paisley serves as the seat of the Renfrewshire County Council, the governing body of the county.

Local government reform

The ancient county of Renfrewshire was split into the modern-day districts of Renfrew, Inverclyde, and Eastwood in the Strathclyde area of Scotland in 1973. Later, after the reform of local government in Scotland in 1996, new boundaries were drawn up for Renfrewshire, making it one of the 32 local council areas. East Renfrewshire was formed when Renfrew District and Eastwood District merged, bringing with them the communities of Barrhead, Neilston, and Uplawmoor.

Industry

The Industrial Revolution sparked a massive expansion of Paisley's textile industry in the 17th and 18th centuries. During that time, the shipbuilding sector benefited.

Dispute over the border with Glasgow

Since the Braehead shopping center was built in 1999 on land that belonged to both Renfrewshire and the City of Glasgow, the two jurisdictions have been at odds over who should be responsible for maintaining the boundary between the two. The original ancient boundary was preserved in 2002 when the boundary was redrew by the Local Government Boundary Commission to include all of the center in Renfrewshire. Along Kings Inch Drive, a chain link fence serves as a boundary.

Culture and community 

Multiple tourist attractions can be found in Renfrewshire. West of Renfrewshire, you can visit Castle Semple Loch in Lochwinnoch, as well as the larger Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, and south of the county, you can visit the Gleniffer Braes country park.

In addition to Paisley Abbey, the Paisley Museum and Coats Observatory, the Paisley Town Hall, the Coats Memorial Church, Sma' Shot Cottages, and St. Mirren Park are also located in the city of Paisley (home of St Mirren F.C.). Just outside of Paisley, the town of Elderslie boasts a monument to the Scottish knight William Wallace and the village of Kilbarchan is home to the Weaver's Cottage, both of which are maintained by the National Trust for Scotland. Famous landmarks in Johnstone include Johnstone Castle, Johnstone High Parish Church, and the museum found inside of a local supermarket.

The Braehead Arena is where the Scottish Rocks of the British Basketball League play their home games in Renfrewshire, not far from the city of Glasgow. The 2000 Ford World Curling Championships were also held at the arena.

Education

Previously known as the University of Paisley, the University of the West of Scotland is a young institution located in Renfrewshire that received its university status in 1992. There was a time when the Paisley Technical College and School of Art was a Central Institution or polytechnic. The Bell College in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire was merged with the university in 2007, and the UWS name was officially adopted in 2008. The university's main campus is still located in Paisley, but it now also has locations in Ayr and a joint campus in Dumfries.

About 20,000 students attend the Paisley Campus of West College Scotland each year to pursue further education. Locations in Inverclyde and West Dumbartonshire are also part of the college's infrastructure. 

Renfrewshire has 11 public high schools, 51 elementary schools, and 3 special education institutions.

Transport

Glasgow International Airport, located in Abbotsinch between Paisley and Renfrew, is Renfrewshire's largest and busiest airport. With its proximity to Glasgow and its airport, Renfrewshire has one of the busiest transportation networks in all of Scotland.

The airport is conveniently located near the end of the M8, a major highway that connects the northern and southern parts of Scotland and crosses the Erskine Bridge just east of Langbank.

The removal of tolls on the Erskine Bridge, plans to extend the rail network to connect to the airport, and the extension of the M74—which will handle traffic from Renfrewshire heading south and divert it away from the heart of Glasgow—have all been implemented to improve traffic flow. Renfrewshire is serviced by a number of bus companies, including FirstGroup, McGill's Bus Services, and a few others.