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Inchinnan (
Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...
: ''Innis Fhionghain'') is a small village in
Renfrewshire Renfrewshire () ( sco, Renfrewshire; gd, Siorrachd Rinn Friù) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Re ...
, Scotland. The village is located on the main A8 road between
Renfrew Renfrew (; sco, Renfrew; gd, Rinn Friù) is a town west of Glasgow in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is the historic county town of Renfrewshire. Called the "Cradle of the Royal Stewarts" for its early link with Scotland's form ...
and
Greenock Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowland ...
, just south east of the town of Erskine.


History

The name of Inchinnan village is derived from the
Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, an ...
word 'Innis', which means an island or low-lying land near a river or stream. The other part of the name is taken from
Saint Inan Saint Inan (Evan) was the patron saint of Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, where he is said to have resided during the 9th century AD. He is reputed to have come from Iona, and to have died in Irvine, where his tomb was reputed to have been the si ...
, a 9th-century
confessor Confessor is a title used within Christianity in several ways. Confessor of the Faith Its oldest use is to indicate a saint who has suffered persecution and torture for the faith but not to the point of death.Irvine. An ornamental cast iron enclosure near the ford protects "St Conval's Chariot" which is supposedly the stone that brought
Saint Conval In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Ortho ...
from Ireland to Inchinnan around 590, and a 12th-century church dedicated to Saint Conval was given to the
Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...
by
David I of Scotland David I or Dauíd mac Maíl Choluim (Modern: ''Daibhidh I mac haoilChaluim''; – 24 May 1153) was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians from 1113 to 1124 and later King of Scotland from 1124 to 1153. The youngest son of Malco ...
. Another church called 'Hallows Church' replaced it in 1900. The newer church was then replaced by part of the airfield at Abbotsinch. The latest church (Inchinnan Parish) is in the centre of the village. It contains burial stones possibly dating back to around the 9th century. In the same enclosure as St Conval's Chariot, "Argyll's Stone" was supposedly where the 9th Earl of Argyll rested when he was captured in 1685, before he was executed in Edinburgh on the Maiden. The confluence of the rivers Black Cart and White Cart is situated near Inchinnan. Travelers crossed by a ford and later by ferry. A stone bridge was built to cross the Black Cart and a
bascule bridge A bascule bridge (also referred to as a drawbridge or a lifting bridge) is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or leaf, throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic. It may be single- o ...
crosses the White Cart. In the 1700s there were quarries within the village. The quarries produced high quality freestone right up until the 1900s. In 1809-1812 stone from the quarries built the nearby Black and White Cart bridges. William Gilmour, farmer of Town of Inchinnan Farm, was the husband of Charlotte Gilmour who stood trial for his murder by arsenical poisoning in 1843.


Landmarks

The
bascule bridge A bascule bridge (also referred to as a drawbridge or a lifting bridge) is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or leaf, throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic. It may be single- o ...
at the border with
Renfrew Renfrew (; sco, Renfrew; gd, Rinn Friù) is a town west of Glasgow in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is the historic county town of Renfrewshire. Called the "Cradle of the Royal Stewarts" for its early link with Scotland's form ...
was replaced in 1923 by a
bascule bridge A bascule bridge (also referred to as a drawbridge or a lifting bridge) is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or leaf, throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic. It may be single- o ...
, which was made by Sir William Arrol & Company. It is still capable of opening, as the Doosan Babcock factory at Renfrew requires the capability to move large loads by river. The bridge crosses
White Cart Water The River Cart ( sco, River Cairt) is a tributary of the River Clyde, Scotland, which it joins from the west roughly midway between the towns of Erskine and Renfrew and opposite the town of Clydebank. The River Cart itself is very short, being ...
and onto the
River Clyde The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...
. Inchinnan hosts an art deco style
category A listed This is a list of Category A listed buildings in Scotland, which are among the listed buildings of the United Kingdom. For a fuller list, see the pages linked on List of listed buildings in Scotland. Key The organization of the lists in th ...
building called India of Inchinnan. It is the former office block of India Tyres factory which occupied the site from 1927 until the early 1980s. It has now been renovated into private offices. The company also built two groups of houses to accommodate its workers. These streets were called Allands Avenue and India Drive. Prior to its use as a tyre factory, the site was used by William Beardmore and Company to build
airships An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. In early ...
in
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
. Several airships, the No's R24, R27, R34 and the R36 were built on this site. The company built 52 houses in Inchinnan, at Beardmore Cottages, to house its workers. Inchinnan has a large industrial estate within the town. There are a few manufacturing companies left within the area. Some of the companies associated with Inchinnan past and present include: Reekie Machine Tools, Scot Tubes, Gas Measurement Instruments, Bairdswear, Armour Park, Metecno, Aulds and Rolls-Royce. M&Co (Mackays) has its head office at Caledonia House in the industrial estate. There is a bus depot in Inchinnan which belonged to Arriva Scotland West and before that
Western SMT Western Scottish Motor Traction Co. Limited was a bus operator in south-west Scotland from 1929 to 1985. The company was formed in 1929 by the renaming of Scottish General Transport Co. Ltd, after the British Electric Traction subsidiary forme ...
(later
Clydeside Scottish Clydeside Scottish Omnibuses Ltd was a bus operating subsidiary of the Scottish Transport Group formed in June 1985 from Western SMT Company Ltd. The company operated until May 1989, when it was remerged with Western Scottish, the successor com ...
). In December 2011, it was announced that Arriva had agreed to sell the company to the independent operator
McGill's Bus Services McGill's Bus Services is a bus operator based in Greenock, Scotland.spoil tip from a disused
ironstone Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical replacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron ore compound from which iron (Fe) can be smelted commercially. Not to be con ...
mine. This hillock is now covered with trees. The mine, known as the Blythswood mine was abandoned by 1875. A palace was situated within the village about 1506. It was built by Matthew, Lord Darnley, second
Earl of Lennox The Earl or Mormaer of Lennox was the ruler of the region of the Lennox in western Scotland. It was first created in the 12th century for David of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon and later held by the Stewart dynasty. Ancient earls The first ear ...
. Remains of the building known as ''Palace of Inchinnan'' could be seen up to 1710 but have now since been destroyed. It was situated on the border with Erskine; near to Flures Drive in Erskine. An inventory was made of the contents of the palace and chapel around the year 1570. The chapel goods included; two missals, statues of Jesus as a baby, the Virgin Mary and St Anne, with an ivory statue for the hanging chandelier. Wilhelmina Alexander, famous as
Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...
' 'The Bonnie Lass of Ballochmyle', is buried in the Old Inchinnan Cemetery near the Black Cart Water. The site has restricted access and is very overgrown. The Inchinnan Cruising club was established in 1932. It is sited east of the village. The disused Park or Fulton's Quay stands on the River Clyde in the parish of Inchinnan. It was used privately by the owners of Park House.


Education

Inchinnan Primary school is the only school within the village. It is a
non-denominational A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination. Overview The term has been used in the context of various faiths including Jainism, Baháʼí Fait ...
state school State schools (in England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand) or public schools ( Scottish English and North American English) are generally primary or secondary schools that educate all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in ...
. For secondary education the village falls within the
catchment area In human geography, a catchment area is the area from which a location, such as a city, service or institution, attracts a population that uses its services and economic opportunities. Catchment areas may be defined based on from where people are ...
of
Park Mains High School Park Mains High School is a secondary school in Erskine, Renfrewshire. It is one of the biggest schools in Scotland. As well as taking in students from the town it also enrolls them from the surrounding areas of Bishopton (including the new D ...
in Erskine. For Roman Catholic denomination education, the nearest primary school is St Anne's in Erskine and Trinity High School in Renfrew is the nearest secondary school. Inchinnan Community Nursery provides pre-school education within the village.


Transport

Inchinnan is served by Glasgow International Airport, which is located 2 km south of the town. The village has close links to the nearby M8 motorway and
Erskine Bridge The Erskine Bridge is a multi span cable-stayed box girder bridge spanning the River Clyde in west central Scotland. The bridge connects West Dunbartonshire with Renfrewshire and can be used by all types of motor vehicles, cyclists and pedestrian ...
. Inchinnan is serviced by
McGill's Bus Services McGill's Bus Services is a bus operator based in Greenock, Scotland.Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
, Paisley,
Renfrew Renfrew (; sco, Renfrew; gd, Rinn Friù) is a town west of Glasgow in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is the historic county town of Renfrewshire. Called the "Cradle of the Royal Stewarts" for its early link with Scotland's form ...
, Erskine,
Clydebank Clydebank ( gd, Bruach Chluaidh) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, it borders the village of Old Kilpatrick (with Bowling and Milton beyond) to the west, and the Yoker and Drumchapel ...
, Glasgow Airport.


Geography

Inchinnan is situated in the north east of Renfrewshire. It lies to the south of the
River Clyde The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...
and close to where the River Gryffe meets the River Cart. The village borders a number of nearby settlements, some separated by a rural hinterland.


Gallery

File:IMGP0444 Inshinnan Bridge v1.png, Black Cart Bridge File:Inchinnan Cruising Club - geograph.org.uk - 1159289.jpg, Inchinnan Cruising Club File:Arriva bus depot, Inchinnan - geograph.org.uk - 500843.jpg, Bus Depot File:Park Hall Nursery, Inchinnan - geograph.org.uk - 59835.jpg, Park Hall Nursery File:Main entrance to Rolls-Royce factory, Inchinnan - geograph.org.uk - 501223.jpg, Rolls-Royce Factory File:Town of Inchinnan Farm, Renfrewshire, Scotland.jpg, Town of Inchinnan Farm


References


Further reading

* Gregory, Donald (1881) ''The History of the Western Highlands and Isles of Scotland 1493 - 1625.'' Edinburgh. Birlinn. 2008 reprint - originally published by Thomas D. Morrison. * Johnson, Ian, (1993). ''Beardmore Built: The Rise and Fall of a Clydeside Shipyard''. Clydebank: Clydebank District Libraries & Museums Department. * Wool, Alex "The Age of the Sea-Kings: 900-1300" in Omand, Donald (ed.) (2006) ''The Argyll Book''. Edinburgh. Birlinn.


External links


FamilySearch - Inchinnan, Renfrewshire, Scotland
{{authority control Villages in Renfrewshire Erskine, Renfrewshire