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Neilston ( sco, Neilstoun, gd, Baile Nèill, ) is a village and
parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
in
East Renfrewshire East Renfrewshire ( sco, Aest Renfrewshire; gd, Siorrachd Rinn Friù an Ear) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. Until 1975, it formed part of the county of Renfrewshire for local government purposes along with the modern council areas of ...
in the west
central Lowlands The Central Lowlands, sometimes called the Midland Valley or Central Valley, is a geologically defined area of relatively low-lying land in southern Scotland. It consists of a rift valley between the Highland Boundary Fault to the north and ...
of Scotland. It is in the Levern Valley, southwest of
Barrhead Barrhead ( sco, Baurheid, gd, Ceann a' Bharra) is a town in East Renfrewshire, Scotland, southwest of Glasgow city centre on the edge of the Gleniffer Braes. At the 2011 census its population was 17,268. History Barrhead was formed when ...
, south of Paisley, and south-southwest of
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 former ...
, at the southwestern fringe of the Greater Glasgow conurbation. Neilston is a dormitory village with a resident population of just over 5,000 people. Neilston is mentioned in documents from the 12th century, when the feudal lord Robert de Croc, endowed a chapel to Paisley Abbey to the North. Neilston Parish Church—a
Category B listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
—is said to be on the site of this original chapel and has been at the centre of the community since 1163. Little remains of the original structure. Before
industrialisation Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econo ...
, Neilston was a scattered farming settlement composed of a series of single-storey houses, many of them
thatched Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, water reed, sedge (''Cladium mariscus''), rushes, heather, or palm branches, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner roof. Since the bulk of ...
. Some domestic weaving was carried out using local flax. Water power from nearby streams ground corn and provided a suitable environment for bleaching the flax. The urbanisation and development of Neilston came largely with the
Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...
. Industrial scale
textile processing Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods ...
was introduced to Neilston around the middle of the 18th century with the building of several
cotton mill A cotton mill is a building that houses spinning (textiles), spinning or weaving machinery for the production of yarn or cloth from cotton, an important product during the Industrial Revolution in the development of the factory system. Althou ...
s. Neilston became a centre for cotton and
calico Calico (; in British usage since 1505) is a heavy plain-woven textile made from unbleached, and often not fully processed, cotton. It may also contain unseparated husk parts. The fabric is far coarser than muslin, but less coarse and thick than ...
bleaching and printing in the 18th century, which developed into a spinning and dying industry, and continued into the early 20th century. Although Neilston is known as a former milling village,
agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
has played, and continues to play, an economic role. The annual Neilston Agricultural Show is an important trading and cultural event for farmers from southwest Scotland each spring. Although
heavy industry Heavy industry is an industry that involves one or more characteristics such as large and heavy products; large and heavy equipment and facilities (such as heavy equipment, large machine tools, huge buildings and large-scale infrastructure); o ...
died out in the latter half of the 20th century, as part of Scotland's densely populated
Central Belt The Central Belt of Scotland is the area of highest population density within Scotland. Depending on the definition used, it has a population of between 2.4 and 4.2 million (the country's total was around 5.4 million in 2019), including Great ...
, Neilston has continued to grow as a
commuter village A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...
, supported by its position between Paisley and
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 popul ...
, from roughly 1,000 people in 1800 to 5,168 in 2001. Expansion continues due to several new housing developments.


History

Local historians have proposed various theories for the origin of the name Neilston. Although the first element is likely to derive from either 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, and Ca ...
forename "Niall" (
genitive In grammar, the genitive case (abbreviated ) is the grammatical case that marks a word, usually a noun, as modifying another word, also usually a noun—thus indicating an attributive relationship of one noun to the other noun. A genitive can al ...
"Nèill") or else from the French ''Nigel'', there is disagreement as to whether the second element represents the English "stone" or "town". The earliest mention of Neilston is in the ''Chartulary of Paisley Abbey'', which mentions that the
Anglo-Norman Anglo-Norman may refer to: *Anglo-Normans, the medieval ruling class in England following the Norman conquest of 1066 * Anglo-Norman language **Anglo-Norman literature * Anglo-Norman England, or Norman England, the period in English history from 10 ...
knight, Robert Croc of ''Crocstown'' ( Crookston), assigned the patronage of ''Neilstoun'' to the monks of St Mirren's in 1163, on condition that masses should be regularly said for the benefit of his soul.
G. W. S. Barrow Geoffrey Wallis Steuart Barrow (28 November 1924 – 14 December 2013) was a Scottish historian and academic. The son of Charles Embleton Barrow and Marjorie née Stuart, Geoffrey Barrow was born on 28 November 1924, at Headingley near Leeds. ...
suggested that the settlement may be identified with the follower of
Walter fitz Alan Walter FitzAlan (1177) was a twelfth-century English baron who became a Scottish magnate and Steward of Scotland. He was a younger son of Alan fitz Flaad and Avelina de Hesdin. In about 1136, Walter entered into the service of David I, King of ...
, Lord of
Kyle Kyle or Kyles may refer to: Places Canada * Kyle, Saskatchewan, Canada Ireland * Kyle, County Laois * Kyle, County Wexford Scotland * Kyle, Ayrshire, area of Scotland which stretched across parts of modern-day East Ayrshire and South Ayrshir ...
and Strathgryfe (and
liege lord Homage (from Medieval Latin , lit. "pertaining to a man") in the Middle Ages was the ceremony in which a feudal tenant or vassal pledged reverence and submission to his feudal lord, receiving in exchange the symbolic title to his new position (inv ...
of Robert Croc), named ''Nigel de Cotentin''. Despite this, some writers have given etymological explanations which post-date 1163. For instance, it has been written that "Neil" was a
General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
of King Haakon IV of Norway, who, fleeing from the
Battle of Largs The Battle of Largs (2 October 1263) was a battle between the kingdoms of Norway and Scotland, on the Firth of Clyde near Largs, Scotland. Through it, Scotland achieved the end of 500 years of Norse Viking depredations and invasions despite bei ...
(1263), was overtaken in this locality and put to death. According to the custom of the age a
burial mound Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...
was supposedly erected over his grave and the locality ultimately received the name of the General. In a similar semi-legendary
popular etymology A false etymology (fake etymology, popular etymology, etymythology, pseudo-etymology, or par(a)etymology) is a popular but false belief about the origin or derivation of a specific word. It is sometimes called a folk etymology, but this is also a ...
, Neilston's origin was said to derive from a stone erected over the grave of a
Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...
chief named Neil who was allegedly killed at the
Battle of Harlaw The Battle of Harlaw ( gd, Cath Gairbheach) was a Scottish clan battle fought on 24 July 1411 just north of Inverurie in Aberdeenshire. It was one of a series of battles fought during the Middle Ages between the barons of northeast Scotland a ...
(1411), in the reign of
King James I of Scotland James I (late July 139421 February 1437) was King of Scots from 1406 until his assassination in 1437. The youngest of three sons, he was born in Dunfermline Abbey to King Robert III of Scotland, Robert III and Annabella Drummond. His older bro ...
. Before its recorded history began, and possibly before its founding, the territory of what became Neilston is known to have formed part of the ancient
Kingdom of Strathclyde Strathclyde (lit. "Strath of the River Clyde", and Strað-Clota in Old English), was a Brittonic successor state of the Roman Empire and one of the early medieval kingdoms of the Britons, located in the region the Welsh tribes referred to as Yr ...
. Evidence attests that Neilston is much older than its larger neighbour
Barrhead Barrhead ( sco, Baurheid, gd, Ceann a' Bharra) is a town in East Renfrewshire, Scotland, southwest of Glasgow city centre on the edge of the Gleniffer Braes. At the 2011 census its population was 17,268. History Barrhead was formed when ...
, as the first recorded mention of Barrhead was almost 600 years after Neilston's mention in the ''Chartulary of Paisley Abbey'' of 1163. The
chartulary A cartulary or chartulary (; Latin: ''cartularium'' or ''chartularium''), also called ''pancarta'' or ''codex diplomaticus'', is a medieval manuscript volume or roll ('' rotulus'') containing transcriptions of original documents relating to the f ...
dealt with the foundation of the Clunaic Monastery in Paisley and its relationship to a chapel in Neilston, which were both answerable to
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
via the Clunaic Movement. Because of its chapel, which later became a parish church, Neilston was the most important settlement in the Levern Valley and much of rural
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 Renfr ...
. In the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
Neilston's position in the Barrhead Gap, a pass linking
Ayrshire Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of Re ...
to
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 popul ...
, gave it strategic importance. Robert Croc may have had a fort or
watchtower A watchtower or watch tower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to ...
at Coldoun in Neilston in the 12th century. "Doun" is a corruption of "
dun A dun is an ancient or medieval fort. In Ireland and Britain it is mainly a kind of hillfort and also a kind of Atlantic roundhouse. Etymology The term comes from Irish language, Irish ''dún'' or Scottish Gaelic ''dùn'' (meaning "fort"), ...
" meaning castle or fort, and the prefix perhaps implies the lack of physical warmth within the tower or the greeting received by unwelcome guests. Despite this distinction of local importance, Neilston remained a scattered community of small dwellings and farms, changing only with the arrival of the
Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...
. In the 17th century Neilston shared in a national hysteria about
witchcraft Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...
that plagued Scotland. In 1650 a number of people from
Inverkip Inverkip (Scottish Gaelic: ''Inbhir Chip'') is a village and parish in the Inverclyde council area and historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland, southwest of Greenock and north of Largs on the A78 trunk road. Th ...
, Linwood and Neilston were accused of witchcraft. However, they passed certain tests which would disprove them to be witches. In 1697, Christian Shaw of
Lambroughton Lambroughton is a village in the old Barony of Kilmaurs, Scotland. This is a rural area famous for its milk and cheese production and the Ayrshire or Dunlop breed of cattle. Although Kilmaurs is in the council area of East Ayrshire, Lambrought ...
succeeded in convincing a Minister that she was a victim of witchcraft. A Commission of Enquiry, which included the
Laird Laird () is the owner of a large, long-established Scottish estate. In the traditional Scottish order of precedence, a laird ranked below a baron and above a gentleman. This rank was held only by those lairds holding official recognition in ...
of Glanderston, was appointed to investigate. As a result of the investigation, later known as the
Paisley Witch Trials The Paisley witches, also known as the Bargarran witches or the Renfrewshire witches, were tried in Paisley, Renfrewshire, central Scotland, in 1697. Eleven-year-old Christian Shaw, daughter of the Laird of Bargarran, complained of being torm ...
, four women and three men were arrested and eventually condemned to death and executed at Paisley. The Minister of Neilston Church, the Reverend David Brown, officiated at the
hanging Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging i ...
; he preached to them before the execution "beseeching them to turn to God, God having exercised a great deal of long-suffering towards them". The foundations of a textile industry in Neilston were laid by the monks of Paisley Abbey who mastered the local woollen trade in the Middle Ages. Neilston became a centre for cotton and
calico Calico (; in British usage since 1505) is a heavy plain-woven textile made from unbleached, and often not fully processed, cotton. It may also contain unseparated husk parts. The fabric is far coarser than muslin, but less coarse and thick than ...
bleaching and printing in the 18th century. This developed into a spinning and dying industry and continued into the early 20th century.
Bleachfield A bleachfield or bleaching green was an open area used for spreading cloth on the ground to be purified and whitened by the action of the sunlight. Bleaching fields were usually found in and around mill towns in Great Britain and were an integral ...
s and textile processing brought rapid
socioeconomic Socioeconomics (also known as social economics) is the social science that studies how economic activity affects and is shaped by social processes. In general it analyzes how modern societies progress, stagnate, or regress because of their local ...
growth to the village. Neilston was one of the earliest centres of
textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution Textile manufacture during the British Industrial Revolution was centred in south Lancashire and the towns on both sides of the Pennines in the United Kingdom. The main drivers of the Industrial Revolution were textile manufacturing, iron foundi ...
; the process of bleaching linens was introduced into Neilston in 1765, and a mill in the parish was the second erected in Scotland. By 1780, cotton manufacturing and bleaching had become the main industry in Neilston; the clear busy waters of the
River Levern The Levern Water, ( gd, Uisge Labharain) is a small river in East Renfrewshire and Glasgow, Scotland. It rises in the Long Loch, and flows generally north and east, past the towns of Neilston and Barrhead, for a total distance of . It empties in ...
being well suited for power and processing. In the '' "Old" Statistical Account of Scotland'' (1792), compiled under the direction of Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster, Neilston was noted to have two
cotton mill A cotton mill is a building that houses spinning (textiles), spinning or weaving machinery for the production of yarn or cloth from cotton, an important product during the Industrial Revolution in the development of the factory system. Althou ...
s employing together more than 300 people, over half of them children. The local Minister was concerned for the children's welfare, remarking on how they missed school to work in the mills where their lungs would be filled with cotton fluff and their skin spoiled by machine oil. Crofthead Mill (known locally as ''Neilston Mill'') was established in 1792. It was one of seven large cotton mills on the banks of the River Levern between Neilston and Dovecothall, and although it closed for business in the early 1990s, it is the only industrial structure from this period still standing. Because of the large size of the complex, coupled with its short distance from the main residential core of Neilston, it was described in 1830, at the peak of the industry's prosperity, as "a little town of its self". Other mills and factories have existed but have been demolished, however Broadlie Mill from around 1792 is currently still a working site now called Clyde Leather and Gateside village now mainly a residential area with no signs of the Spinning Mill. Following its period of rapid
industrialisation Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econo ...
, in 1904 about 400 mill houses were constructed forming Lintmill Terrace and its neighbouring streets in what was then the non-
contiguous Contiguity or contiguous may refer to: *Contiguous data storage, in computer science *Contiguity (probability theory) *Contiguity (psychology) *Contiguous distribution of species, in biogeography *Geographic contiguity of territorial land *Contigu ...
Holehouse area of the Parish of Neilston. Additional housing schemes in the 1920s and 1930s led to Holehouse and old Neilston becoming a single continuously connected urban area, described as that of a "sizable small township". Since this time, much rebuilding and further expansion has taken place.
Gentrification Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and urban planning, planning. Gentrification ...
projects since 2000 have included the refurbishment of the parish church in 2004, an experimental
public space A public space is a place that is open and accessible to the general public. Roads (including the pavement), public squares, parks, and beaches are typically considered public space. To a limited extent, government buildings which are open to ...
renewal initiative in 2005 and the renovation of Nether Kirkton House, a mansion.


Governance

Neilston is represented by several tiers of elected government. Neilston Community Council forms the lowest tier of governance whose statutory role is to communicate local opinion to local and central government. It is one of ten
community councils A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain. In England they may be statutory Parish councils in England, parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may ...
of the
East Renfrewshire East Renfrewshire ( sco, Aest Renfrewshire; gd, Siorrachd Rinn Friù an Ear) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. Until 1975, it formed part of the county of Renfrewshire for local government purposes along with the modern council areas of ...
council area {{Unreferenced, date=May 2019, bot=noref (GreenC bot) A council area is one of the areas defined in Schedule 1 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 and is under the control of one of the local authorities in Scotland created by that Act. ...
. East Renfrewshire Council, the unitary
local authority Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...
for Neilston, is based at
Giffnock Giffnock (; sco, Giffnock; gd, Giofnag, ) is a town and the administrative centre of East Renfrewshire in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies east of Barrhead, east-southeast of Paisley and northwest of East Kilbride, at the south ...
, close to the border with the
City of Glasgow Glasgow City Council is the local government authority for the City of Glasgow, Scotland. It was created in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, largely with the boundaries of the post-1975 City of Glasgow district of th ...
, and is the
executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...
, deliberative and
legislative A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known as p ...
body responsible for local governance. The
Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...
is responsible for devolved matters such as
education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...
,
health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
and
justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...
, while
reserved matters In the United Kingdom, devolved matters are the areas of public policy where the Parliament of the United Kingdom has Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved its legislative power to the national assemblies of Scotland, Wales and Northern I ...
are dealt with by the
Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprema ...
. The territory of what became Neilston anciently formed part of the
Kingdom of Strathclyde Strathclyde (lit. "Strath of the River Clyde", and Strað-Clota in Old English), was a Brittonic successor state of the Roman Empire and one of the early medieval kingdoms of the Britons, located in the region the Welsh tribes referred to as Yr ...
. It has lain within the county boundaries of
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 Renfr ...
from a very early time. Neilston emerged as a
parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
and administrative unit in 1170, and was for many years under the
lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or ar ...
ship of the Mures of Caldwell whose tombs are at the parish church. The parish was in length and by from in breadth, encompassing six sevenths of what is now the town of
Barrhead Barrhead ( sco, Baurheid, gd, Ceann a' Bharra) is a town in East Renfrewshire, Scotland, southwest of Glasgow city centre on the edge of the Gleniffer Braes. At the 2011 census its population was 17,268. History Barrhead was formed when ...
. Neilston Parish Council, a local body with limited power, was established in 1895, following the
Local Government (Scotland) Act 1894 The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1894 (57 & 58 Vict. c. 58) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It created a Local Government Board for Scotland, and replaced existing parochial boards with parish councils. Part I of the ac ...
, and abolished in 1930 following the
Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 (19 & 20 Geo 5 c. 25) reorganised local government in Scotland from 1930, introducing joint county councils, large and small burghs and district councils. The Act also abolished the Scottish poor law syst ...
. In 1890, Neilston fell under the authority of Renfrewshire
County Council A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries. Ireland The county councils created under British rule in 1899 continue to exist in Irela ...
, where it remained until 1975 when the county was superseded by the regional council area of
Strathclyde Strathclyde ( in Gaelic, meaning "strath (valley) of the River Clyde") was one of nine former local government regions of Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and abolished in 1996 by the Local Government et ...
. In 1903, Neilston was within the Paisley Small Debt Court District and Poor Combination. From 1975 to 1996, Neilston was in the
Renfrew District Renfrew District ( gd, Sgìre Rinn Friù) was one of nineteen local government districts in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, which existed between 1975 and 1996.regions and districts of Scotland In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
were abolished. Since 1996 it has formed part of the
unitary Unitary may refer to: Mathematics * Unitary divisor * Unitary element * Unitary group * Unitary matrix * Unitary morphism * Unitary operator * Unitary transformation * Unitary representation * Unitarity (physics) * ''E''-unitary inverse semigrou ...
East Renfrewshire council area; East Renfrewshire Council is the local authority. Neilston remains part of Renfrewshire for purposes of
registration Register or registration may refer to: Arts entertainment, and media Music * Register (music), the relative "height" or range of a note, melody, part, instrument, etc. * ''Register'', a 2017 album by Travis Miller * Registration (organ), th ...
and Lieutenancy. Neilston forms part of the multi member ward 1 of East Renfrewshire Council, namely Neilston, Uplawmoor and Newton Mearns North. Four Councillors are elected using the proportional Single Transferable Vote (STV) system. The current elected members are Charlie Gilbert (Conservative) Paul O'Kane (Labour) Elaine Green (Labour) and Tony Buchanan (SNP). Neilston is part of the
county constituency In the United Kingdom (UK), each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one member to the House of Commons. Within the United Kingdom there are five bodies with members elected by electoral districts called "constituenc ...
of
East Renfrewshire East Renfrewshire ( sco, Aest Renfrewshire; gd, Siorrachd Rinn Friù an Ear) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. Until 1975, it formed part of the county of Renfrewshire for local government purposes along with the modern council areas of ...
, electing one
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
(MP) to the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
of the
Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprema ...
.
Kirsten Oswald Kirsten Frances Oswald (born 21 December 1972) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who served as the SNP Deputy Westminster Leader from 2020 to 2022. First elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for East Renfrewshire in 2015, she w ...
of the
Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...
was elected as MP for
East Renfrewshire (UK Parliament constituency) East Renfrewshire (known as Eastwood (UK Parliament constituency), Eastwood from 1983 until 2005) is a United Kingdom constituencies, constituency of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, to the south of Glasgow, Scotlan ...
in the 2019 general election. Before the constituency's creation in
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, Neilston lay in the
Eastwood Eastwood may refer to: Places ;in Australia *Eastwood, New South Wales **Eastwood railway station **Electoral district of Eastwood *Eastwood, South Australia ;in Canada * Eastwood, Ontario *Eastwood, Edmonton, Alberta, a neighborhood ;in the Ph ...
constituency. For purposes of the
Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...
, Neilston forms part of the Renfrewshire South Constituency, represented by Tom Arthur of the
Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...
. In addition to this Neilston is represented by seven regional MSPs from the West of Scotland electoral region.


Geography

At (55.784°, -4.423°) Neilston is in Scotland's
Central Lowlands The Central Lowlands, sometimes called the Midland Valley or Central Valley, is a geologically defined area of relatively low-lying land in southern Scotland. It consists of a rift valley between the Highland Boundary Fault to the north and ...
. The community is above
sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...
, southwest of Barrhead town centre, south of Paisley, west of Newton Mearns and southwest of Glasgow. The
River Levern The Levern Water, ( gd, Uisge Labharain) is a small river in East Renfrewshire and Glasgow, Scotland. It rises in the Long Loch, and flows generally north and east, past the towns of Neilston and Barrhead, for a total distance of . It empties in ...
flows to the west of the town and under the iconic Crofthead Mill. The river itself has its source at nearby Long Loch. It flows eastwards through Neilston towards Barrhead, before flowing into the White Cart Water. The
topography Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...
of the areas around Neilston are varied. To the east, the land is relatively flat, but to the south and west it is steeper, rising to heights of above the level 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 ...
. The highest points in the surrounding areas are
Neilston Pad Neilston Pad, referred to locally as ''The Pad'', is a distinctive hill in East Renfrewshire, situated a mile (1.5 km) south of the village of Neilston. Its highest point is and is characterised by a relatively flat summit plateau surroun ...
and the Corkendale-law, at about above sea level, respectively.
Neilston Pad Neilston Pad, referred to locally as ''The Pad'', is a distinctive hill in East Renfrewshire, situated a mile (1.5 km) south of the village of Neilston. Its highest point is and is characterised by a relatively flat summit plateau surroun ...
is characterised by a craggy face on its eastern side. Between these hills is the valley of the River Levern. In this valley is the A736 to Barrhead. The soil in the eastern parts of Neilston is a dry
loam Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–sil ...
, occasionally intermixed with gravel. The soil in the hills near Neilston is considered to be largely infertile, whilst to the south and southwest there is an expansive moorland which extends as far as
Darvel Darvel ( sco, Dairvel, gd, Darbhail) is a small town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It is at the eastern end of the Loudoun, Irvine Valley and is sometimes referred to as "The Lang Toon" ( en, the Long Town). The town's Latin motto, , means "No ...
and
Strathaven Strathaven (; from gd, Strath Aibhne ) is a historic market town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland and is the largest settlement in Avondale. It is south of Hamilton. The Powmillon Burn runs through the town centre, and joins the Avon Water to the ...
. The local
geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ear ...
is represented by
basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
. The surrounding landscape is dominated by Duncarnock, the resistant core of an ancient and long extinct volcano, known locally as 'the Craigie'. Neilston experiences a
temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...
maritime climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...
, like much of the
British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...
, with relatively cool summers and mild winters. Regular but generally light precipitation occurs throughout the year. There is also a spring nearby. Neilston's town centre is characterised by its mixture of 19th and 20th century detached cottages, single and two-story buildings. Several mansion houses were built for the owners of former mills and factories. Many of Neilston's dwellings are painted in whites or ivories. In his book ''Ordnance Survey of Scotland'' (1884),
Francis Hindes Groome Francis Hindes Groome (30 August 1851 – 24 January 1902), son of Robert Hindes Groome, Archdeacon of Suffolk, was a writer and foremost commentator of his time on the Romani people, their language, life, history, customs, beliefs, and lore. Li ...
remarked that Neilston "presents an old-fashioned yet neat and compact appearance", a view echoed by Hugh McDonald in ''Rambles Round Glasgow'' (1910), who stated that Neilston "is a compact, neat, and withal somewhat old-fashioned little township", although continued that it has "few features calling for special remark". It is frequently described as a quiet dormitory village, although some sources from around the turn of the 20th century describe Neilston as a town. Neilston is not contiguous with any other settlement, and according to the
General Register Office for Scotland The General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) ( gd, Oifis Choitcheann a' Chlàraidh na h-Alba) was a non-ministerial directorate of the Scottish Government that administered the registration of births, deaths, marriages, divorces and adopti ...
, does not form part of
Greater Glasgow Greater Glasgow is an urban settlement in Scotland consisting of all localities which are physically attached to the city of Glasgow, forming with it a single contiguous urban area (or conurbation). It does not relate to municipal government ...
, despite being very close. The Killoch Burn and glen, on the other side of the Levern northwest of Neilston are associated with witches, because at low water the numerous pot-holes or
rock-cut basin A rock-cut basin is a natural cylindrical depression cut into stream or river beds, often filled with water. Such plucked-bedrock pits are created by kolks; powerful vortices within the water currents which spin small boulders around, eroding out ...
s have worn into one another, giving the area an unusual shape. Locals named some of these the witch's floor, hearth, cradle, water-stoup and grave.


Demography

According to the
United Kingdom Census 2001 A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194. The 2001 UK census was organised by the Office for National ...
, the census locality (village and sub-area) of Neilston had a total resident population of 5,168, or 6% of the total of East Renfrewshire. This figure, combined with an area of , provides Neilston with a
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
figure of . This is higher than the average population density of Scotland (at ) and nearby Glasgow (at ). The
median In statistics and probability theory, the median is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample, a population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as "the middle" value. The basic fe ...
age of males and females living in Neilston was 37 and 38 years respectively, compared to 37 and 39 years for those in the whole of Scotland. Forty six percent were married, 3.2% were
cohabiting Cohabitation is an arrangement where people who are not married, usually couples, live together. They are often involved in a romantic or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term or permanent basis. Such arrangements have become increas ...
couples, 11.3% were lone parent families and 25.5% of households were made up of individuals. The place of birth of the village's residents was 98.5% United Kingdom (including 94% from Scotland), 0.4%
Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
, 0.4% from other
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
countries, and 0.8% from elsewhere in the world. The economic activity of residents aged 16–74 was 45.4% in full-time employment, 11.4% in part-time employment, 5.2% self-employed, 3.5% unemployed, 4% students with jobs, 4% students without jobs, 11.4% retired, 4% looking after home or family, 6.8% permanently sick or disabled, and 3.5% economically inactive for other reasons. Compared with the average
demography of Scotland The demography of Scotland includes all aspects of population, past and present, in the area that is now Scotland. Scotland has a population of 5,463,300, as of 2019. The population growth rate in 2011 was estimated as 0.6% per annum according ...
, Neilston has low proportions of people born outside the United Kingdom, and people over 75 years of age. Following the
Scottish Reformation The Scottish Reformation was the process by which Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke with the Pope, Papacy and developed a predominantly Calvinist national Church of Scotland, Kirk (church), which was strongly Presbyterianism, Presbyterian in ...
in 1560, there was no
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
place of worship in Neilston until 1861; it has been said that there was no resident Roman Catholic community in the parish in this time, the parishioners instead being
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
. It was not until around the time of the
Second Industrial Revolution The Second Industrial Revolution, also known as the Technological Revolution, was a phase of rapid scientific discovery, standardization, mass production and industrialization from the late 19th century into the early 20th century. The Firs ...
, when the demand for labour was great, that
Irish people The Irish ( ga, Muintir na hÉireann or ''Na hÉireannaigh'') are an ethnic group and nation native to the island of Ireland, who share a common history and culture. There have been humans in Ireland for about 33,000 years, and it has been c ...
began to come to Neilston and other parts of Scotland in increasing numbers, many of them because of
The Great Hunger The Great Famine ( ga, an Gorta Mór ), also known within Ireland as the Great Hunger or simply the Famine and outside Ireland as the Irish Potato Famine, was a period of starvation and disease in Ireland from 1845 to 1852 that constituted a ...
in the mid-19th century. As a result, Neilston, like neighbouring Glasgow, is home to a significant number of Catholic Irish-Scots. St Thomas's, part of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Paisley The Diocese of Paisley ( la, Dioecesis Pasletana) is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in Scotland. Erected on 25 May 1947 from the Archdiocese of Glasgow, the diocese covers the historic county o ...
, was built around 1861 to accommodate the new Catholic community.


Economy

Long existing as a
rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are describ ...
settlement, Neilston's economy was historically driven by farming, although a trade in
handloom A loom is a device used to weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of the loom and its mechanics may vary, but t ...
woven garments from the village's
cottage industry The putting-out system is a means of subcontracting work. Historically, it was also known as the workshop system and the domestic system. In putting-out, work is contracted by a central agent to subcontractors who complete the project via remote ...
also existed from very early times. Grain mills and
watermills A watermill or water mill is a mill that uses hydropower. It is a structure that uses a water wheel or water turbine to drive a mechanical process such as milling (grinding), rolling, or hammering. Such processes are needed in the production of ...
were operating in Neilston by 1667. Due to its supply of
hydropower Hydropower (from el, ὕδωρ, "water"), also known as water power, is the use of falling or fast-running water to Electricity generation, produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by energy transformation, converting the Pot ...
from the
River Levern The Levern Water, ( gd, Uisge Labharain) is a small river in East Renfrewshire and Glasgow, Scotland. It rises in the Long Loch, and flows generally north and east, past the towns of Neilston and Barrhead, for a total distance of . It empties in ...
, Neilston, like neighbouring
Barrhead Barrhead ( sco, Baurheid, gd, Ceann a' Bharra) is a town in East Renfrewshire, Scotland, southwest of Glasgow city centre on the edge of the Gleniffer Braes. At the 2011 census its population was 17,268. History Barrhead was formed when ...
, developed factories and cotton mills after the arrival of the
Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...
. Neilston fostered a flourishing
textile processing Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods ...
industry. At the peak of business, the River Levern was lined with
bleachfield A bleachfield or bleaching green was an open area used for spreading cloth on the ground to be purified and whitened by the action of the sunlight. Bleaching fields were usually found in and around mill towns in Great Britain and were an integral ...
s, cotton mills and
calico Calico (; in British usage since 1505) is a heavy plain-woven textile made from unbleached, and often not fully processed, cotton. It may also contain unseparated husk parts. The fabric is far coarser than muslin, but less coarse and thick than ...
printfields. Passing through the ownership of a series of successful companies, Crofthead Mill was once the biggest producer of spun cotton 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 Renfr ...
. Thread from Crofthead, and thus Neilston, was traded across the world. It is claimed that thread from Crofthead Mill held together the boots of the climbing team led by
Chris Bonington Sir Christian John Storey Bonington, CVO, CBE, DL (born 6 August 1934) is a British mountaineer. His career has included nineteen expeditions to the Himalayas, including four to Mount Everest. Early life and expeditions Bonington's father, w ...
on the British Everest Expedition in 1975. Neilston Agricultural Show is a cattle show,
sheepdog trial A sheepdog trial (also herding event, stock dog trial or simply dog trial) — is a competition or test for working abilities of herding breeds dogs. It is a type of dog sport that emerged in the 1860s in New Zealand. By the 1870s regular trials ...
and sports and arts festival held near the village on the first Saturday of every May with a tradition beginning in the early 19th century. It began as a result of a dispute between two farmers from the village. Each farmer had a prized bull that he said was better than the other's. In a bid to settle the argument, the farmers arranged a contest that would be judged by the other farmers in the area. It is not documented who had the better bull, but the contest grew into an annual event that has become a local custom which is celebrated each year at the end of the show with the burning of a 50 ft tall wickerman. Although agriculture continues to a limited extent on the village's outskirts, Neilston's textile processing industry has diminished. Since
deindustrialisation Deindustrialization is a process of social and economic change caused by the removal or reduction of industrial capacity or activity in a country or region, especially of heavy industry or manufacturing industry. There are different interpre ...
, Neilston is a
commuter village A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...
with significant numbers of its inhabitants travelling to the major urban centres of Glasgow, Paisley and
Barrhead Barrhead ( sco, Baurheid, gd, Ceann a' Bharra) is a town in East Renfrewshire, Scotland, southwest of Glasgow city centre on the edge of the Gleniffer Braes. At the 2011 census its population was 17,268. History Barrhead was formed when ...
for work. The village has retained a selection of amenities from local shops for local people, leisure facilities, and schooling however. The ''Barrhead News'', a
local newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports an ...
published by Clyde and Forth Press, reports on Neilston, Barrhead,
Nitshill Nitshill ( gd, Cnoc nan Cnòthan) is a district on the south side of Glasgow. It is bordered by South Nitshill to the south, Darnley to the east, Crookston and Roughmussel to the north-west, Hurlet to the west and Househillwood and Priesthill ...
and
Darnley Darnley is an area in south-west Glasgow, Scotland, on the A727 just west of Arden (the areas are separated by the M77 motorway although a footbridge connects them). Other nearby neighbourhoods are Priesthill to the north, Southpark Village t ...
. In 2005 the
Clydesdale Bank Clydesdale Bank ( gd, Banca Dhail Chluaidh) is a trading name used by Clydesdale Bank plc for its retail banking operations in Scotland. In June 2018, it was announced that Clydesdale Bank's holding company CYBG would acquire Virgin Money for ...
closed its branch at Neilston, leaving it without a bank. In 2006 Neilston
Development Trust Development trusts are organisations operating in the United Kingdom that are: *community based, owned and led *engaged in the economic, environmental and social regeneration of a defined area or community *independent but seek to work in partners ...
utilised the Land Reform Act to purchase the bank building for community usage with the aid of a grant of £210,000 from the
Big Lottery Fund The National Lottery Community Fund, legally named the Big Lottery Fund, is a non-departmental public body responsible for distributing funds raised by the National Lottery for "good causes". Since 2004 it has awarded over £9 billion to ...
. This was the first time this legislation had been successfully used in an urban area. The premises are used as a community café, a service information point, office space and meeting rooms. The trust has been involved in a community energy project, the Neilston Community Wind Farm, which installed four turbines with a capacity of 10MW in 2013.


Landmarks

A chapel at Neilston was first recorded in 1163 in a charter of
Paisley Abbey 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 west of Glasgow, in Scotland. Its origins date from the 12th century, based on a for ...
. It was commissioned by Sir Robert Croc, as part of a feudal requirement by the High Steward of Scotland,
Walter fitz Alan Walter FitzAlan (1177) was a twelfth-century English baron who became a Scottish magnate and Steward of Scotland. He was a younger son of Alan fitz Flaad and Avelina de Hesdin. In about 1136, Walter entered into the service of David I, King of ...
. The original Neilston Kirk was one storey high, and was rebuilt in 1762 to accommodate the growing population of the parish. The only remaining parts of the original building are a Gothic architecture, Gothic window in a back wall and the burial vault of the Clan Muir, Mure family of Caldwell, including the tomb of Laird (title), Laird, scholar and Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), MP for Renfrewshire (UK Parliament constituency), Renfrewshire, William Mure (scholar), William Mure (1799–1860). Between 1796 and 1798 the roof was taken off the church and an additional storey constructed, making space for a gallery to accommodate the growing population of Neilston. The structure has a spire, a clock, and 940 sittings. The old graveyard is centuries old and has a headstone dating from the 15th century. The church is part of the Church of Scotland, and has a Listed building, Category B listing from Historic Environment Scotland. In 1559, in the
Scottish Reformation The Scottish Reformation was the process by which Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke with the Pope, Papacy and developed a predominantly Calvinist national Church of Scotland, Kirk (church), which was strongly Presbyterianism, Presbyterian in ...
, an image of Mary mother of Jesus was taken from Neilston Parish Church and thrown into a pool of the River Levern. The pool ever since has been known as the Midge Hole. One of Neilston Parish Church's most celebrated ministers was Dr Alexander Fleming and his ''Life'' (1883) contains much of interest relating to Neilston. In 1826, despite enlargement of the church, it was too small to accommodate the population and the Heritors demanded payment of seat rents for those attending services. Dr Fleming proceeded to preach from a tent erected in the graveyard for a period of about eight years, insisting that "the people of the Parish are entitled to hear the gospel without money or price." The case went to the House of Lords and although it was not successful, the parishioners were subsequently able to return to the church and take their places without paying rent and with no further opposition from the Heritors. In 2003, in a major refurbishment, six skeletons were found beneath the floorboards of the church. Initially sealed off as a crime scene, archeologists from the University of Glasgow confirmed the skeletons were around 400 years old. A local historian suggested they could be the bones of former priests. Crofthead Mill in Neilston is a Category B listed building. It is Neilston's largest and oldest cotton mill, dating in part from 1792 but predominantly 1880 after much of the original building was destroyed by fire. The mill is now used by J & M Murdoch & Son Ltd., a transport, waste disposal and recycling company. Nether Kirkton House is a mansion and the former home of Scotch whisky, whisky heiress Marion Buchanan. It was Category B listed but had this status removed in 2017.


Transport

Travellers historically used the Levern Valley as a route to and from the
Ayrshire Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of Re ...
coast. An ancient road from Glasgow to Kilmarnock known as ''the Flush'' was the most common path and can still be seen near Neilston. The major A736 road (Lochlibo Road) from Irvine, North Ayrshire, Irvine to Braehead runs to the north of Neilston. The nearest motorway is the M77 motorway, M77, of which Junction 4 at Newton Mearns is the Interchange (road), interchange for Neilston. Neilston railway station, opened 1 May 1903, is the western terminus of the Cathcart Circle Lines from Glasgow Central railway station, Glasgow Central station. The station is managed by ScotRail and is southeast of Glasgow Central. It was constructed when the Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway built its line through the village to the coast at Ardrossan. Neilston Low railway station, Neilston Low was a Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway station, but closed in 1966. The closest airport is Glasgow International Airport, Glasgow International, north of Neilston.


Education

A school for children of landowners and wealthy farmers was established in Neilston Parish by 1600, under the supervision of the Kirk Session; ordinary peasants remained illiterate. Neilston has two primary schools, but no secondary schools. St Thomas's Primary School is a feeder
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
primary school for St Luke's High School in
Barrhead Barrhead ( sco, Baurheid, gd, Ceann a' Bharra) is a town in East Renfrewshire, Scotland, southwest of Glasgow city centre on the edge of the Gleniffer Braes. At the 2011 census its population was 17,268. History Barrhead was formed when ...
. Neilston Primary School is a non-denominational feeder primary school for both Barrhead High School in Barrhead and Eastwood High School (Newton Mearns, Scotland), Eastwood High School in Newton Mearns. Neilston Primary School was founded in 1880 and the current building was built in the late 1960s with an open-plan extension completed in 1991, With a new campus plan in 2023 shared with St. Thomas. The school roll was 350 in June 2005. St Thomas's Primary, linked with the local Catholic chapel of the same name, was built in 1964 in Broadlie Road beside the chapel where the old building was demolished. The school roll was 186 in 2007. Both buildings are planned to be demolished and a new mixed campus is to be built in the current location of Neilston Primary, around 2022.


Sports

Neilston F.C. is a football club playing in the West of Scotland Football League (established in 2020 - previously the club operated within the Scottish Junior Football Association since their establishment). Formed in 1945, they operate from the Brig O' Lea Stadium in Neilston and play in red and white Kit (association football), kits. Their nickname is 'The Farmer's Boys', and their anthem is the folk song, ''A Farmer's Boy''. There are two 11 a-side grass football pitches at Kingston Playing Fields in Neilston, these are maintained by East Renfrewshire Council and utilised by amateur and youth teams. Neilston Leisure Centre has a 25-metre (82 ft) swimming pool and a gym. Activities in the leisure centre include casual swimming, swimming lessons, pool fun sessions, fitness classes, sauna, gym sessions. It has a mural from the 1960s. Neilston has two lawn bowling clubs: Neilston Bowling Club formed in 1903 and Crofthead Bowling Club formed in 1921. The Neilston Agricultural Show (an annual Cattle show) is held on the first Saturday of May each year and hosts many competitive sporting events including tug of war, Relay race, relay races (between local schools), Equine sport, equine sports and dog agility. The showground is also the start and finish point for ''The Pad Race,'' a 4.5 mile trail running race where entrants lap
Neilston Pad Neilston Pad, referred to locally as ''The Pad'', is a distinctive hill in East Renfrewshire, situated a mile (1.5 km) south of the village of Neilston. Its highest point is and is characterised by a relatively flat summit plateau surroun ...
.


Public services

Neilston forms part of the Western water and sewerage regions of Scotland. Waste management is provided by the East Renfrewshire local authority. Water is supplied by Scottish Water, a government-owned corporation of the Scottish Government. Neilston's distribution network operator for electricity is Scottish Power. There are no hospitals in Neilston—the nearest are in the larger settlements of Paisley, Glasgow and Newton Mearns—but some local health care is provided by the Doctors Surgery in central Neilston. The NHS board is NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Strathclyde Fire and Rescue is the statutory Fire services in Scotland, fire and rescue service which operates in Neilston. The nearest fire station is in Barrhead. Policing in Neilston is provided by Police Scotland. The Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, a Scottish public bodies, public body in Scotland, has direct operational responsibilities, such as supporting (and in some cases running) local bus services, and managing integrated ticketing in Neilston and other areas from the former
Strathclyde Strathclyde ( in Gaelic, meaning "strath (valley) of the River Clyde") was one of nine former local government regions of Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and abolished in 1996 by the Local Government et ...
region. Transport Scotland manages the local rail network.


Notable people

Gregor Fisher, acclaimed comedian who portrayed Rab C. Nesbitt, was raised by his aunt and uncle in Neilston. Shamus O'Brien was a Scottish American Association football, football Striker (association football), striker born in Neilston in 1907. In his career in the United States, O'Brien spent eight seasons in the first American Soccer League (1921-1933), American Soccer League and another five in the second American Soccer League. John Robertson who built the engine for the steamship in 1811, was born in Neilston in 1782. A granite obelisk in his honour is erected opposite the parish church. The Stevenson family of lighthouse designers and civil engineers, which included Robert Stevenson (civil engineer), Robert, Alan Stevenson, Alan and Thomas Stevenson, Thomas, as well as ''Treasure Island'' writer Robert Louis Stevenson, came of a family that farmed land in Neilston parish. People from Neilston are called Nulsoners.


References


External links

{{Authority control Neilston, Villages in East Renfrewshire Populated places established in the 12th century Civil parishes of Scotland