Gleniffer Braes ("brae" being the

Scots language Scots ( endonym: ''Scots''; gd, Albais, ) is an Anglic language variety in the West Germanic language family, spoken in Scotland and parts of Ulster in the north of Ireland (where the local dialect is known as Ulster Scots). Most commo ...

word for the slope or brow of a hill) is a short range of hills and park area to the south of Paisley, Scotland which form the boundary of Renfrewshire and

North Ayrshire North Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Àir a Tuath, ) is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. The council area borders Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire to the northeast, and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the east a ...

Area

In the braes, is found the Robertson Country Park. The park is an upland area covering approximately 480 acres. It is mainly moorland but there is some woodland areas and hill farming areas. There is also woodland walk paths, streams and waterfalls, picnic areas, birdwatching sites and play equipment for children. Views of Paisley and the lower Clyde Valley to Ben Lomond are offered from the park, including from Robertson car park. The area is situated on the edge of the Clyde plateau lavas, a feature is Gleniffer gorge situated along the Tannahill walkway. It reaches approximately 50 feet deep in places and is eroded by the Gleniffer burn. Another feature is the Craigielinn waterfall in Glen park, where icicles are sometimes seen hanging in winter.

Wildlife

Cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ...

are used to control the vegetation and retain the wide open spaces within the park area. Birds that can be seen in the area include, skylarks, sparrowhawks, kestrels, goldcrests and chaffinches. Other animals include roe deer, woodmice, voles and tawny owls can be seen at night.

History

The park has associations with the 18th and 19th century weaver poets of Paisley.

Robert Tannahill Robert Tannahill (3 June 1774 – 17 May 1810) was a Scottish poet of labouring class origin. Known as the 'Weaver Poet', he wrote poetry in English and lyrics in Scots in the wake of Robert Burns. Life Robert Tannahill was born in Castle St ...

(1774-1810) and Hugh Macdonald (1817-1860) are commemorated by the Tannahill walkway and the Tannahill well, Macdonald's walks and the Bonnie wee well. The Lapwing lodge outdoor centre (formerly ''Peesweep'') is situated on the braes. It was originally a

sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...

for Coats Mill workers and was built in 1910. The

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

and the Scouts used it for camping. It is now owned by the West Region Scout Council. There was also a pub called the ''Peesweep Inn''. It was converted to a private house in 1925 and further since demolished. A major electrical substation is also here. It was expanded in 2005 and covers the site of the former

WWII World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

decoy ponds as well as a radio transmitter.

Standing stones

Two

Menhirs A menhir (from Brittonic languages: ''maen'' or ''men'', "stone" and ''hir'' or ''hîr'', "long"), standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large human-made upright stone, typically dating from the European middle Bronze Age. They can be fou ...

are located on the top of the Gleniffer Braes. The stone described by the Canmore database as ''Stone A'' is 1.2metres high, 1.2metres wide and 0.9metres thick. The stone described as ''Stone B'' is 0.8metres high, 1.5metres long and 1.0metres wide. The stones are understood to have been placed in position during the time of the Druids.Robert Stewart, ''The Renfrewshire Magazine, Paisley Section'' (1846-7). p200

Recreation

There are several miles of walking paths through woodland and moorland areas. Some of the paths lead to wider walking networks out with the park, including Brandy Burn way and the Fereneze Braes paths. There is also a ranger service from the local council who provide guided walks. Cyclists and horse riders also use the park. Picnicking, dog walking, children's playing equipment, bird watching and kite flying can also be undertaken at the park. Seasonal activities include Easter egg rolling and sledging.

References

External links

Renfrewshire history and general information

Tannahill's Well, Glen Park.Craigie Linn WaterfallThe Starfish Decoy Site Control Bunker
{{coord, 55, 48, 48, N, 4, 29, 0, W, region:GB_type:mountain, display=title Hills of the Scottish Midland Valley Mountains and hills of Renfrewshire Mountains and hills of North Ayrshire