Why visit Renfrew
Townapedia lists 18 museums and landmarks, 21 parks and trails, 67 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 7 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Abbey Bridge, Bridge Street, Paisley, Blackhall Railway Viaduct, Renfrew Museum and HMS Repulse.
Weather in Renfrew
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Renfrew
Renfrew ( REN-froo; Scots: Renfrew; Scottish Gaelic: Rinn Friù) is a town and royal burgh in Renfrewshire, Scotland. It is located 6 miles (10 km) west of Glasgow in the west central Lowlands of Scotland, and is the historic county town of Renfrewshire. The town had a population of 23,809 in 2022.
From the Wikipedia article Renfrew (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photos of Renfrew
Things to do7
Abbey Bridge, Bridge Street, Paisley
Bridge · 2.2 mi
Bridge in Renfrewshire, Scotland, UK, carries a minor road across White Cart Water
Blackhall Railway Viaduct
Bridge · 2.3 mi
Former aqueduct, now railway bridge, in Renfrewshire, Scotland
Museums and landmarks18
HMS Repulse
Monument and historic site · 1.8 mi
1916 Renown-class battlecruiser
Riverside Museum
Museum · 3.4 mi
Transport museum in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
The Govan Stones
Monument and historic site · 3.1 mi
Early medieval carved stones displayed at Govan Old Parish Church, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Clydebank Museum
Museum · 2.1 mi
Maritime museum in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
Crookston Castle
Monument and historic site · 2.9 mi
Ringwork castle in Glasgow City, Scotland, UK
Paisley Museum
Museum · 2.4 mi
Museum in Renfrewshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
Paisley War Memorial
Monument and historic site · 2.2 mi
War memorial in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, UK
Night Geometry and the Garscadden Trains
Monument and historic site · 1.5 mi
Attached to the NW-facing wall of the station building
Hillington Industrial Estate Monument and Flagpole
Monument and historic site · 1.4 mi
6 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds21
Fountain Gardens, Paisley
Park · 2.0 mi
Park in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, UK
Riverside Park, Glasgow
Park · 3.2 mi
Public park in Glasgow, Scotland
9 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes67
The Glasgow Distillery
Brewery and winery · 1.3 mi
No visitor centre or tours
2 Deanside Road, Glasgow
China Buffet King
Restaurant · Chinese · 0.9 mi
King's Inch Road, Renfrew
Green Gates Indian
Restaurant · Indian · 1.0 mi
65 Ferry Road, Renfrew
55 more on the map.
History
The name Renfrew comes from the Cumbric cognate of the Welsh expression rhyn frwd 'point at the current'; the River Cart enters the Clyde by the town. Renfrew's recorded history began with the granting of land in the area to Walter fitz Alan, the High Steward of Scotland by King David I in the 12th century. The strategic location of this castle was to prevent the eastern expansion of the lordship belonging to Somerled, the Lord of the Isles, and to protect western Scotland from Norse invaders.
Renfrew Castle was situated in what is now part of the well-known Braehead shopping complex. It was located on the King's inch or King's Island.
Later in the 12th century, King Malcolm IV, grandson of David, finally demanded Somerled's fealty. In 1164, Somerled sailed to Renfrew and attacked an assembling Scottish army in a conflict known as the Battle of Renfrew. The outcome was a defeat of the Lordship of the Isles and the death of Somerled. The Lords of the Isles were eventually stripped of their lands and titles in 1493, as a consequence of conspiring with an earlier King of England (Edward IV) to overthrow the Scottish monarchy. Since that time, "Lord of the Isles" – like "Baron of Renfrew" - has been a courtesy title of the heir to the throne and both are currently held by William, Duke of Rothesay.
Read more of the history
The role of the Stewarts continued to grow and in 1315 Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward married Marjorie, daughter of King Robert the Bruce. Their son succeeded to the throne as Robert II of Scotland.
During the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685, Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll was injured and captured at Renfrew before being transported to Edinburgh and executed for his role in attempting to overthrow the Crown. The Argyle Stones in the town mark the site where his capture took place.
During the night of 13 March 1941, three Polish airmen saved Renfrew's Roman Catholic church of Saint James. Lance Corporal Pawel Radke, Aircraftman Antoni Ptaszkowski, and Aircraftman Zygmunt Sokolowski were at the church and at great risk were extinguishing incendiaries. These had caused a number of fires in the church. Two of the airmen were killed by a bomb and the third died in Alexandria Hospital the following day. They were in their twenties. When 309 Squadron transferred to Dunino in Fife in May 1941, it presented to the church a portrait of Our Lady as a token of their appreciation to the people of Renfrew. Parishioners never forgot the sacrifice and in October 1982 at a special Mass, a silver plaque in memory of the airmen and the portrait of the Black Madonna was blessed and dedicated by Bishop McGill. The plaque was crafted by a local Polish jeweler, Eugeniusz Waclawski.
At the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 2013, the Rev Lorna Hood, minister at Renfrew North Parish Church and a Chaplain to The Queen, became Moderator of the Assembly for the subsequent annual term. Renfrew Old Parish Church, in the town centre, closed as a place of worship in 2013, due to building maintenance costs.
Renfrew also has two Masonic Lodges: Prince of Wales and Lodge Moorpark, numbers 426 and 1263 respectively, of the Roll of the Grand Lodge of Scotland.
From the History section of Renfrew on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More about Renfrew
Geography
Renfrew is at the confluence of the River Clyde and the River Cart. A passenger ferry previously crossed the Clyde to Yoker, now the Renfrew Bridge spans the Clyde to Clydebank and Yoker. A bascule bridge spans the Cart to Inchinnan and Glasgow Airport. King's Inch and Sand Inch islands once lay off the river bank of the Clyde on the southern side until they became joined with the 'mainland' and they are now part of Renfrew.
Economy
The major industry of Renfrew was previously shipbuilding. Simons and Lobnitz, most notable for building sand dredgers were based in the town. The Renfrew shipyard closed in the early 1960s.
Further expansion of Renfrew's economy took place in 1938 with the opening of Hillington industrial estate, now named Hillington Park, not to be confused with the neighbouring Hillington housing estate which falls within the city of Glasgow's boundaries.
Renfrew is home to the engineering company Doosan Babcock (formerly Babcock & Wilcox), the King George V Dock and the Braehead out-of-town retail development.
From the Wikipedia article Renfrew, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Renfrew
Ellen KingBritish swimmer, Olympic silver medallist (1909–1994)Photo: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
Mitchell LawrieScottish darts player (born 2010)Photo: Oche180, CC BY 4.0- Alex HunterScottish professional footballer (1895-1984)
- Derek MackayScottish politician (born 1977)
- Bob HarleyCanadian soccer player (1888-1958)
- Keith NelsonNew Zealand association footballer (1947-2020)
- Ninian WinzetScottish writer
- John MacquarrieBritish philosopher and theologian (1919-2007)
- Matt GrayFootballer (1936-2016)
- Jimmy DouglasScottish footballer (1859-1919)
- Andrew ParkScottish poet
- Jimmy ConnorScottish footballer (1909-1980)
Born in Renfrew, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay6
Churches and places of worship31
Broomhill Church, 64-66 Randolph Road, Broomhill, Glasgow
Church · 2.8 mi
Cardonald Parish Church, 2141 Paisley Road West, Glasgow
Church · 2.3 mi
Balshagray Parish Church, 230 Broomhill Drive, Glasgow
Church · 2.8 mi
Drumchapel Old Parish Church, 143-153 Garscadden Road, Glasgow
Church · 2.6 mi
Shopping16
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries11
Healthcare4
Map of Renfrew
188 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Glasgow Airport (GLA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Clydebank 2 mi north, about 3 min by car
- Glasgow 5 mi east, about 8 min by car
- Rutherglen 8 mi southeast, about 12 min by car
- Wishaw 20 mi east, about 32 min by car
- Saltcoats 22 mi southwest, about 36 min by car
- Stirling 25 mi northeast, about 39 min by car
- Troon 25 mi southwest, about 40 min by car
- Whitburn 27 mi east, about 44 min by car
- Rosyth 39 mi east, about 1 h by car
- Edinburgh 47 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Renfrew
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Renfrew town hall, Chris Upson, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 08120 Baptist Church, Renfrew 003, WeeHolly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 08120 Baptist Church, Renfrew 005, WeeHolly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 08120 Baptist Church, Renfrew 004, WeeHolly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 08120 Baptist Church, Renfrew 001, WeeHolly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 08120 Baptist Church, Renfrew 002, WeeHolly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 07486 Former Rutherford Memorial Church of Scotland, Renfrew 001, WeeHolly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 07486 Former Rutherford Memorial Church of Scotland, Renfrew 006, WeeHolly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 07486 Former Rutherford Memorial Church of Scotland, Renfrew 004, WeeHolly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 07486 Former Rutherford Memorial Church of Scotland, Renfrew 005, WeeHolly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 07486 Former Rutherford Memorial Church of Scotland, Renfrew 007, WeeHolly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 07486 Former Rutherford Memorial Church of Scotland, Renfrew 008, WeeHolly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 07486 Former Rutherford Memorial Church of Scotland, Renfrew 002, WeeHolly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 07486 Former Rutherford Memorial Church of Scotland, Renfrew 003, WeeHolly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 07486 Former Rutherford Memorial Church of Scotland, Renfrew 009, WeeHolly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 07486 Former Rutherford Memorial Church of Scotland, Renfrew 010, WeeHolly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 06039 St Margaret's Episcopal Church, Renfrew 001, WeeHolly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 06039 St Margaret's Episcopal Church, Renfrew 003, WeeHolly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 06039 St Margaret's Episcopal Church, Renfrew 005, WeeHolly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 06039 St Margaret's Episcopal Church, Renfrew 004, WeeHolly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 06039 St Margaret's Episcopal Church, Renfrew 006, WeeHolly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 06039 St Margaret's Episcopal Church, Renfrew 002, WeeHolly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Newly Restored Bridge, Bridge Street, Paisley, Renfrewshire. - panoramio, Ian Burt, CC BY 3.0
- Paisley Blackhall bridge, Afterbrunel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bridge over the Clyde (55500470825), James Petts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Renown-7, Underwood & Underwood, Public domain
- Riverside Museum Glasgow EC2018, Cutkiller2018, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hogback stone in Govan Old Church, Joedkins, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fountain Gardens2, Paisley, Discolover18, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Victoria park - looking south, Rosser1954, CC BY-SA 3.0
- All Saints Church, Jordanhill, NickGeorge1993, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Broomhill Parish Church, NickGeorge1993, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hyndland Parish Church, NickGeorge1993, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jordanhill Parish Church, NickGeorge1993, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 06254 Morison Memorial United Reformed Church, Clydebank 001, WeeHolly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Entrance to Braehead Arena, Stephen Sweeney, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 07487 Renfrew North Church of Scotland, Renfrew 001, WeeHolly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- IMGP0416 White Cart Bridge v1, Ian Robertson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Street-level photo, ccbb7766, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, gmc, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, gmc, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, gmc, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, gmc, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, gmc, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, gmc, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, gmc, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ccbb7766, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, IpswichEdits, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, gmc, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, smsm1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, mfk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, gmc, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ccbb7766, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, gmc, CC BY-SA 4.0
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