Home Report Erskine

Erskine, Renfrewshire, is home to roughly 15,500 residents and is roughly 14 miles to the north-west of Glasgow. Erskine itself lies on the southern bank of the River Clyde, providing crossing over to the north bank and the town of Old Kilpatrick via the Erskine Bridge. Even before the bridge was constructed, the old chain ferry still made for an important crossing point across the Clyde up until the point where investment in greater infrastructure was needed to cope with growing demand and industry. The town borders Bishopton to the west and Renfrew, Inchinnan, Paisley and Glasgow Airport to the south. In 2014, it was rated one of the most attractive postcode areas to live in Scotland by Royal Mail.

Erskine was a quiet hamlet for much of the 18th century before gradually growing into a small village in the 19th century, however, it wasn’t really until the 1960s, when the town’s population was roughly 3000, that it began to grow quickly as a result of Renfrewshire County Councils “New Community Plan” which sought to develop the town further. This saw the town’s population number grow to around 10,000 as quickly as the early 1970s and set Erskine on the path to the town we know it as today.

Indeed today, Erskine serves as a commuter town, perfectly placed at the western extent of the Greater Glasgow conurbation to allow residents fast travel to Glasgow, Paisley, Balloch and their wider areas. Indeed, transports links are well developed, with the M8 motorway nearby for commuters by car and bus. The town has no dedicated train station, but residents can make use of three nearby: Bishopton, Old Kilpatrick and Dalmuir train stations are all about 10 – 15 minutes away by car or bus, and all operate regular services to Glasgow, Paisley and the wider Glasgow, Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire localities. The town benefits from close proximity to Glasgow airport which is just a 10-minute drive away.

As for the town’s amenities, Erskine benefits from close proximity to Glasgow, Paisley, and other nearby towns, but has a few things of its own to speak of. The luxury 5-star Mar Hall Golf Resort and Spa formerly Erskine House, is great for events, eating out, golfing or just a relaxing spa day. Also nearby is The Erskine Golf Club, which hosted the Scottish Professional Championship in 1991 and The Scottish Youths Championship in 2007. Lamont City Farm is a lovely day out for kids and families to see small animals rescued by the charity and the volunteers who strive to help. Also for kids, there’s a nearby popular soft-play facility, called Pandamonium. Boden Boo is worth mentioning and is a woodland area that lies beneath the Erskine Bridge containing about two miles of trails, as well as Erskine Beach. There’s also Newshot Island Nature Reserve, a salt marsh that juts out into the River Clyde and acts as a feeding and resting point for a wide array of migratory birds.

In terms of local schooling, Erskine has five primary schools: Rashielea, Bargarran, Barsail, St John Bosco and St Anne’s. Erskine has only one secondary school, the non-denominational Park Mains High School, but also falls in the catchment area for pupils attending Trinity High School.