Home Report Neilston

Neilston, East Renfrewshire, is the next village along from Barrhead in the attractive Levern Valley with a population of roughly 5,200 residents. Neilston is just about 2 miles southwest of Barrhead, just under 4 miles south of Paisley, and about 11 miles from Glasgow city centre.

Today Neilston is mostly a dormitory town for residents working in Glasgow and Paisley, but it has quite a long history, being an established settlement as far back as the 12th century. During the industrial revolution urbanisation and development came with industrial scale textile production with the building of several cotton mills. Neilston became a well-known centre for cotton and calico bleaching and printing in the 18th century, which developed into a spinning and dying industry, and continued into the early 20th century. Although these industries have since died out, the village has continued to grow through additional housing developments built in the 19th and 20th centuries and being so close to Glasgow and Paisley. Agriculture does still play a part in the local economy.

In terms of transport links for commuters then, Neilston is served by Neilston Road/A736 that allows drivers to connect to the M77 motorway and reach Glasgow city centre in under 30 minutes. Residents also benefit from Neilston train station that takes travellers directly to Glasgow central station in about 30 minutes. Due to proximity to Barrhead, residents can also take advantage of Barrhead train station, which is under 10 minutes away by car and has more trains per day. There are local bus services too allowing for travel directly or via connecting services to Paisley, Glasgow, as well as nearby settlements.

As for amenities and things to do, Neilston doesn’t have too much going on besides the usual array of local shops including a pharmacy, newsagents, local Co Op, takeaways, and others you would expect. Residents typically travel to the larger close by settlements for more choice such as Barrhead, Paisley, Darnley, Newton Mearns, and of course Glasgow.

Also worth a mention is the annual Neilston Agricultural Show (a Cattle show) which is held on the first Saturday of May. It is a fun day and hosts many competitive sporting events including tug of war, relay races (between local schools), 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 (a distinctive looking hill).

In terms of local schooling, Neilston is served by two primary schools which are Neilston Primary and St. Thomas’ RC Primary School. Secondary age school pupils attend either Barrhead High School or St. Luke’s High School also in Barrhead.