The Castle Semple Collegiate Church was actually one of the first places I tried to visit in the area. It was a bit confusing to work out where it was at first as it's not particularly accessible by car. My first attempt was by car following directions on Google maps, but after driving around in …
Castle Semple and Lochwinnoch
My last post about Kenmure Temple mentioned that on the way to visit that site I also visited the Castle Semple Collegiate Church (which will be discussed in the next post) and some other remains of Castle Semple. Although the name Castle Semple is a very familiar one to me, I had never actually considered …
Kenmure Temple (near Lochwinnoch)
Kenmure Temple, near Lochwinnoch Anyone who has ever driven from Paisley to Largs or taken a train through Lochwinnoch station will be familiar with the sight of Kenmure Temple. It sits on top of a hill on the northern side of the A737 and I've always wanted to visit it and find out what it …
Abbotsford
Home of Sir Walter Scott This was one of the more unusual homes that I have visited. And it’s history is a strange one. The house could almost be said to be as artificial a construction as one of Sir Walter Scott’s many novels. It is a fascinating glimpse into a writer's life, however, and …
Lochgilphead
In search of DalRiada, Summer 2020 I’ve always been fascinated with the kingdom of DalRiada. In primary school we used the book From Cavemen to Vikings by R.J. Unstead in our weekly history classes. This was my first visit to the site and it was one of the best days out I’ve had in a …
Dunadd (Dùn Ad)
In Search of DalRiada Summer, 2020 The stretch of the A816 between Lochgilphead and Carnasserie contains an amazing number of Neolithic and Dark Age sites. So many, that we will need to go back another time to visit the ones we missed and too many to include in a single blog post. Dunadd was our …
Melrose Abbey
When I went on a writing retreat last November, I hadn’t realised we would be staying within walking distance of Melrose Abbey. We went out for a walk on the Sunday morning and discovered it and, of course, I didn’t have my Historic Scotland membership card on me. Thankfully, the kind lady behind the desk …
Russell Institute, Paisley
Paisley Doors Open Day 2019 The Russell Institute, 32 Causeyside Street, Paisley Being inside this building is one of my most vivid childhood memories. It was for many years used by the town’s health services, and later the NHS, having been gifted to the town for use as a centre to ensure the health and …
Paisley Methodist Central Halls
Paisley Doors Open Day 2019 This was another building that I was very familiar with from the outside but had no idea about what it was like inside until last year. I didn’t even realise it was a church until I was a teenager. Apparently it is the only Central Hall still in use in …
St Matthews Church of the Nazarene
Paisley Doors Open Day 2019 During the time I lived in Paisley, I was never once inside this church, despite it being in a spot I passed often. It sits in a slightly odd position in the middle of a large, busy junction — one which I had driven through many, many times. It’s not …