Paisley Abbey & Kilbarchan Weavers’ Cottage

Founded c.1160, the Abbey was a centre of learning: William Wallace may have been educated there. It is the burial place of Marjory Bruce (daughter of King Robert I) and the wives of kings Robert II and Robert III. Much of the original building was destroyed by fire in 1307, after restoration the central tower collapsed in the mid-1500s on to the transepts and choir leaving only the nave, which became the parish church of Paisley after the Reformation.

At Kilbarchan in the 18th century handloom weavers predominantly worked with linen, which power looms couldn’t handle until the 1870s. Subsequently, weavers shifted to high-quality wool, making blankets, shawls and tartans. The Weaver’s Cottage offers a glimpse of handloom weaving during the 18th and 19th centuries. (NTS: £7.50 concession).