PYRTPlan Your Road Trips
Create TripMy TripsCommunityMerchandise
PYRTPlan Your Road Trips
Create TripMy TripsCommunityMerchandise
K
Destinations
Home›Destinations›Kilmacolm
EuropeUnited KingdomScotland

Kilmacolm

Scotland, United Kingdom · Europe

About Kilmacolm

Kilmacolm is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Bridge of Weir, 22km from Loch Lomond.

Kilmacolm is a town located in Scotland, United Kingdom. With a population of 4,000, it is an important destination in Europe.

On a road trip, Kilmacolm sits in United Kingdom, where you drive on the left. It's in the Europe/London time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Kilmacolm to your route.

About Kilmacolm

Kilmacolm ( ) is a village and civil parish in the Inverclyde council area, and the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on the northern slope of the Gryffe Valley, 7+1⁄2 miles (12 kilometres) southeast of Greenock and around 15 miles (24 km) west of the city of Glasgow.

Read more The village has a population of around 4,000 and is part of a wider civil parish which covers a large rural hinterland of 15,000 hectares (150 km2; 58 sq mi) containing within it the smaller settlement of Quarrier's Village, originally established as a 19th-century residential orphans' home. The area surrounding the village was settled in prehistoric times and emerged as part of a feudal society with the parish divided between separate estates for much of its history. The village itself remained small, providing services to nearby farm communities and acting as a religious hub for the parish. The name of the village derives from the Scottish Gaelic Cill MoCholuim, indicating the dedication of its church to St Columba. The parish church was mentioned in a papal bull of 1225 showing its appropriation to Paisley Abbey, and it sits on the site of an ancient religious community dating to the 5th or 6th centuries. Again in the 13th century, Duchal Castle was constructed in the parish and is notable for being besieged by King James IV of Scotland in 1489, following the resident Lyle family's support of an insurrection against him. Feuding between the noble families of Kilmacolm was commonplace in the Middle Ages, and in the 16th and 17th centuries, the parish again came to the attention of the Crown for providing support to outlawed religious Covenanters. The character of the village changed significantly in the Victorian era, with the arrival of the railway in Kilmacolm in 1869. Many of Kilmacolm's modern buildings were constructed between this date and the outbreak of World War I. The emergence of such transport links enabled the village to expand as an affluent dormitory village serving the nearby urban centres of Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock. The economy of the village reflected this population change, moving away from its traditional reliance on agriculture to providing tertiary sector services to residents and visitors.

Read more on Wikipedia

Where to Stay in Kilmacolm

Compare prices across Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, and more. Select your dates to see availability.

Filter presets

Pick your must-haves once: provider links open pre-filtered. Each filter lists which sites it applies to.

Booking.comExpediaTripAdvisorHotels.comAgodaAirbnb

Compare before you book!

Prices can vary significantly between platforms. We recommend checking at least 2-3 sites to find the best deal for your stay in Kilmacolm.

Explore the Area

Discover famous landmarks, scenic roads, and more near Kilmacolm.

Loading map...
Open in Google Maps

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best things to do in Kilmacolm?

Kilmacolm offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.

How do I plan a road trip to Kilmacolm?

Plan your road trip to Kilmacolm with Plan Your Road Trips! Add Kilmacolm as a destination, and we'll help you find the best route and discover more amazing places along the way.

Where is Kilmacolm located?

Kilmacolm is located in Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe. The coordinates are 55.8947 latitude, -4.6264 longitude.

What is the population of Kilmacolm?

Kilmacolm has a population of approximately 4,000 people, making it a town in United Kingdom.

Plan a Road Trip

Add to your itinerary

Start planning your road trip with Kilmacolm as a destination. Create a custom route and discover more amazing places along the way.

Start Road Trip

What's Nearby?

Discover destinations like Tinder

Swipe through stunning destinations near Kilmacolm. Save your favourites and add them to your trip.

Explore now

Quick Information

Population
4,000
Continent
Europe
Country
United Kingdom
Region
Scotland
Timezone
Europe/London
Coordinates
55.8947, -4.6264

Emergency & Services

Essential numbers in United Kingdom

Police
999
Ambulance
999
Fire
999
Non-emergency police
101
Driving side
left

112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.

Full driving guide for United Kingdom

Tags

EuropeUnited KingdomScotlandTown

Worth the detour from Kilmacolm

8 notable places within an hour's drive.

museum

Riverside Museum

Glasgow's Zaha Hadid-designed transport museum on the Clyde, packed with classic cars, a recreated cobbled street of vintage vehicles, and the tall ship Glenlee moored outside.

20 km · about 25 min drive

natural wonder

Loch Lomond

Britain's largest freshwater lake by surface area, where Highland mountains meet Lowland shores in a landscape immortalised in song.

22 km · about 25 min drive

cafe

The Oak Tree Inn

A popular stopping point on the A82 beside Loch Lomond, where road trippers heading to the Scottish Highlands pause to take in one of Scotland's most beautiful lochs.

28 km · about 35 min drive

scenic viewpoint

Rest and Be Thankful

A famous viewpoint at the top of Glen Croe where 18th-century soldiers carved the name into a stone after completing the military road.

41 km · about 45 min drive

castle

Stirling Castle

One of Scotland's largest and most important castles, sitting atop Castle Hill and closely associated with Scottish independence.

49 km · about 55 min drive

landmark

The Kelpies

Two 30-metre steel horse-head sculptures towering over the canal at Falkirk, a striking modern landmark off the M9.

56 km · about 65 min drive

landmark

The Dunmore Pineapple

An outrageous 14m stone pineapple crowns this 1761 walled-garden folly, built for the Earl of Dunmore and rated among Britain's most eccentric buildings. Free to visit, hidden down a lane near Airth.

56 km · about 65 min drive

famous road

Electric Brae

Famous optical-illusion stretch of the A719 on the Ayrshire coast where cars appear to roll uphill. Drivers have pulled over to test the gravity-defying slope since the 1930s.

57 km · about 65 min drive

Driving roads near Kilmacolm

  • 41 kmRest and Be ThankfulA famous viewpoint at the top of Glen Croe where 18th-century soldiers carved the name into a stone after completing the military road.
  • 57 kmElectric BraeFamous optical-illusion stretch of the A719 on the Ayrshire coast where cars appear to roll uphill. Drivers have pulled over to test the gravity-defying slope since the 1930s.
  • 76 kmQueensferry CrossingThe world's longest three-tower cable-stayed bridge, opened in 2017, carrying the M90 high over the Firth of Forth alongside its famous Victorian and 1960s neighbours: three centuries of bridges in one view.
  • 79 kmGlen EtiveA remote single-track road winding past waterfalls and a Skyfall filming spot down to a sea loch, deep wilderness.

Driving in United Kingdom

Drives on
the left
Petrol
~€1.73/litre
Motorway tolls
None

When to drive here

May to September

Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.

Nearby Destinations

Other places to explore near Kilmacolm.

Bridge of Weir

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

5 km awayPop. 4,860

Houston

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

5 km awayPop. 6,420

Port Glasgow

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

6 km awayPop. 14,200

Dumbarton

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

7 km awayPop. 19,950

Cardross

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

8 km awayPop. 2,130

Bishopton

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

8 km awayPop. 4,640

Kilbarchan

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

8 km awayPop. 3,580

Renton

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

9 km awayPop. 2,490

Plan a trip around Kilmacolm

Scotland road trip planner

Plan a Road Trip from Kilmacolm

Create your perfect itinerary with our calendar-based planner. Add stops, discover attractions along the way, and share your trip with friends.

Start Planning
PYRT

The ultimate road trip planning platform. Discover 150,000+ destinations worldwide, plan scenic routes, and create unforgettable adventures.

Inspiration

  • Discover Trips
  • Travel Guides
  • Community

The Product

  • Calendar Planner
  • Integrations
  • How It Works
  • Collaboration Mode
  • Get the App
  • Merchandise: PYRT Supply Co.
  • Become a Creator
  • Trip Marketplace

Plan Your Trip

  • Road Trip Planner
  • Famous Routes
  • Planners by Country
  • Best Road Trip Planner App
  • Discover Road Trips
  • Events
  • Travel Guides
  • How It Works
  • My Trips
  • Community Groups

Company

  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Support
  • Contact Us
  • Sign In
  • Create Account

© 2026 Plan Your Road Trips. All rights reserved.

•[email protected]
Data sources:GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)•Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)•Mapbox•Photography: George Lawrence