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.
12 km · about 20 min drive
Scotland, United Kingdom · Europe
Neilston is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Paisley, 36km from Loch Lomond.
Neilston is a town located in Scotland, United Kingdom. With a population of 5,310, it is an important destination in Europe.
On a road trip, Neilston 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 Neilston to your route.
Neilston (Scots: Neilstoun, Scottish Gaelic: Baile Nèill, pronounced [paləˈnɛːʎ]) is a village and parish in East Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is in the Levern Valley, two miles (three kilometres) southwest of Barrhead, 3+3⁄4 miles (6 kilometres) south of Paisley, and 5+3⁄4 miles (9.5Read more
kilometres) south-southwest of Renfrew, at the southwestern fringe of the Greater Glasgow conurbation. Neilston is a dormitory village with a resident population of just over 5,000 people.
Neilston is mentioned in documents from the 12th century, when the feudal lord Robert de Croc, endowed a chapel to Paisley Abbey to the North. Neilston Parish Church—a Category B listed building—is said to be on the site of this original chapel and has been at the centre of the community since 1163. Little remains of the original structure. Before industrialisation, Neilston was a scattered farming settlement composed of a series of single-storey houses, many of them thatched. Some domestic weaving was carried out using local flax. Water power from nearby streams ground corn and provided a suitable environment for bleaching the flax.
The urbanisation and development of Neilston came largely with the Industrial Revolution. Industrial scale textile processing was introduced to Neilston around the middle of the 18th century with the building of several cotton mills. Neilston became a 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 Neilston is known as a former milling village, agriculture has played, and continues to play, an economic role. The annual Neilston Agricultural Show is an important trading and cultural event for farmers from southwest Scotland each spring.
Although heavy industry died out in the latter half of the 20th century, as part of Scotland's densely populated Central Belt, Neilston has continued to grow as a commuter village, supported by its position between Paisley and Glasgow, from roughly 1,000 people in 1800 to 5,168 in 2001. Expansion continues due to several new housing developments.
Compare prices across Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, and more. Select your dates to see availability.
Pick your must-haves once: provider links open pre-filtered. Each filter lists which sites it applies to.
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 Neilston.
Discover famous landmarks, scenic roads, and more near Neilston.
Neilston 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.
Plan your road trip to Neilston with Plan Your Road Trips! Add Neilston as a destination, and we'll help you find the best route and discover more amazing places along the way.
Neilston is located in Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe. The coordinates are 55.7857 latitude, -4.4264 longitude.
Neilston has a population of approximately 5,310 people, making it a town in United Kingdom.
Add to your itinerary
Start planning your road trip with Neilston as a destination. Create a custom route and discover more amazing places along the way.
Start Road TripDiscover destinations like Tinder
Swipe through stunning destinations near Neilston. Save your favourites and add them to your trip.
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United Kingdom8 notable places within an hour's drive.
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.
12 km · about 20 min drive
natural wonder
Britain's largest freshwater lake by surface area, where Highland mountains meet Lowland shores in a landscape immortalised in song.
36 km · about 40 min drive
cafe
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.
43 km · about 50 min drive
castle
One of Scotland's largest and most important castles, sitting atop Castle Hill and closely associated with Scottish independence.
48 km · about 55 min drive
landmark
Two 30-metre steel horse-head sculptures towering over the canal at Falkirk, a striking modern landmark off the M9.
49 km · about 55 min drive
famous road
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.
49 km · about 55 min drive
landmark
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.
51 km · about 60 min drive
scenic viewpoint
A famous viewpoint at the top of Glen Croe where 18th-century soldiers carved the name into a stone after completing the military road.
57 km · about 65 min drive
May to September
Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.
Other places to explore near Neilston.
Create your perfect itinerary with our calendar-based planner. Add stops, discover attractions along the way, and share your trip with friends.
Start Planning