Paisley is a town and former burgh located in the west central lowlands of Scotland,and approximately eight miles west-south-west of Glasgow. It is the second largest town in Scotland and administrative centre of the Renfrewshire council area.
Paisley was once reckoned to have been the site of the Roman fortification of Vanduara chronicled by Ptolemy. The identification of the site of modern Paisley with this fort is based principally on the similarity of the name of the station to the Brythonic Gwen-dwr ('white water') which was inferred to have been the name at that time of the White Cart Water.
In the 12th century a priory was founded at Paisley around which a settlement soon grew. Within a hundred years of its foundation the priory had achieved the status of an Abbey.
The town became famous during the 18th and 19th centuries for the production of cloth, which led to the production of distinctive Kashmiri teardrop pattern which later became associated with Paisley.
As well as producing a widely used pattern and some wonderful architecture, the town has produced a number of famous people both past and present who have included:
- Paolo Nutini (singer/songwriter)
- Gerard Butler (actor)
- Owen Coyle (footballer and current manager of Bolton Wanderers