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.
5 km · about 10 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomScotland
Renfrew
Scotland, United Kingdom · Europe
About Renfrew
Renfrew is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Erskine, 29km from Loch Lomond.
Renfrew is in Scotland, United Kingdom, with about 24,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Erskine, about 5 km away.
Renfrew ( REN-froo; Scots: Renfrew; Scottish Gaelic: Rinn Friù) is a town and royal burgh in Renfrewshire, Scotland. It is located 6 miles (10 km) west of Glasgow in the west central Lowlands of Scotland, and is the historic county town of Renfrewshire. The town had a population of 23,809 in 2022.
Called the "CradleRead more
of the Royal Stewarts" for its early link with Scotland's former royal house, Renfrew gained royal burgh status in 1397.
As the county town, Renfrew once was a centre of local government for the surrounding area. Whilst the county remained known as "Renfrewshire", the focus of local government gradually shifted from Renfrew to its larger neighbour Paisley.
Following the reorganisation of 1996, Renfrewshire was divided for local government purposes into three modern council areas: Renfrewshire, with considerably smaller boundaries than the old county, including Renfrew and with its administrative centre at Paisley; Inverclyde with its centre at Greenock, covering the western part of the county; and East Renfrewshire, with its centre at Giffnock. The boundaries of the historic County of Renfrew remain for a number of ceremonial and administrative purposes.
The House of Stewart was previously based at the former Renfrew Castle. In 1164, it was the site of the Battle of Renfrew, a decisive victory for the Scottish crown over Somerled, Lord of the Isles. Given its link to the monarchy and the victory at Renfrew, the heir to the British throne holds the title of Baron Renfrew and Lord of the Isles, the current holder being Prince William, Duke of Rothesay.
Renfrew's historic industries include shipbuilding, given its position on the River Clyde and River Cart, and engineering. Today it primarily contains service sector businesses, including the nearby Braehead retail and leisure centre, built in 1999, which has resulted in the expansion of the town along Renfrew's riverside.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Renfrew?
Within an hour or so of Renfrew: Riverside Museum (5 km), The Oak Tree Inn (25 km), Loch Lomond (29 km), Stirling Castle (39 km).
Are there any good drives near Renfrew?
The nearest famous roads are Rest and Be Thankful (A83), Electric Brae and Arran Coast Road (A841).
Where is Renfrew?
Renfrew is in Scotland, United Kingdom, about 5 km from Erskine.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 24,270
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- Scotland
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 55.8720, -4.3925
Emergency & Services
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 KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Renfrew
8 notable places within an hour's 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.
25 km · about 30 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.
29 km · about 35 min drive
castle
Stirling Castle
One of Scotland's largest and most important castles, sitting atop Castle Hill and closely associated with Scottish independence.
39 km · about 45 min drive
castle
Doune Castle
A well-preserved 14th-century courtyard castle near Stirling, filmed for Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Game of Thrones and Outlander.
41 km · about 45 min drive
film location
Doune Castle (Monty Python, Outlander, Game of Thrones)
The 14th-century keep is Castle Anthrax in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Castle Leoch in Outlander and Winterfell in the GoT pilot.
41 km · about 45 min drive
natural wonder
Loch Achray and Ben A'an
A small Trossachs loch under Ben A'an, whose short steep path yields one of Scotland's best effort-to-view ratios.
41 km · about 45 min drive
film location
National Wallace Monument, Stirling (Braveheart)
The Victorian tower commemorating William Wallace overlooks the Stirling battlefield central to Braveheart's story; the film itself shot largely in Ireland.
42 km · about 50 min drive
Driving roads near Renfrew
8 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 100km.
- 47 kmRest and Be Thankful (A83)The famous climb out of Glen Croe in Argyll with the old military road beside it; landslide-prone but a spectacular gateway to the west coast.
- 49 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 kmGoatfellArran's highest peak at 874m, climbed from Brodick, with views over the Firth of Clyde and to Ireland on clear days.
- 59 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.
- 63 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.
- 63 kmArran Coast Road (A841)The 90km loop around Arran, taking in the Boguillie and the Ross road climbs — a classic day's drive or ride from the Brodick ferry.
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.
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