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Abbey. A parish of NE Renfrewshire, including part of the town of Paisley while completely surrounding the burgh parishes, and itself called sometimes Abbey Paisley. It also contains the town of Johnstone, the Dovecothall portion of Barrhead, and the villages of Elderslie, Thorn, Quarrelton, Inkerman, Hurlet, and Nitshill. It is bounded N by Renfrew parish, NE by Govan in Lanarkshire, E by Eastwood, SE and S by Neilston, W by Lochwinnoch, and NW by Kilbarchan. A small semi-detached portion of the parish at the river Cart, and another small detached portion, were in 1891 transferred by the Boundary Commissioners to the parish of Paisley. The White CART winds about 5 miles westward, partly along the eastward boundary, and partly through the interior, to Paisley, thence striking 1 1/2 mile northward into Renfrew parish on its way to the Clyde; at Crookston it is joined by the LEVERN, which from Barrhead traces much of the south-eastern and eastern border. The whole of the north-western border, from Milliken Park to Blackstone House, a distance of 4 3/4 miles, is marked by the Black CART; and all three streams are fed by several burns. NW of Paisley is a mineral spring; and to the SW are the Stanely and Rowbank reservoirs, large artificial sheets of water. The northern part of the parish is almost a perfect level, consisting chiefly of reclaimed moss; and near Boghead being only 13 feet above the sea; but southward one passes through `a rough and undulating country, with masses of grey crag interspersed with whinny knolls,' to Stanely Moor and the Braes of Gleniffer--the scene of Tannahill's songs,--whose highest point within the Abbey bounds is Sergeantlaw (749 feet). Lesser elevations, from N to S, are Mosspark (159 feet), Carriagehill (147), Dikebarhill (168), Windyhill (312), Bent (637), and Hartfield (723). The soil on the arable lands has great diversity of character, being in some places a vegetable mould derived from moss; in others, especially along the streams, a rich alluvial loam. Generally, however, it is shallow, either clayey or sandy, and overlying a substratum of gravel or till, which, naturally retentive of moisture has been greatly improved by art. The rocks of these low tracts belong to the Carboniferous Limestone series; those of the hills are various kinds of trap. Numerous collieries and ironstone mines are in operation; and greenstone, sandstone, limestone, aluminous schist, fireclay, and potter's-clay are also extensively worked. The chief antiquity is CROOKSTON CASTLE, and other ruins are STANELY CASTLE, Stewarts Raiss Tower, and Blackhall House. HAWKHEAD and Cardonald are ancient mansions; while Johnstone Castle, Ferguslie, Househill, Ralston, Barshaw, and Egypt Park are all of modern erection. This parish is in the presbytery of Paisley and synod of Glasgow and Ayr, and it contains the quoad sacra parishes of Elderslie and Johnstone, with almost the whole of Levern. The charge since 1641 has been collegiate; and there are two ministers, the first of whom has an income of £707, and the second of £502. The parish church is that of the ancient abbey, described under PAISLEY, where, as also under ELDERSLIE, JOHNSTONE land BARRHEAD, other places of worship of various denominations will be noticed. The landward school-board consists of 9 members; and 7 schools under it, with total accommodation for 2378 children, had (1891) an average attendance of 1849, and grants amounting to £1702, 15s. 3d. Abbey parish has its own poor-law administration, and possesses a poorhouse and a lunatic asylum for itself, with respective accommodation for 655 and 98 inmates. It is traversed by reaches of the Caledonian and of the Glasgow and South-Western railway. Pop. of quoad sacra parish (1891) 17,018; of landward district, 6745. Pop. of civil parish (1801) 14,153, (1861) 29,687, (1871) 30,587, (1881) 34,392, (1891) 42,887, of whom 25,203 were within the burgh.--Ord. Sur., sh. 30, 1866.
Achentorlie. An estate with a mansion in Abbey-Paisley parish.
Annick. A small river, partly of Renfrewshire, but chiefly of Ayrshire, rises in Mearns parish, to the E of Long Loch, and flowing south-westward past Stewarton, falls into Irvine Water, 1 mile above Irvine town, after a course of 16 miles. Its chief affluents are the Swinsey, East, and Clerkland burns above, and the Glazert burn, 3 miles below, Stewarton--all of them better trouting streams than the Annick itself.
Arden. A series of tracts of limestone, aggregately about 2 miles long, in Eastwood parish.
Ardgowan. A mansion in Inverkip parish, Renfrewshire, 3 1/4 miles N by E of Wemyss Bay, a fine building pleasantly situated on a kind of peninsula a little north of the village. It is the seat of Sir Michael Robert Shaw-Stewart, Bart., of Greenock and Blackhall, owner of 24,951 acres in the shire, of £14,501 gross annual value (£573 quarries), seventh Baronet since 1667, and seventeenth in direct male descent from Sir John Stewart, a natural son of Robert III., who received from his father three charters of the lands of Ardgowan, Blackhall, and Auchingoun, in 1390, 1396, and 1404. Erected early in this century from designs by Cairncross, and raised on a terrace overhanging the Firth of Clyde, the present mansion is a large and stately building, screened in the rear by noble trees, but in front commanding a wide, unbroken, prospect over the waters and mountain-flanks of the firth. Near it stand the private Episcopal chapel of St. Michael and All Angels, and the remains of an ancient square tower, a fragment of that Castle of Inverkip which was held by the English in the days of Robert Bruce. Thither fled Sir Philip de Mowbray, after his rout by the Black Douglas. He came by Kilmarnock and Kilwinning, thence to Ardrossan--

which (Barbour adds) was `stuffyt all with Inglessmen,' who received him `in daynte.'
Arthurlee. An ancient estate, now divided among various proprietors, and dotted with mansions, public works, and villages, in the immediate vicinity of Barrhead, on the NE border of Neilston parish. The estate belonged to a branch of the Darnley family, and continued till the latter part of the 18th century to be rural; but it then and afterwards was cut into sections with diversity of names, and became a seat of great manufacturing industry. One of the earliest bleachfields in Scotland was established at Cross-Arthurlee about 1773; a cotton mill was built at Central-Arthurlee in 1790; a new and very extensive printfield for all kinds of calicoes was established at South-Arthurlee in 1835; and other works and erections at subsequent dates have brought the entire place into connection with Barrhead. The Glasgow and Neilston branch of the Caledonian railway runs through its western part, and has a station at Barrhead. The chief villages are Cross-Arthurlee and West-Arthurlee; mansions, Arthurlee House and Upper Arthurlee House. The public school at Cross-Arthurlee has accommodation for 529 children, an average attendance (in 1891) of 398, and a grant of £389, 6s.
Ashton. The south-western part of Gourock village, in Innerkip parish. Commencing at Kempock Point, it extends about 1 mile along the shore, its site being chiefly a narrow belt of low ground, overhung by steep braes. It includes some houses on a line of terrace-road across the face of these braes, together with gardens running down the slopes; and is mainly an array of spacious two-story houses and handsome villas, with a neat United Presbyterian church on the low ground, and a small Episcopalian chapel on the upper terrace. Bright and attractive in appearance, it confronts the exquisite scenery on the western screens of the Firth of Clyde, from Rosneath peninsula, round by Loch Long, Kilmun Hill and Holy Loch, to the long sweep of Kirn, Dunoon, and Bishop's Seat; and is a favourite summer retreat and bathing-place of the citizens of Glasgow. The part of it nearest Kempock, and fully 1/2 mile onward, is sometimes called West Bay; while the part further on is more distinctively known as Ashton.
Auchenbathie. A barony in the SE of Lochwinnoch parish, contiguous to Ayrshire, 3 1/2 miles ESE of Lochwinnoch town. It belonged to the Wallaces of Elderslie; it is mentioned by Blind Harry as one of the places which Malcolm Wallace, the father of Sir William Wallace, `had in heritage;' and it has remains of a small ancient castle, called Auchenbathie Tower. Another Auchenbathie is in the neighbourhood, and, as having belonged to another family than the Wallaces, is called Auchenbathie Blair.
Auldfield. A section of Pollokshaws town in Eastwood parish. The quoad sacra parish church of Pollokshaws is here, bore originally the name of Auldfield chapel of case, was built in 1840 and is a neat edifice with a spire.
Auldhouse. A burn in the E of Renfrewshire, rising in Mearns parish, and running about 5 1/2 miles north-east past Thornliebank village to the White Cart at Pollokshaws.
Auldkirk. See INNERKIP.