RENFREWSHIRE (anciently Strathgryfe) is a
maritime county on the W coast of Scotland. Although only
twenty-seventh among the Scottish counties as regards area, by its
industrial importance it ranks ninth in the order of valuation and
fifth in the order of population, while as to density of population it
is slightly in excess of Lanarkshire and second only to Edinburgh, the
most densely populated county in Scotland, the figures being for
Lanarkshire 1186, Renfrewshire 1187, and Edinburghshire 1199 to the
square mile. The city of Glasgow, as defined by the City of Glasgow Act
of 1891, was partly in Lanarkshire and partly in Renfrewshire, but the
Boundary Commissioners in 1892 placed the whole of the extended city in
the county of Lanark. The small police burgh of Kinning
Park was at the same time transferred from Renfrewshire to Lanarkshire,
while of the parishes of Cathcart and East Kilbride, which were prior
to 1891 partly in Renfrewshire and partly in Lanarkshire, Cathcart was placed in that year wholly in the former county, and East Kilbride wholly in the latter. Beith and Dunlop
parishes, that were partly in Renfrewshire and partly in Ayrshire, were
at the same time placed wholly in the latter county. The county is
bounded N by the river Clyde and Dumbartonshire, NE and E by
Lanarkshire, SSW by the Cunningham district of Ayrshire, and W by the
Firth of Clyde. The shape is an irregular oblong. The greatest length,
from Cloch Point on the NW to near Laird's
Seat on the SE, is 30 1/2 miles; the greatest breadth near the centre,
from the grounds of Erskine House on the Clyde on the N to a point on Dubbs
Burn near Beith Station on the SSW, is 13 miles; and the area is about
250 square miles, or 162,400 acres, of which 2021 are foreshore and
3621 water. Of the land area nearly two thirds is cultivated, there
being 92,217 acres in 1896 under crop, bare fallow, and grass, while
5961 were under wood, the rest being occupied by buildings and roads,
etc., or by rough hill grazings and waste ground.
Commencing at the NW corner at Kempock Point the boundary line follows the river Clyde for 17 3/4 miles to the mouth of Yoker Burn, up which it passes, following it nearly to its source. Thereafter it strikes across to Yokermains Burn, which it follows up till beyond Scaterig, whence it returns by the E side of Jordanhill and Scotstoun House grounds to the Clyde at the old line of the Marline
Ford. Crossing the river it proceeds by an old channel of the Clyde
along the western and south-western boundaries of the parish of GOVAN
to the line of railway now occupying the old course of the Glasgow and
Paisley Canal. Thence it proceeds southwards and eastwards along the
Glasgow boundary line to a point half-way between Cathcart Church and Aikenhead
Colliery. From this it bends southward and westward to the White Cart,
and follows the course of that stream to the junction with Threepland Burn, which it follows for 1/4 mile, and then winds southward and south-westward to a point midway between Quarry Hill and Muir
Hill. Here it turns to the WSW in a very winding course, always near
but seldom actually on the line of watershed between the streams that
flow south-westward to the Garnock, Annick, and Irvine, and so to the
Firth of Clyde; and those that flow north-eastward to the Gryfe, Black
and White Carts, and so to the river Clyde. The line is therefore
mostly artificial, but to the E of Beith station it follows the course
of Roebank Burn, and to the W of the station the courses of Dubbs Burn and Maich Water, and passing between Misty Law Moor and Ladyland Moor, reaches the watershed at Misty Law (1663 feet). It follows the watershed by East Girt Hill (1673 feet) and Hill of Stake (1711), to the E shoulder of Burnt Hill (1572), whence it takes the line of Calder Water for 1 1/2 mile, crosses to the upper waters of the North
Rotten Burn, follows this down to about 1/2 mile from Loch Thom, and
then striking across to Kelly Dam follows Kelly Water down to the pier
at Wemyss Bay. From this back northward to Kempock Point, the Firth of
Clyde is again the boundary.
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