Coats Observatory, Paisley

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Coats Observatory is one of four public observatories operating in the UK, all of which are sited in Scotland.

Coats Observatory is located in Oakshaw Street, Paisley and was designed by Glasgow architect John Honeyman, with funding coming from local thread manufacturer Thomas Coats. The design incorporated many impressive features of Victorian architecture including wrought iron work from the Saracen Foundry in Glasgow, carvings by John Young and stained glass windows featuring Galileo, Kepler and William Herschel.

The building opened on October 1st 1883. The first telescope was a five inch refractor built by Thomas Cooke of York. Other equipment included an orrery, spectroscope and a transit telescope. Meteorological recording was undertaken on a daily basis, and has continued uninterrupted to the present day.

In 1889 an additional ten inch refracting telescope was purchase, manufactured by Howard Grubb of Dublin. This telescope is still in use at the observatory.

In 1901 a pavilion was added to house seismic recording equipment. The pavilion was demolished circa 1930 but the observatory continues to function as a seismic monitoring station for British Geological Survey.

Coats Observatory is open on a daily basis (except Monday) and runs evening viewing nights throughout the winter months.