Lochwinnoch

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Lochwinnoch
Lochwinnoch (Scotland)
Lochwinnoch

Lochwinnoch shown within Scotland
Population 2628[1]
OS grid reference NS353586
Council area Renfrewshire
Lieutenancy area Renfrewshire
Constituent country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town JOHNSTONE
Postcode district PA12
Dialling code 01505
Police Strathclyde
Fire Strathclyde
Ambulance Scottish
European Parliament Scotland
UK Parliament Douglas Alexander (Lab), Paisley & Renfrewshire South
Scottish Parliament Trish Godman (Lab), West Renfrewshire
West of Scotland
List of places: UKScotland

Coordinates: 55°47′33″N 4°37′43″W / 55.79255, -4.62856

Lochwinnoch is a village in Renfrewshire, Scotland, located on the banks of Castle Semple Loch and the River Calder. It is a mainly residential dormitory village.[2]

The village also lends its name to a civil parish of some fifty square miles of the surrounding countryside, including the nearby village of Howwood. The parish borders seven others: Beith, Kilbarchan, Kilbirnie, Kilmacolm, Largs, Neilston and Paisley.[3]

Contents

[edit] History

East end of the High Street with the facade of the former St Winnoc's Church in the centre.
East end of the High Street with the facade of the former St Winnoc's Church in the centre.

Its name derives either from the Gaelic innis meaning 'island', or from St Winnoc, to whom a nearby chapel was dedicated.

In 1795, there were nine mills located in Lochwinnoch and the village was developed mainly to accommodate the work force.[4] As such, the village is largely a planned community, rather than one evolving over time.[5] Today, it chiefly serves as a residential village. In 1972, a number of buildings in the village were brought within a Lochwinnoch convervation area administered by the local authority.[6]

[edit] Places of interest

Water sports on Castle Semple Loch
Water sports on Castle Semple Loch

The loch plays host to a variety of watersports, being part of the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park and an RSPB bird sanctuary is nearby. There are three public houses in Lochwinnoch; the Corner Bar, the Brown Bull and the Garthland Arms. There is also one restaurant, the Junction Bistro. Lochwinnoch Golf Club (eighteen holes) is on Burnfoot Rd.[7]

There are three places of worship in the village. Lochwinnoch Parish Church (Church of Scotland) is located on Church Street and meets on Sunday at 11.00am, as does the Calder United Free Church also of Church Street. Our Lady of Fatima Roman Catholic Church meets at 10.00am in its building on the High Street.

[edit] Transport

The village is served by Lochwinnoch railway station on the Ayrshire Coast Line. Opened in 1840 it lies to the south east of the village, and is unstaffed.

A second Lochwinnoch railway station was opened in 1905 as part of the Dalry and North Johnstone Line, with the first station being renamed Lochside, until reverting to its original name when the second closed in 1966. The former railway line serving this second station has been converted into a cyclepath and is now part of the National Cycle Network's National Cycle Route Number 7. running from Glasgow to Gretna.

[edit] Schools

Lochwinnoch Primary School, the village's only school, is situated on Calder Street.[8]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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