Giffnock is an area within East Renfrewshire, Scotland. Giffnock's location within Greater Glasgow effectively makes it a suburb of the city, though it remains administratively separate. It has a population of about 9,300 people. It is located very close to where the A77 road from Glasgow to Kilmarnock crosses the A727 from Paisley to East Kilbride (at 55n48 x 04w19) and is served by Giffnock railway station on the Glasgow South Western Line branch to East Kilbride. It lies outside the City of Glasgow local authority area and houses the administrative offices of East Renfrewshire council.

Panaoramic View of Fenwick Road, the main street in Giffnock.

Giffnock is host to an array of local businesses, including a Mercedes-Benz car dealer, a BMW car dealer, a Morrisons superstore and an array of restaurants, tandooris, cafes, snack bars, take-aways, off-licenses, newsagents, butchers, clothing shops, boutiques, banks. There is also a pub in the centre of Giffnock called the "OP" or Orchard Park, part of the Orchard Park Hotel which was previously a maternity hospital in which some sources claim that present UK PM Gordon Brown was born.^[1] Other sources indicate he was actually born in Govan.^[2][3][4]

Giffnock is the home to the 28th Glasgow (Giffnock) Scout Group, and the Scout Hall which has played a part in community. It is also home to St Ninian's High School, which, like East Renfrewshire's other schools, is one of Scotland's top-performing state schools. Also in Giffnock are two primary schools, Giffnock primary school and Braidbar primary school, both providing consistently good results from scholars attending.

Giffnock is also home to Rouken Glen and Huntly Park. Also, Giffnock boasts various sports facilities including swimming baths, various gyms, a tennis club, various bowling clubs and a rugby club.

Giffnock has various religious houses including the immense Giffnock Synagogue, Orchard Hill Church and Orchard Park Church.

The Dramatic Arts have their place in Giffnock, primarily rooting from the Eastwood Park Theatre, but also in the local groups such as the Giffnock Players, the Drama Workshop and Park Players.

Current proposals to build 178 houses on Braidbar Quarries next to Huntly park would mean the park would close for 2 years. The development of the quarries would resolve some long standing issues with subsidence that affect a number of houses to the south of the park as well as stabilising unsafe ground which is a potential danger to the community.

Map of Giffnock in 1923

Also, in an article by local paper The Extra, Giffnock was hailed as 'The Gateway to East Renfrewshire'.

See also

• East Renfrewshire

Notes

1. ↑
2. ↑
3. ↑
4. ↑ FAMOUS FOLK, Kirkcaldy Civic Society