Looking south from the Kilpatrick Hills to Old Kilpatrick with Erskine Hospital on the far bank of the River Clyde

The village is situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, three miles from Clydebank on the road to Dumbarton.

Its name means "the cell of Patrick", and there is a myth that it was the birthplace of Saint Patrick.

According to Sheppard Frere's "Britannia -- A History of Roman Britain", the western end of the Antonine Wall was at Old Kilpatrick. (The eastern end, 59 km distant was at Bridgeness on the Forth.) The physical traces of the wall had been erased but the route was surveyed during the 18th century and traced to the Chapel Hill where various Roman artifacts were found.^[1]

Old Kilpatrick was created a Burgh of barony in 1697 ^[2]. Its population tripled between 1755 and 1821 as the spinning and weaving industries developed. By 1831 the population was 5,800.^[3]

Today it is at the north end of the Erskine Bridge and has a small railway station on the North Clyde Line.

It has a public house called the Ettrick where bands may play monthly. There is another pub called the Glen Lusset nearby.

There used to be an annual fete but it died out in the 1990s. Thankfully though the annual fetes have now came back and are attended by everyone. Also at the north end of Old Kilpatrick is the local school. Gavinburn Primary School (which was bombed in WW2) where they also have many fetes annually.

The minerals edingtonite and thomsonite were first found at Old Kilpatrick.^[4]

Notable people

• Bobby Finan - former Blackpool, Crewe Alexandra and Wigan Athletic footballer. Also received one wartime cap for Scotland.
• Billy Kemp - Former councillor and founder of the Old Kilpatrick Summer Camp.

References