Hillington Industrial Estate

 industrial area, draw only border, business park

 Upload a photo

The first and largest industrial estate of its kind in Scotland, Hillington set new standards in the design and provision of industrial and commercial premises. Set up in 1934 by an Act of Parliament, it was designated a "special area" in response to the depression of the 1930s. Building work started in 1937 and a year later eighty-four factories had been let. Rearmament, followed by the Second World War, ensured that the industries on the estate thrived and provided employment for around 18,000 workers at its peak.

Hillington Industrial Estate remains a successful business location in the 21st century, helped by the proximity of the M8 motorway and Glasgow Airport. Retail units and service industries have taken over from many of the original factories.

Hillington Industrial Estate is located at the eastern extremity of Renfrewshire. It is 4.5km (2.8 miles) east of Paisley, accessible from the A736 or M8 Motorway.

The estate was opened by HRH The Queen Mother on 3rd May 1938 and was the first industrial estate created in Scotland. It is still one of the largest. Most jobs are in the light industrial sector.

The estate is divided into two by the Renfrewshire-Glasgow council boundary. It is services by two railway stations, Hillington East (located across the boundary in Glasgow) and Hillington West (in Renfrewshire).

Hillington Indistrial Estate is served by two railway stations. The first station opened on 10th March 1934 and was called Hillington. When a second station opened on 1st April 1940, Hillington was renamed Hillington East, and the new station was to known as Hillington West.

The world famous maker of top quality aero engines Rolls Royce was based at Hillington prior to it’s move to Inchinnan. The factory was built to manufacture the famous Merlin engine for Spitfires and Hurricanes during World War Two. The company said it wanted to move into a brand new premises as the WWII vintage factory was just getting too old. The Scottish Executive gave Rolls Royce £15 million to temp them to stay in Scotland, as they had allegedly been looking at the Czech Republic as an option.