Houston | |
---|---|
Houston shown within Renfrewshire | |
Population | 6,610 (1991 census) |
OS grid reference | NS404667 |
Civil parish | |
Council area | |
Lieutenancy area | |
Country | Scotland |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | JOHNSTONE |
Postcode district | PA6 |
Dialling code | 01505 |
Police | Scottish |
Fire | Scottish |
Ambulance | Scottish |
EU Parliament | Scotland |
UK Parliament | |
Scottish Parliament | |
Houston (/ˈhuːstən/ HOOS-tən) is a village in the council area of Renfrewshire and the larger historic county of the same name in the west central Lowlands of Scotland.
Houston lies within the Gryffe Valley 6 miles (10 km) north-west of Paisley and is the largest settlement in the civil parish of Houston and Killellan, which covers the neighbouring village of Crosslee and a number of smaller settlements in the villages' rural hinterland.
Built around a 16th-century castle and parish church dedicated to Saint Peter, which gave the area its former name of Kilpeter ("Cille Pheadair" in Scottish Gaelic), the present old village of Houston dates back to the 18th century and was designated a conservation area in 1968. A larger area of modern residential settlement has grown up around the village mainly in the mid-to late 20th century, at parts of the village such as at Craigends and Brierie Hills. These additions to the village have expanded its population considerably, changing its character chiefly to a dormitory settlement for nearby Glasgow and Paisley.