Tom Arthur, MSP for Renfrewshire South, recently met with local historian and archaeologist, Stephen Clancy, at Kilbarchan’s Weaver’s Cottage to present a copy of the motion which has been lodged in the Scottish Parliament commending Mr Clancy for his heritage walks.
Mr Clancy, who is the walk leader for the Urban Historian, regularly hosts heritage walks around Renfrewshire and Paisley, as well as short courses on local history and archaeology.
The Urban Historian walks take participants on a tour through local sites which are revealed for their historical significance by Mr Clancy, who used to teach at University of West of Scotland and Dundee.
Following the meeting, Tom said: “Stephen Clancy has made a great contribution to promoting awareness of local history. It can be easy to forget the rich history of our towns and villages here in Renfrewshire and I was pleased to recognise his work in the area.
“We are lucky to have so many local cultural treasures like Weaver’s Cottage in Kilbarchan, which symbolises Renfrewshire’s longstanding and world famous connection with textiles. It remains today as a window into our local history and is a popular attraction where people can see how traditional tartan was made 200 years ago by hand using traditional equipment.
“I commend Stephen Clancy on this fantastic initiative and I look forward to his future work, revealing Renfrewshire’s historical treasures to the public.”
Motion Text:
The Urban Historian
That the Parliament commends Stephen Clancy, who runs The Urban Historian heritage walks, on leading a group of locals around the historic village of Kilbarchan; understands that Stephen hosts walks across Renfrewshire throughout the year and that many of those who attended them learnt a lot about their hometowns; believes that his heritage walks are extremely enriching, as they uncover the historic wealth of towns and villages in Renfrewshire, such as Kilbarchan; recognises what it sees as his great contribution in developing awareness of local history, and wishes him the very best with his continuing work in history and archaeology.
Motion link: https://bb.parliament.scot/
Motions/DetailsPartial/S5M- 05005/20170403