55°52′41″N4°34′26″W / 55.878°N 4.574°W /55.878; -4.574
Strathgryffe orGryffe Valley[a] (Scottish Gaelic:Srath Ghriobhaidh) is thestrath ofRiver Gryffe, which lies within thehistoric county ofRenfrewshire in the westcentral Lowlands ofScotland.
Strathgryffe also gives its name to a feudallordship, which covered the western portion of Renfrewshire in the 12th century and formed the nucleus of the county. The land was originally associated with theHouse of Stewart, who went on to be monarchs of Scotland and laterGreat Britain.
The settlements of Strathgryffe are divided between thecouncil areas ofInverclyde andRenfrewshire and largely follow the flow of the River Gryffe, fromKilmacolm in the far west to where the river meets theBlack Cart Water betweenHouston andInchinnan. Other significant settlements includeBridge of Weir,Quarriers Village andCrosslee.
AStrath is a wideglen. The term is rendered inScots Gaelic as 'Srath' and inModern Welsh as 'Ystrad'.
'Stragrif' is mentioned in the 1169 charter ofPaisley Abbey, which placed the churches of the area under the control of the newabbey. Later, the name 'Gryff' is recorded in the Military Survey of Scotland 1747–1755, compiled byWilliam Roy, a predecessor to theOrdnance Survey maps ofGreat Britain.
The 'Gryffe' spelling has gained predominance in the area, seen for example in signposts showing the name of the river and the names of organisations such as theGryffe ValleyRotary Club andGryffe High School.
The lands of Strathgryffe were granted by KingDavid I toWalter fitz Alan, firstHigh Steward of Scotland, and founder of theStewart family in Scotland, probably in the 1150s.[1][2] The Royal house would continue to hold lands in Renfrewshire, with the heir to the British throne holding the title ofBaron Renfrew, and in part forming theprincipality of Scotland.
In the early 15th century, the area emerged as acounty by the nameRenfrewshire, owing to the Stewart's base atRenfrew Castle. Initially the chief magistrate in a county was itssheriff - and later in the 15th century the position ofSheriff of Renfrew was held by the Sempill family - an arrangement that continued until the 17th century.
The geography of the area is a contrasting mix of green fields surrounding the river, with roughmoorland in the higher areas, particularlyClyde Muirshiel Regional Park.[3]
There are a number of villages in Strathgryffe, varying considerably in size. The following straddle or are immediately adjacent to the River Gryffe:
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