SAW017828 SCOTLAND (1948). Paisley, general view, showing Arbuckle Smith and Co., Mackean Street and Abbotsinch Airfield. An oblique aerial photograph taken facing north. This image has been produced from a crop marked negative.

Abbotsinch pillbox.

A superb image showing to the top left the Hangers and Nissan huts of the then Royal Air Force 602 Squadron (City of Glasgow) Auxiliary Air Force and later,from 1943, exclusively the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Base HMS Sanderling. The Navy left in 1963 and the airfield became Glasgow Airport replacing the old airport at Renfrew.



Greenock Road (running NW -SE)is now cut in half with both the main runway for the airport and the M8 Motorway. The M8 runs East to West in a line approximately running between the Nissan Huts to the right and the Prefab Housing (Gockston, and the runway in a SW - NE direction just to the North of the large Hangers (which still exist and house 'Loganair')



The large park with the Bandstand is St James Park, locally know as the Racecourse as it was at one time in the early 1900's used for that purpose. Interesting also to see the Fairground in the park which suggestes this photo would have been taken during the first fortnight in August - the Paisley Fair- when the town all but ground to a halt for the annual fortnights holidays.