Kilbarchan Steeple

The Kilbarchan Steeple stands in the heart of Kilbarchan, a small town in Renfrewshire. The tower was built around 1775 by stonemason David Kerr. It has a square base and rises above the Steeple Street in the town’s north-west corner. A bronze statue of Habbie Simpson, the town’s former bagpiper, sits above the entrance. The wooden statue from 1822 was replaced by bronze in 1922. The tower is Category A listed and once held scheduled monument status. Its attached two-storey building was added in 1782 and served as a school and market hall. The community centre still stands beside the steeple today. The bronze figure of Habbie Simpson remains a local landmark. Visitors find a quiet square around the tower with the old community building beside it. The statue of the bagpiper looks down on the street below. The stone tower itself shows simple, solid craftsmanship from the 18th century. The whole site sits at the edge of the town centre, easy to reach and free of crowds.