Sma' Shot Cottages

Sma' Shot Cottages The Sma' Shot Cottage complex is unique in Scotland and allows a great opportunity to see two distinct periods in Paisley's weaving history.

The Sma Shot Cottages are a major attraction in the Renfrewshire area, providing visitors with an insight into two distinct periods of Paisley's weaving history. On entering from Shuttle Street, visitors immediately step back into the 18th century into the typical weaver's cottage which was originally built in the 1750s. The cottage has been matched to written descriptions in histories of the town

and has only been altered slightly from original dimensions in the 19th century. On crossing the yard, you will visit a small row of three cottages, dated 70 years ahead in the 1820s-1840s, where you can immerse yourself in history as you experience life as a weaver in this historical town during the 19th century. Come along and join us in our tea room, where we serve beverages and homemade goods and share stories of the past. We are open April-September, every Wednesday and Saturday 12pm-4pm, and Fridays 1-5pm. Group/private tours can be arranged on request. Sma Shot Cottages are owned and run by the Old Paisley Society, a registered charity (SC001908). Admission is free, however, all donations towards the upkeep of the cottages are gratefully accepted.

Sma' Shot Cottages are taking part in Doors Open Weekend. Come in and see us. Saturday 12.00noon till 4.00pm and Sunday ...
01/09/2026

Sma' Shot Cottages are taking part in Doors Open Weekend. Come in and see us. Saturday 12.00noon till 4.00pm and Sunday 1.00pm to 4.00pm. You can enter our museum via 2 Sma' Shot Lane or 14 Shuttle Street. Take a tour of 18th and 19th Century cottages. Pop into our well stocked shop and visit our tearoom.

98 years ago today Mrs Donoghue paid a visit to a cafe in Wellmeadow Street and what ensued made legal history. Why not ...
26/08/2026

98 years ago today Mrs Donoghue paid a visit to a cafe in Wellmeadow Street and what ensued made legal history. Why not pop in to the Cottages today and hear the story of the slug in a bottle? 1pm and 2pm Linda will tell the tale in our tearoom. Afternoon teas are fully booked but there is room if you would like a cup of tea and homebaking while you join us in a toast to Mrs D and her persistence. (There are some spaces on Friday for Afternoon Teas and a repeat rendition).

Here is a tale of an erstwhile wee snail who drowned, we fear, in cold ginger beer. We promise this really isn't a joke,...
23/08/2026

Here is a tale of an erstwhile wee snail who drowned, we fear, in cold ginger beer. We promise this really isn't a joke, what followed would actually give ye the boak.......Come along to the Sma' Shot Cottages on Wednesday 26th August between 12 noon and 3.00pm to find out what happens next. One of our volunteer guides, Linda, will tell the story of the Slug in a Bottle and you can enjoy afternoon tea (£9.50 pp) with the option of ginger beer and ice cream. Our usual menu will also be available but we strongly advise you to book for afternoon tea. There will be a repeat performance on Friday between 1.00pm and 3.30pm. Afternoon tea or home baking only. Really strongly advise booking for both days. Email: [email protected], send us a message or whatsapp on +44 7884 518262.

We're reposting our event coming up Wednesday 26th August. Over the past 2 weeks we have been very busy with Friday afte...
10/08/2026

We're reposting our event coming up Wednesday 26th August. Over the past 2 weeks we have been very busy with Friday afternoon tea bookings. We really would advise booking for this event. Our Cottages are still open Wednesdays and Saturdays when we have a soup, sandwich, toastie and homebaking menu. You can have a guided tour (donations gratefully appreciated) and we have a well stocked gift shop.

Some of our lovely volunteers having a bit of fun on Friday as they re-enacted the famous case of the Slug in a Bottle. ...
02/08/2026

Some of our lovely volunteers having a bit of fun on Friday as they re-enacted the famous case of the Slug in a Bottle. Come join us on WEDNESDAY 26TH AUGUST as we celebrate what became the foundation of duty of care based on the 'neighbour principle' after poor Mrs Donoghue became awfy poorly upon discovering there had been a slug in her ginger beer. We will be offering afternoon tea (£9.50pp) and a bit of story telling each hour with the option of a ginger beer & ice cream (absolutely no slugs....we hope!) from 12noon to 3pm. Booking is essential for this event via whatsapp, messenger, email or telephone. Keep your eye on our page for more info over the next few weeks.

🧵 VISIT THE COTTAGES THIS WEEK! 🧵Thank you for all your lovely comments on the recent archival photographs we posted up ...
15/07/2026

🧵 VISIT THE COTTAGES THIS WEEK! 🧵

Thank you for all your lovely comments on the recent archival photographs we posted up - it's been great to hear from you all and share memories of Paisley.

Please remember that the Sma' Shot Cottages are open this week on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, where you can enjoy a FREE guided tour of our museum, have a cuppa in our tea room, and purchase some local crafts and souvenirs in our gift shop.

We'd love to welcome you in and show you first-hand why we're so passionate about the Cottages and preserving Paisley's weaving heritage!

📸 FROM THE ARCHIVES 📸We've been trawling through many terrific old photographs as we digitise our archive, and while man...
13/07/2026

📸 FROM THE ARCHIVES 📸

We've been trawling through many terrific old photographs as we digitise our archive, and while many of them are directly related to the Cottages we also have plenty from around Paisley and the wider weaving and textiles industry it was famous for.

Here we have a group photo of the "mill girls" from Ferguslie Thread Works' No 1 Spinning Mill. Do you spot anybody you recognise?

We'll be posting more photos as the digitisation process goes on, so keep an eye on the page and share with your friends! And of course, pop into the Sma' Shot Cottages on a Wednesday, Friday or Saturday to learn first-hand about Paisley's weaving history.

📸 SPOT THE COTTAGES! 📸Over the last few months we've started digitising the Cottages' archive of photographs and other m...
10/07/2026

📸 SPOT THE COTTAGES! 📸

Over the last few months we've started digitising the Cottages' archive of photographs and other materials, in order to preserve them for the future and to be able to share them online with you all!

There is a wealth of material to work through, including photos from the restoration and opening of the Cottages in the 1970s and 80s, 19th Century captures around Paisley, royal visits, Sma' Shot Day parades, and much more.

Here is one very interesting photograph from our collection - a high angle photograph taken from Storie Street (as helpfully noted on the back of the photo) which gives an impression of times gone by in the areas surrounding our museum.

💡 Can you spot the Cottages in the photo?
💡 Can you see any other buildings which remain today?
💡 And in which time period would this photograph have been taken?

Please keep an eye out for more gems from our archive coming soon!

08/07/2026

🎬 RESTORING THE SMA' SHOT COTTAGES 🎬

The Sma' Shot Cottages was a passion project by the members of the Old Paisley Society, who came together in the late 1970s to restore the old 18th and 19th Century cottages into a living museum experience celebrating Paisley's weaving heritage.

Check out a snippet of our new documentary film below which explores the restoration, featuring archival photographs showing the transformation of the Cottages into what we know today. And check out the full documentary on our Youtube channel, linked in the comments below.

Address

2 Sma' Shot Lane
Paisley
PA12HG

Opening Hours

Wednesday 12pm - 4pm
Friday 1pm - 5pm
Saturday 12pm - 4pm

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