A discovery that initially caused alarm in Paisley has now been ruled non-suspicious, following the finding of human remains at a construction site on Orchard Street.
Emergency services were called to the scene at around 12.40pm on Tuesday after the remains were uncovered during routine work. The area was cordoned off as forensic officers and detectives launched an investigation.
After extensive enquiries, police have confirmed there was no criminality involved in the case.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said:
“Around 12.40pm on Tuesday, 29 July, 2025, human remains were found at a premises on Orchard Street in Paisley. Extensive enquiries have been carried out and no criminality has been established.”
The origin of the remains is still to be publicly confirmed, but speculation locally has ranged from historical burials to medical research waste from a past era. Orchard Street is steeped in history and once housed several institutions, including the former Royal Alexandra Infirmary and surrounding industrial sites.
Construction work in such historically rich areas occasionally uncovers remnants of the past — some unsettling, others deeply revealing. While this discovery won’t lead to a criminal investigation, it does raise questions about the layers of Paisley’s story that still lie buried beneath its streets.
Paisley Photographs 