Lochwinnoch is a village in the council area and historic area of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. Lying on the banks of Castle Semple Loch as well as the River Calder, Lochwinnoch is mainly a domestic dormitory town serving neighboring urban centres such as Glasgow and Paisley. Its population in 2001 was 2628. The Community likewise lends its name to a civil parish of some 50 sq mi (130 km2) of the surrounding countryside, including the nearby town of Howwood. The parish boundaries 7 others: Beith, Kilbarchan, Kilbirnie, Kilmacolm, Largs, Neilston and Paisley. Today, Lochwinnoch primarily works as a property village, as well as a satellite to the significant city of Glasgow. In 1972, a number of buildings in the village were brought within a freshly specified Lochwinnoch Conservation Area as a location of unique architectural relevance for planning as well as setting objectives carried out by the regional authority. Lochwinnoch Primary School, the only school in the town, celebrated its centenary in 2005. In 2003 it was the centre of a notable alien big cat sighting scare. Youngsters were kept inside throughout break times, and an authorities helicopter was generated to look for the animal.