The Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal was started in 1807 with the intention to link Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone with Ardrossan to provide a transport link for materials which was not possible on the River Clyde at the time due to the shallow depth of water. The initial stretch of the canal ran between Paisley and Johnstone with the connection to Port Eglington in Glasgow made in 1811. The canal was designed to use the contours of the land to provide a fast route with no locks and was surveyed by Thomas Telford, John Rennie and John Ainslie.

The canal was never completed to Ardrossan as works carried out along the Clyde to deepen it made it more navigable to shipping. The canal was purchased in 1869 by the Glasgow and South Western Railway Company. In 1881, an Act of Parliament closed the canal and much of the route was used to construct the Paisley Canal Line. This line still uses the River Cart Aqueduct (which it crosses at a skewed angle). This makes the former aqueduct the worlds oldest railway bridge that is still in active use.

Short sections of the original canal can still be seen at the Millarston and Ferguslie Mills area of Paisley. Houses in Tenenter Way and Cropton Grove face across the remnants. Traces of the old canal are also visible in fields between Hawkhead and Rosshall.