AN archaeological dig is to take place at Paisley Abbey in the hope of uncovering some of the secrets of the past.

Renfrewshire Council has been awarded £10,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to conduct a dig at part of the medieval Abbey drain site.

It will result in a previously unexplored part of the site being excavated to shed light on what lies underground.

It is hoped the Wee Dig 2017 will expand what is already known about Paisley's monastic past and inspire archaeologists of the future.

The dig will take place between September 18-24 and there will be a programme of events to allow people to get involved.

The 12th century abbey is the cradle of the Royal House of Stewart as a number of the Stewarts were buried within its walls.

It is also believed Robert II, the first Stewart king of Scotland and the grandson of Robert the Bruce, was born within the walls of Paisley Abbey.

Renfrewshire council leader Iain Nicholson said: "The Wee Dig 2017 is a very exciting project which celebrates our unique heritage, one of the main themes of our Paisley Town Centre action plan which aims to regenerate the town centre and create jobs.

"This project demonstrates how we are delivering on these plans by making the most of our assets to attract more people and businesses into the town."

Lucy Casot, head of HLF in Scotland, said the organisation was a partner in the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology.

She added: "It is our ambition people of all ages will have the chance to discover something new about the heritage they care about.

"We are delighted that thanks to funding from the National Lottery, Paisley will be opening the door to fun, learning and everlasting memories for many people as we celebrate this special year."

Members of the public attending workshop sessions will be able to experience the dig, learn about archaeological techniques and look at artefacts from previous digs.

A film on the Paisley Abbey drain will be featured to allow visitors to see what is under the area of the dig site.

Paisley Abbey Minister, Rev Alan Birss, said: "The Wee Dig will give everyone the opportunity to become detectives investigating our shared past."