The Lowland name of Schaw has a quite separate origin from the great northern clan within the Clan Chattan confederation. Schaw was said to be a second son of Duncan, Earl of Fife, who held the privileged office of cup bearer to the king. Nisbet suggests that they may have acted in this capacity for Alexander II or Alexander III, but there is no certainty of this. The arms of this family allude to their royal office and in this they are similar to the English house of Butler. William Schaw witnessed a charter to the Monastery of Paisley in 1291. The family acquired the lands of Hayley, Wardlaw and Drumchaber in Ayr from James, Great Steward of Scotland, sometime prior to 1309. John Schaw, Lord of Hayley, entered into an agreement with Alan Cathcart which was confirmed by charter under the great seal around 1407. John Schaw of Hayley was part of the Embassy which successfully negotiated the terms of the marriage of James III to Margaret, daughter of the king of Denmark. Andrew Schaw, a younger son of Hayley, received the lands of Sornbeg and Polkemmet in 1477. In 1615 John Schaw received a charter from James VI erecting all his lands into the barony of Sornbeg. The principal family were held to be the Schaws of Sauchie, near Stirling. John Schaw of Sauchie was Comptroller of the Royal Household to James III. The most unusual story connected with this name is that of

Christian Schaw, the eleven-year-old daughter of John Schaw of Bargarran in Renfrewshire, who featured in one of the last witchcraft trials eve held in Scotland. The girl was said to have been tormented by witches at the end of 1696 and the beginning of 1697. In due course, three men and four women were charged with the crime of witchcraft, were condemned to death and were executed at Paisley. Christian clearly survived her supernatural experience and was to become responsible for the establishment of the world-wide trade in thread, based around the town of Paisley. She married in due course and became Lady Blantyre. She was noted for her dexterity in spinning yarn and conceived the idea of manufacturing it into thread. She was encouraged by her younger sisters and neighbours in this enterprise, and a parcel of her thread was sold in Bath, where it was widely acclaimed. She established a modest manufacturing base among the young women of the neighbourhood and the thread was named after her house at Bargarran. Bargarran thread became famous and the industry is still important today.