It is situated on the west bank of the White Cart Water about 4 miles (6.5 km) south of Glasgow city centre.

Originally a small rural hamlet dependent upon the mills along the river, Netherlee became extensively urbanised in the 20th century, developing into an affluent commuter suburb.

The area is served by a parish church, primary school and library, as well as a number of local shops and parks.

[4] The original hamlet of Netherlee developed in connection with a paper mill which was opened on the western bank of the White Cart Water around 1700.

By the 1790s, Netherlee had expanded from the riverside to a new village centre on the main road from Glasgow to Kilmarnock (now the location of MacLaren Place).

Due to building restrictions as a result of the First World War, however, it was not until the 1920s that the majority of residential streets off the main artery were fully developed as they appear today.

Although Renfrewshire ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975, it continues to exist as both a Lieutenancy area and registration county.

Netherlee is also within the ancient parish of Cathcart, which formed the lowest tier of local government between 1845 and 1930, and which continues to exist for some statistical purposes.

Following the abolition of administrative counties in 1975, Netherlee became a part of the new Eastwood District within Strathclyde Region under the two tier system of local government which lasted until the creation of the present unitary authorities in 1996.

In the Parliament of the United Kingdom, Netherlee is represented in the House of Commons as part of the county constituency of East Renfrewshire.

For the Scottish Parliament, Netherlee forms part of the Eastwood constituency within the West of Scotland electoral region.

[8] In a 2014 Royal Mail survey, the G44 postcode – which includes Netherlee – was rated as the most desirable area of Scotland to live in.

Designed by Glasgow architect Andrew Wilson, it was built in 1935 for local landowner John MacLaren Lochead (who lived in the now-demolished Netherlee House) and replaced an earlier cottage-style tenement row.