Dumbarton


View of Dumbarton from Dumbarton Castle

This evening, I am posting information on the town of Dumbarton in S. W. Scotland, some twenty-one miles from Glasgow.
Dumbarton has a long and fascinating history as summarised below:
  • Remains of local crannogs indicate the area was occupied in the iron-age, about 2000 years ago.
  • Dumbarton Rock ( basalt plug of an ancient volcano) was a fortified settlement the centre of a regional power base, known as the Kingdom of Strathclyde, during the early medieval period ( 7th-9th centuries AD). The name translates as ‘Fort of the Britons’ who spoke a Brittonic ( Welsh) language.
  • During the Industrial Revolution, Dumbarton’s position on the navigable River Clyde provided a natural advantage in shipbuilding, which lasted until the 1960s.
  • Now suffering a population decline the town centre has examples of many buildings reflecting Dumbarton’s prosperous and more confident past.
Today, the castle is a major visitor attraction which provides an excellent platform for viewing the Firth of Clyde and wider local landscape.


River Leven at Dumbarton, Scotland

Municipal Buildings, Dumbarton, Scotland


View of Dumbarton Rock (and Castle) at low tide.
Former Macmillan Shipyard Offices, Dumbarton, Scotland

Sheriff Court House, Dumbarton, Scotland
Riverside Parish Church, Dumbarton, Scotland


Dumbarton High Street, Scotland
Experimental Denny Tank in Maritime Museum, Dumbarton, Scotland
View of Dumbarton, Scotland from Castle

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