Dumbartonshire

[Elly]

Dumbarton


Dumbarton lies slightly inland from the north bank of the River Clyde and astride the River Leven, flowing south from Loch Lomond. It has a history which can be traced, in fact or legend, back to the birth here of St Patrick in AD397.





Dumbarton Castle

The key to Dumbarton's history is in the double pointed volcanic plug of rock (see below left) now home to Dumbarton Castle. At least as far back as the iron age (and probably much earlier) this has been the site of a strategically important settlement, whose residents were known to have traded with the Romans. The presence of a settlement here is first recorded in a letter St Patrick wrote to King Ceretic, the British King of Strathclyde at Alcluith (or Clyde Rock) in about AD450.



The Dark Age history of Alcluith is unclear, though the King of the Britons of Strathclyde in about AD570 was Rhydderich Hael, who features in Norse legends. It is said that during his reign Merlin stayed at Alcluith. In 756 the first (and second) losses of Dumbarton Rock were recorded. A joint force of Picts and Northumbrians captured Alcluith after a siege, only to lose it again a few days later. And in 780 Alcluith was burned down: who by, and why, is unclear.

By 870 Dumbarton Rock was home to a tightly packed British settlement that served as a fortress and as the capital of Strathclyde. Buildings would have occupied every even vaguely flat space on the rock. But then the Vikings attacked: Ivar Beinlaus en route from capturing York, and Olaf the White from Ireland. They besieged Alcluith for 15 weeks before destroying it, and carrying the loot and the survivors off as slaves to Ireland in a fleet of 200 longships.

The Kingdom of Strathclyde remained a separate force in Scottish history until 1018, when Malcolm II incorporated it following his defeat of the Northumbrians at the Battle of Carham. The focus of the settlement that went on to become today's Dumbarton was established on a bend in the River Leven half a mile north of Dumbarton Rock, becoming a Royal Burgh in 1222. The rock itself became home to a Royal Castle.

The name "Dumbarton" refers back to its origins, coming from the Scottish Gaelic Dun Breatainn meaning fortress of the Britons. Until 1450 it was known as Dunbretane. How the "n" in the name became an "m" seems unclear, but modern efforts to redress this by naming the local authority "West Dunbartonshire" (with the "n" restored) gives rise to one of the most ludicrous and confusing inconsistencies in Scottish place names.

Dumbarton was badly hit by the black death in 1350 and much of it burned down in 1424. But by the 1600s it was an important port with trade routes as afar afield as the West Indies. By 1800 it was Scotland's largest producer of glass, for bottles and windows.

Shipbuilding first became a really major industry in the town in the early 1800s, with a paddle steamer called Dumbarton Rock being built by Archibald McLachlan in 1815. In 1818 Willian Denny built the Rob Roy in Dumbarton, which went on to become the first steam powered ferry crossing the English Channel.

Denny's shipyard became the most famous, and longest lasting, in Dumbarton. Amongst the most famous of the vessels it produced was the Cutty Sark (though this was actually begun in another yard) as well as many steamers that went on to see service in Scottish waters and throughout the world.

Denny's closed in 1964, though not before spending the years of the Second World War building Sunderland Flying Boats at Dumbarton. More recent industrial ventures have included the building of Scotland's largest grain distillery on the site of an old shipyard in 1938. A detail of the header photo shows this, in turn, under demolition.



Main Street

[Elly]

Dumbarton Castle




South of the centre of Dumbarton rises the 240ft high twin peaked volcanic plug of Dumbarton Rock, with the River Clyde on one side and the River Leven on two more. The Britons had a fortress here before the Romans left these shores, and it was still home to a military base as recently as World War II: a continuity of use of over 1500 years

There are three things you need to know before visiting Dumbarton Castle. The first is that you will need to climb large numbers of steps in order to get anywhere at all on the rock. The second is that there have been three quite different stages of development on Dumbarton Rock, and what you see today is mostly only the most recent phase, which swept away much of what had preceded it. And the third is that though a visit may leave you wondering whether Dumbarton Castle really is a castle in any traditional sense, it is a fascinating experience, and well worth making a detour to see.

The presence of a settlement here is first recorded in a letter St Patrick wrote to King Ceretic, the British King of Strathclyde at Alcluith (or Clyde Rock) in about AD450. In it he complained about a raid the Britons had made on his Irish converts. This date is supported by archeological evidence (fragments of wine amphoras) that suggest that the residents of Dumbarton Rock traded with the Romans, possibly before their departure from Britain in AD367 (see our Historical Timeline).

The Dark Age history of Alcluith is unclear, though the King of the Britons of Strathclyde in about AD570 was Rhydderich Hael, who features in Norse legends. It is said that during his reign Merlin stayed at Alcluith. In 756 the first (and second) losses of Dumbarton Rock were recorded. A joint force of Picts and Northumbrians captured Alcluith after a siege, only to lose it again a few days later. And in 780 Alcluith was burned down: who by, and why, is unclear.











Duke of Argyll's Battery



By 870 Dumbarton Rock was home to a tightly packed British settlement that served as a fortress and as the capital of Strathclyde. Buildings would have occupied every even vaguely flat space on the rock. But then the Vikings attacked: Ivar Beinlaus en route from capturing York, and Olaf the White from Ireland. They besieged Alcluith for 15 weeks before destroying it, carrying the loot and the survivors off as slaves to Ireland in a fleet of 200 longships.

The Kingdom of Strathclyde remained a separate force in Scottish history until 1018, when Malcolm II incorporated it following his defeat of the Northumbrians at the Battle of Carham. This ended the first of the three phases of development on Dumbarton Rock and signalled the start of the second.

By 1222 there was reference to a "new castle" built here. Dumbarton at the time had great strategic significance because much of the west of Scotland was under the control of the King of Norway, including the islands of Arran and, intermittently, Bute in the Clyde Estuary. The defeat of King Håkon of Norway by Alexander III (and by the weather) at the Battle of Largs in 1263 meant Dumbarton was no longer an outpost on a warring frontier, but it remained central to Scottish history over the following centuries.

Very little is know about the way Dumbarton Castle evolved over the period between 1200 and 1600. It certainly looked more like a traditional castle, with extensive development on "The Beak" the flatter more easterly summit, as well as across the gap between the peaks and down the steep slope on the Clyde side of the rock. It also had two gates. One faced the River Clyde as it does today, the other, the North Entry, faced the town of Dumbarton.

Only two of the surviving structures date back to this period. The Portcullis Arch above the Guard House was built in the 1300s, and the Guard House itself dates back to about 1580.

During this middle phase of its life, Dumbarton Castle served as a royal castle, a place of sanctuary in times of trouble, and a convenient place to keep prisoners secure. It also saw far more than its share of action.

King David II sought refuge at Dumbarton in 1333 after the Scots lost the Battle of Haildon Hill, and sailed from here to France. In 1435 James I's daughter also went to France from here to marry Louis, the heir to the French throne. In 1489 James IV besieged the castle twice to suppress a rebellion by Lord Darnley. The great gun Mons Meg was used in the second, successful, siege.

In the turbulence following the Battle of Flodden, Dumbarton Castle was captured in 1514 by the Earl of Lennox, who burrowed under the North Gate under cover of a stormy night. In 1523 the Castle was briefly garrisoned with French troops by the Duke of Albany, though by 1530 it was held by James V. In 1545 Dumbarton was captured on behalf of the child Mary Queen of Scots, who came here for safety in 1548 before sailing for France. She next visited Dumbarton Castle after her return to Scotland, 13 years later. In 1568, she was moving towards Dumbarton Castle after her escape from Lochleven Castle when her forces were intercepted and defeated at the Battle of Langside. Mary then fled to England and captivity, never to return.

But Mary's supporters in Scotland were still active and still held Dumbarton Castle. On 1 May 1571 troops under the command of a Captain Crawford captured the castle after climbing the cliffs on the north side of The Beak in darkness, and Mary's remaining supporters in the west of Scotland either fled or were killed.

Dumbarton Castle's third phase of development followed a period of decline and disrepair. It was considered incapable of being defended by the time of Cromwell's arrival in 1652, and surrendered without a fight. Over the period from 1670 to 1790 most of the earlier buildings were swept away and replaced with what you can see today. These were designed first to enable Dumbarton to provide a secure base for Government Troops during the Jacobite uprisings of 1689, 1715 and 1745. Later the primary concerns were to defend the River Clyde against French naval attack, and to accommodate French Prisoners.

The Governor's House and King George's Battery that dominate the Clyde side of the rock were built in 1735. In 1795 the North Gate facing the town was blocked and replaced by the Duke of York's Battery. Of the various buildings also erected at the time in the cleft between the peaks, only the "French Prison" remains. The other notable building today is the Magazine, built on The Beak in 1748 after earlier buildings had been demolished. This was designed to survive a direct hit by an artillery shell, an event that had largely destroyed Fort Augustus in February 1746.

The military left Dumbarton Castle in 1865, which by then was already becoming a tourist attraction. The army took it over again in 1914, and in 1939, and the castle saw its last action in May 1941 when a German aircraft dropped four bombs on Dumbarton Rock during a raid on the Clyde. Today it is in the care of Historic Scotland.



Governor's House


guard house




French Prison


Wallace Tower


The Beak


main door

[Elly]

Loch Lomond




Measuring twenty-seven and a half square miles, Loch Lomond is the largest single inland waterway in Britain. It is a haven for tourists, being only 20 miles north-west of Glasgow and on one of the main routes north.



Luss Pier



Inversnaid hotel












Loch Lomond was formed during the Ice Age by the action of glaciers. Later it was at the junction of three ancient kingdoms, Strathclyde, Dalriada and Pictland. The loch also crosses the highland fault line, noticeable in its changing character and more rugged terrain moving from south to north. The highest mountain in the area and the most southerly Munro, Ben Lomond (3195ft), sits on the loch's eastern shore.

There are 37 islands in the loch, some having seen habitation: they made perfect retreats for early Christians. One island, Inchmurrin, takes its name from the missionary St Mirrin who spent some time there.







The main tourist focus is on the western shore of the loch, along the A82 and at the southern end, around Balloch. Here is the place to head for boat trips around the loch or to view the pleasure craft. This is also the home of Maid of the Loch, an authentic paddle steamer currently undergoing restoration. Near by, the new Loch Lomond Shores development is attracting large numbers of visitors. Balloch Pier is also used by Loch Lomond Seaplanes as the departure point of some of their flights.

Most picturesque of Loch Lomond's villages is Luss on the west bank. Its streets are laid out in a linear pattern and were originally part of the planned estate village built by the Colquhouns. Recently restored, they present a pretty sight, as does the parish church with its interesting central altar. But most striking are the views from the loch-side walk and pier, extending uninterrupted along the loch.

Also on the western side are the villages of Arden, Tarbet and, most northerly, Ardlui. Arden boasts Scotland's most beautiful Youth Hostel, housed in a grand turreted building complete with ghost. Tarbet, 17 miles north of Balloch, is on the West Highland line from Glasgow to Mallaig as is Ardlui at the mountain-framed head of the loch.

From Inverbeg, halfway between Luss and Tarbet, passenger ferries cross Loch Lomond to Rowardennan on the eastern side. Here there is a hotel and a Youth Hostel. This is the quiet side of the loch and few tourists venture north of here.

The eastern side carries the West Highland Way on its route north to Fort William from its start point at Milngavie just north of Glasgow; and from the car park at the end of the public road just beyond Rowardennan Hotel, is the start of the 'tourist route' up Ben Lomond.

The main place of habitation and also of tourism on this side of the loch is the village of Balmaha, at the end of the B837. Sitting directly behind it is Conic Hill, a humpy mound that marks the geological line where the highlands begin. This is a busy place in summer, being the stepping off point for boat excursions round Loch Lomond's islands.

[Elly]

Balloch



Balloch lies at the south end of Loch Lomond where the River Leven exits the loch before taking its short journey to the River Clyde at Dumbarton. The name comes from the Gaelic "bealach" which means, oddly at first sight, mountain pass. Some have interpreted this as an indication that the River Leven was fordable here, but it seems more likely that it refers to the River's function in providing a "pass" for boats between Loch Lomond and the sea.

Today's Balloch is effectively a northern extension of its more industrial neighbour Alexandria. The core of the town lies a little south of the shore of Loch Lomond, but this in no way diminishes the strength of the link between town and loch.

This is most strongly demonstrated by a stroll across the bridge that crosses the River Leven in the town. From here you can see the huge numbers of small vessels berthed at Balloch for use on Loch Lomond.




Balloch House Hotel


Loch Lomond Shores


And some of the vessels are not so small. Balloch is the main base of Sweeney's Cruises. This family run business has been operating boats on Loch Lomond for over 120 years. Today they have a fleet of five passenger vessels, ranging from the Skylark IX, which achieved fame off the beaches of Dunkirk in 1940, through to two vessels added to the fleet in 2002, the Lomond Duchess and the Glen Falloch.

Balloch became an important gateway to Loch Lomond during the 1800s, when many steamers operated on the loch. In 1850 the railway reached Balloch, and continued right to a station built alongside the newly completed Balloch Pier on the loch.

Today the railway stops in Balloch itself, and for a time in the 1970s and 1980s the demise of the traditional steamer services suggested that Balloch might actually turn its back on the lochside area altogether. Thankfully this never quite happened. The last steamer in service on Loch Lomond, the Maid of the Loch, which had been left to rot at Balloch Pier in 1981, was restored to become a static attraction during the 1990s, and the eventual aim is to return it to service on the loch.

The resurgence of the lochside area continued when, in 2002, the Loch Lomond Shores development right on the shore of Loch Lomond opened its doors with a range of shopping and other attractions, including the National Park Gateway Centre. More recently still, Loch Lomond Seaplanes have begun to use Balloch Pier for some of their operations, allowing visitors to see much of Scotland from a very different perspective and use the seaplane's unique ability to drop in on the remotest of island, coastal or lochside locations.


Visitors Information Centre


Train station