Dumbarton
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| Town | |
 Skyline of Dumbarton | |
  Dumbarton Location withinWest Dunbartonshire | |
| Population | 20,480 (2020)[4] |
| OS grid reference | NS397759 |
| • Edinburgh | 54 mi (87 km) E |
| • London | 356 mi (574 km) SSE |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DUMBARTON |
| Postcode district | G82 |
| Dialling code | 01389 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
| 55°57′00″N4°34′00″W / 55.95°N 4.566667°W /55.95; -4.566667 | |
Dumbarton (/dʌmˈbɑːrtən/;Scots:Dumbairton,Dumbartoun orDumbertan;Scottish Gaelic:Dùn Breatann[t̪umˈpɾʲɛht̪ən̪ˠ] orDùn Breatainn[t̪umˈpɾʲɛht̪ɪɲ], meaning 'fort of theBritons'[5]) is a town inWest Dunbartonshire,Scotland, on the north bank of theRiver Clyde where theRiver Leven flows into the Clydeestuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,990.[6]
Dumbarton was the capital of the ancientKingdom of Strathclyde, and later thecounty town ofDunbartonshire.Dumbarton Castle, on top of Dumbarton Rock, dominates the area. Dumbarton was aroyal burgh between 1222 and 1975.[7]
Dumbarton emerged from the 19th century as a centre forshipbuilding,glassmaking, andwhisky production. However, these industries have since declined, and Dumbarton today is increasingly acommuter town forGlasgow 13 miles (21 km) east-southeast of it.Dumbarton F.C. is the local football club.
Dumbarton history goes back at least as far as theIron Age and probably much earlier. It has been suggested that inRoman times Dumbarton was the "place of importance" named as Alauna inPtolemy's historic map.[8] Dumbarton is also sometimes associated with the little-known, and hard to place, Roman province ofValentia.[9] However, more recent studies favour locations in England or Wales for this province.[10][11] In post-Roman times the settlement at Dumbarton was known as Alcluith, there is a record in Irish chronicles of the death of Guret,rex Alo Cluathe ("king of Clyde Rock"), in AD 658.[12]
Rhydderch son of Tudwal was a powerful Christian King who reigned at Dumbarton in the late sixth century. He is recorded as fighting against the heathen Angles in Northumbria, and was the patron of St. Kentigern, "apostle of Strathclyde and founder of the bishopric of Glasgow".[13] The fortress of Dumbarton was the stronghold of the kingdom of Alclud, and the centre of Breton power in northern Britain, for more than two centuries from the mid-seventh century, until the Vikings destroyed the fortress after a four-month siege in 870.[14][15] The loss of the British power base led to the emergence of the newkingdom of Strathclyde, or Cumbria, with a major centre at Govan. The title "king of the Britons of Srath Clúade" was first used in 872.[16] Dumbarton was later the county town of thecounty ofDunbartonshire, formerly known asDumbartonshire. The name comes from theScottish GaelicDùn Breatainn meaning "fort of theBrythons (Britons)",[15] and serves as a reminder that the earliest historical inhabitants of Clydesdale spoke an early form of the Welsh language.
Hartfield House was completed in 1853.[17]Alexander II granted the status ofroyal burgh in 1222.[14]
In September 1605 Chancellor Dunfermline reported to King James VI that inundations of the sea were likely to destroy and take away the whole town. It was estimated that the flood defences would cost 30,000 pounds Scots, the cost being levied nationwide.[18]
A bridge over theRiver Leven had been proposed in 1682. The Old Dumbarton Bridge was eventually built in 1765 by John Brown of Dumbarton, at the site of a ferry crossing.[19] It was constructed at the behest of theDuke of Argyll, who was anxious to obtain access to Glasgow from his estate atRosneath. The bridge, with five segmental arches with rounded cutwaters, resulted in the extension of Dumbarton to West Bridgend. The bridge was substantially developed in 1884 and 1934.[19] It is nowB-listed and was refurbished in 2006.
DuringWorld War II Dumbarton was heavily bombed by theGerman air force. The Germans were targeting the shipyards, and the area in the vicinity of the yards was consequently hit, with Clyde and Leven Street being severely damaged. In an attempt to lure the German aircraft away from the shipyards, decoy lights were routinely placed on the Kilpatrick hills above the town, lights were set out on reservoirs to mimic those of the shipyards reflecting on the waters of the Leven and Clyde. The ploy was sometimes successful in diverting the bombers and many bombs fell harmlessly onto the moors and lochs. The Auchenreoch Muir 'Starfish' site above Dumbarton was part of a system of decoy fires operated by the RAF that used pyrotechnics to simulate the appearance of the incendiaries dropped by the German pathfinder aircraft, thereby diverting the bombers from their intended targets. 23 bomb craters are still identifiable in the area around the surviving control bunker as evidence of the success of the diversion.
The one time village and estate of Dumbuck now lie partly within the boundary of Dumbarton, while the remaining portion comprising the associated Dumbuck Hill and its large incorporated quarry (Dumbuck Quarry) are treated here together with the neighbouring village ofMilton, as the next adjacent generally recognised locality today. In the Dumbarton portion, the Category B-listed Dumbuck House, originally constructed for ColonelAndrew Geils, was the original estate house and was converted into a hotel in the 20th century; more recently it has been permitted to fall into disrepair and its future is currently uncertain.[20][21] For additional information regarding the Dumbuck estate, including mention of the somewhat bizarreKosmoid Company that occupied the estate for a short while, refer the article on Andrew Geils. Information on the well known "Dumbuck Crannog" archaeological feature is presently included in the Wikipedia article forMilton Island.
Dumbarton Castle sits onDumbarton Rock, avolcanic plug dating back 334 million years, at the east bank mouth of theRiver Leven, where it flows into theClyde estuary.
The Castle has an illustrious history and many well-known figures from Scottish and British history have visited it. The castle was a royal fortress long before Dumbarton became aroyal burgh; its ownership went from Scottish to English and back again. The castle was an important place during theWars of Independence and was used to imprisonWilliam Wallace for a short time after his capture by the English.[14] It was from here thatMary, Queen of Scots, was conveyed to France for safety as a child. Mary was trying to reach Dumbarton Castle when she suffered her final defeat atLangside. In later times,Queen Victoria andQueen Elizabeth II visited the castle.
Today, Dumbarton Rock is aScheduled Ancient Monument; it has legal protection in order to maintain and conserve the site for the future. As such any sort of work on the rock is strictly regulated by theScottish Government and activities such as climbing on the rock are forbidden. From the top of the castle can be seen both theRiver Clyde and Leven Grove Park.
Levengrove Park was developed in 1885 on grounds of the former Levengrove Estate by the Denny and McMillan families who owned shipbuilding companies with yards located adjacent to the Castle, and gifted to the town.[22]
A grave site in the park sits as the resting place for theviscera of former Scottish kingRobert the Bruce. Removal of these "viscera" for local burial was commonplace at the time, when a person's remains were to be transported a long distance for their own burial.[23]
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From 1975 Dumbarton lent its name to alocal governmentdistrict in theStrathclyderegion ofScotland. In 1996 the administrative functions of this district transferred to theWest Dunbartonshire andArgyll and Bute unitary councils (seeSubdivisions of Scotland). West Dunbartonshire Council is based in modern offices within the oldDumbarton Burgh Hall in Church Street.[24]
There is aDumbarton constituency of the Scottish Parliament and a formerDumbarton constituency of the House of Commons.
There are a number of distinct areas within the town:
Two secondary schools are located in Dumbarton, namelyDumbarton Academy andOur Lady & St Patrick's High School. The town is also served by eight primary schools; Aitkenbar Primary, St. Michael's Primary, Knoxland Primary, Braehead Primary, St. Peter's Primary, St. Patrick's Primary and Dalreoch Primary.
From the mid 18th century to the early 19th century Dumbarton's main industry wasglassmaking. As the glass industry declined the town became a major centre forshipbuilding and remained so well into the 20th century. There were many shipbuilding yards, although a number of them were later absorbed by larger yards. A great many ships were built in the town, the most famous of which is probably theCutty Sark which was built byScott & Linton, she was one of the finalTea Clippers to be built, and one of the fastest. The ship is the last survivor of its type and can be seen today atdry dock inGreenwich, London.
The last major Dumbarton shipyard wasWilliam Denny and Brothers which closed in 1963, and the remaining smaller yards followed over the next few decades. Until recently, the old Denny's shipyard tenderThe Second Snark was still in use on theFirth of Clyde as apassenger ferry and cruise boat. Denny's was an innovative company that had a reputation for research and development; high-pressure turbines and hull stabilisation were two areas where they were highly respected. They even built an early design of helicopter in 1909 and in their final years they were involved in hovercraft development in the form of the Denny D2 Hoverbus. A film clip of this vessel on its maiden trip toOban exists in the Scottish Film Archive.[25]
The last surviving part of the Denny's shipbuilding company is theDenny Ship Model Experiment Tank which forms part of theScottish Maritime Museum. This was the first commercial ship model testing tank built in the world and it retains many original features today: a water tank as long as a football pitch, clay moulding beds for casting wax model ship hulls and the original Victorian machinery used for shaping models.[26]
During the Second World WarBlackburn Aircraft were to produce Sunderland flying boats from a factory adjacent to Denny's shipyard.[27]
There is still a shipyard on the river Leven, Sandpoint Marina.[28] A statue of the shipbuilder and shipowner,Peter Denny, stands outside theMunicipal Buildings.[29]
Whisky production has become a major industry in the town. In 1936 Canadian distilling companyHiram Walker bought over the Glasgow-based distillerGeorge Ballantine & Son Ltd. In 1938 they built a large grain whisky distillery on the river Leven (on the site of the Archibald McMillan shipyard) named the Inverleven distillery. As a result, the town became known as a major centre of thewhisky industry in the mid to late 20th century. The distillery at the height of its production was the largest grain distillery in Europe.[30] Hiram Walker itself was acquired byAllied Breweries in 1988 to form Allied Distillers, itself becoming part ofAllied Domecq before eventually being taken over in 2005 by the French-based alcohol giantPernod Ricard. The large Dumbarton distillery had been mothballed since 2002 and not long after the Pernod-Ricard takeover the giant red-brick buildings of the Dumbarton 'Ballantine's' distillery which had dominated the town for over sixty years were earmarked for demolition and redevelopment, the remains of the distillery were demolished throughout January and February 2017.[31] The site was redeveloped mostly into new housing and flats.[31] The large bonded warehouse complex to the east of the town and the bottling complex to the north-west were retained.
Ballantine's Whisky became well known for the rather unusual 'security' guards used at their bonded warehouse complex at Dumbuck in Dumbarton; these are a large flock of white Chinese geese that were first introduced in 1959.[32] Starting with just six individuals, this has risen to close to 100 birds today.[32] They have the nickname 'TheScotch watch' and have been widely used in promotional material for the Ballantine'sblended whisky.[32] The geese are part of the tradition of the facility, and are both a tourist attraction and advertising icon.[32] The Goosekeeper at the time (as of 1996) was Arthur Carroll,[32] but as of 1997 they have been replaced by CCTV cameras.[32]
Other whisky-related site closures such as theJ&B Scotch Whisky bottling plant and bond in the north of the town have contributed to the decline in Dumbarton's importance to the drink industry. However, part of the J&B bond has found a new life as a film set for television productions such as 'River City,Still Game andTwo Doors Down.
Inverleven distillery was aSingle malt Scotch whiskydistillery in operation with the grain distillery at the Hiram Walker Leven site from 1938.[33][34][35] It had 3 stills and also madegin.[33] It closed in 1991.[33][34][35]
With the decline of the whisky industry, Dumbarton is becoming more a commuter town for those who work in nearby Glasgow and other locations. TheFaslane naval base is a major employer for the area. The Strathleven Industrial Estate near Dumbarton was once the location of several major manufacturers such as Burroughs (Adding Machines) andWestclox. Technology overtook these companies and they closed down with the loss of many jobs.
The estate has also been the home ofPolaroid UK since 1965. This was the largest Polaroid plant outside the US and at its peak it employed about 1800 people. Failing to recognise the impact of digital photography was its downfall and while they still have a presence in Dumbarton, fewer than 100 people are now employed there (mainly in the manufacture of sunglass lenses). The generator supplierAggreko plc has had a facility in the town since the 1970s, in 2012 it opened a new, larger facility at the former J&B plant.
Dumbarton is currently home toBBC Scotlands Studio. However, in 2025 BBC Scotland said it planned to close Dumbarton Studios when its lease for the facility ends in September 2026.[36]
Dumbarton is situated on the mainA82 road, linkingGlasgow to the westernScottish Highlands and is a short distance fromBalloch pier, where cruises can be taken onLoch Lomond. Dumbarton is also served by three railway stations:Dumbarton Central,Dumbarton East andDalreoch railway station. All three stations are on theNorth Clyde Line, and linkHelensburgh in the west and throughGlasgow Queen Street toEdinburgh Waverley in the east.
Nation Radio Scotland, the local commercial radio station forWest Dunbartonshire is based in the town, having moved fromClydebank in 2016. It formerly was namedDumbarton Festival Radio,Castle Rock FM until 2003, and thenYour Radio until 2020.
The town has two local weekly newspapers,The Lennox Herald andThe Dumbarton Reporter.
There were at one stage two league football clubs from the town,Dumbarton Harp F.C andDumbarton F.C (Also known as 'Sons of the Rock').Dumbarton F.C. are the only league club in Dumbarton still in operation, playing in theScottish Professional Football League atScottish League Two level.
Dumbarton F.C play home games at theDumbarton Football Stadium (known since 2018[update] as the C&G Systems Stadium for sponsorship reasons[37]) adjacent toDumbarton Rock. They won the1882–83 Scottish Cup and are five times runners-up.
TheScottish League was formed in 1890 with Dumbarton as founding members. The first championship was shared between Dumbarton andRangers, in the absence of a goal-difference rule to act as a tiebreaker.
There are seven bowling clubs in Dumbarton: Brock Bowling Club, Dixon BC, Dumbarton BC, Dumbuck BC, Eastfield BC, Rock BC and Townend BC.
The town is the birthplace of themotor-racing driverSir Jackie StewartOBE. He competed inFormula One between 1965 and 1973, winning threeWorld Drivers' Championships. The Stewart Family owned and ran the garage at Dumbuck in Milton to the East of the town, the Garage later being taken over by Jackie's close friend John Lindsay.[38]
ScottishpoetRobert Burns was madefreeman of Dumbarton. He refers to Dumbarton in a letter written on 7 July 1787.
Dumbarton is also immortalised in the traditional Scottish song "Dumbarton's Drums".[39]
The song was recorded by the internationally renowned Midgies Ceilidh Band at a live concert in Saint Augustine's Church in the town's High Street, the chorus being sung by the audience of local people.
NovelistA. J. Cronin's maternal grandfather, Archibald Montgomerie, owned a hat shop at 145 High Street.
Dumbarton is the birthplace ofDavid Byrne, aGrammy Award,Academy Award andGolden Globe-winning musician best known as the founding member and principalsongwriter ofnew wave bandTalking Heads.
Held in Dumbarton since 2000, the Royal ScottishPipe Band Championships sees over 140 bands enter yearly, including representatives fromSweden,Denmark,Netherlands andIreland. The championships is one of the biggest and most prestigious pipe band events in the world. Besides the pipe band championships there is afunfair andHighland dancing competitions.
The Denny Civic Theatre is used by a number of local groups, including theDumbarton People's Theatre.
Overtoun House is a mansion in the Scots Baronial style built on an estate in the hills overlooking the town between 1859–1862 for a wealthy chemical manufacturer originally fromGlasgow,John Campbell White.[40]
{{cite web}}:|first= has generic name (help)Prime Minister Gordon Brown ... said "John has been a champion for Dumbarton for 23 years..."
Dumbarton travel guide from Wikivoyage| International | |
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