Dumbarton can be found in West Dunbartonshire, funny enough. It is a town that has been around since the Iron Age and over the centuries grew up around the points where the River Clyde and the River Leven meet. It has its own castle, which is pretty neat. You can always tell a Scottish town is important by the presence of a castle… there are a lot of castles is Scotland…
Image: TreasureGalore/Shutterstock.com
A Little Dumbarton History
Dumbarton was actually a Roman settlement known as Alcluth, and was actually part of the Kingdom of Alcluth, even farther back than that. It was a known Iron Age settlement before that, and before that, it was just bedrock and ice age, like the rest of the country. It was made a Royal Burgh in 1222 by Alexander II many, many, years later. Dumbarton is, as they say, as old as the hills. 334 million years old, according to the ageing of the Volcanic plug that the castle sits in.
As well as being ancient, Dumbarton was a known haunt of the Dukes of Argyll. It is also famous for Denny’s shipbuilders, Ballantine’s Whiskey, a royal visit from both Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II, has been in both “River City” and “Still Game” (two notable Scottish TV shows) and is close enough to Glasgow to have played a huge role in trade throughout the years. In fact, when Mary Queen of Scots did eventually get her head chopped off, it was while she was on her way to Dumbarton Castle. Lovely place.
Notable clans in the area include the Colquhouns – sworn enemies of Clan Macgregor, Clan Campbell – who were often in the seat of Dukes of Argyll, and Clan Home, who had a close relationship with the residents of Dumbarton Castle (the Colquhouns). Unfortunately, they never made it into the castle themselves other than to visit.
So if you were going to be on holiday in Scotland and spending some time in this area, what are the things you should do? We took a look to make your holiday easier!
Dumbarton At-a-Glance
So if you were passing through West Dunbartonshire and decide to stop off at Dumbarton, what are the five best things to do? We found out for you, to save you a little holiday time.
Dumbarton Castle
Of course, the top thing to do is to visit the Castle. This spectacular building is perched atop Dumbarton Rock, a protected habitat that overlooks the River Clyde. This attraction is not for the people who struggle with stairs. You have to ascend 500 of them to get to the castle… it did actually change hands between the Scots and the English during the wars of independence, but as you are going up those stairs you wonder how.
The castle has some stunning examples of 18th century Georgian Architecture but has been in place for a lot longer than that. The rock that it sits on is 350 million years old, so that is a spectacle within itself. If you want the best Instagram pictures from Dumbarton then this is definitely the place to go!
The Scottish Maritime Museum
Also known simply as the ‘Dumbarton Museum’, the Scottish Maritime Museum charts the journey of shipbuilding throughout the ages. For years during the Industrial Revolutions, Scottish Steel was regarded as some of the best in the world. The closure of the Ravenscraig in the ’90s led to massive job loss and a serious impediment to the shipbuilding world. Nowadays, there are only a few steelworks left, and many fewer shipbuilders.
Anyway, you can learn all about ships throughout the ages in Scotland in the Maritime Museum in Dumbarton. What’s not to love? Take the kids, they might learn something.
River City Set Tour
You can go on a tour of the set where they produce River city. This might seem arbitrary, but River City is actually Scotland’s very first soap opera. You all have Eastenders and Hollyoaks… we have River City. The whole show is packed full of accents you will need subtitles for and we don’t use a soundtrack of a train every time something bad happens – but it’s almost as good. Take the tour and see for yourself… we almost dare you.
Unit 23 Skate Park
In the early 00’s, there was a huge movement across Scotland where Skater Kids started popping up all over the place and demanding their own parks. Dumbarton Skate Park was one of the few places already in existence that was ready for the surge. This is the top destination for teenagers throughout the land and makes a great place to take the youngsters and leave them, while you go shopping or sightseeing. Unit 23 is actually the largest indoor skate park in the entire UK. Why they left it in Dumbarton we do not know.
Overtoun House and Bridge
Today, this is a centre for hope and healing with a tea shop attached. The gardens are beautiful and home to lots of wildlife that is best visited in summer. Overtoun House was built in the 19th century by a rich guy from Rutherglen, just up the road. It’s a gorgeous old building that is connected to the rest of the world by way of the bridge.
The bridge was reputedly built by a Duke of Argyll in order to connect his estate to the rest of the world. If you do go to the bridge, remember these words of warning: Do Not Take Your Dog. No exceptions. It has earned a nickname as being the ‘dog suicide bridge.’ You can read all about it courtesy of the Independent. The short version of the story is that dogs are picking up a scent and following it off the bridge. They think it is a mink nest. It is a horrible tragic mystery regardless of the cause. Do not take your dog to Overtoun Bridge. Leave them at home for this trip.
Got five More Minutes?
If you find yourself at a loose end then check out some of our other travel guides. Scotland is a fascinating place if you have a little free time to look. You can learn a lot in 5 minutes, in Scotland’s case, that means a lot of history. Visit us some time and see for yourself!
