The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. Kintyre ( Scottish Gaelic: Cinn Tìre kʲiɲˈtʲiːɾʲə is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the south-west of Argyll and Bute. Firth is the Lowland Scots word used to denote various coastal waters in Scotland. Argyll, Archaically Argyle ( Earra-Ghàidheal in modern Gaelic) is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part Ayrshire (Siorrachd Inbhir Àir ʃir̴əxg̊ iɲiɾʲˈaːɾʲ is a Registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain.
At its entrance the firth is some 26 miles (42 km) wide. Its upper reaches include an area where it is joined by Loch Long and the Gare Loch. Loch Long ( Loch Long in Gaelic is a body of water in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The Gare Loch or Gareloch ( Gaelic: An Gearr Loch) is a Sea loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland This includes the large anchorage off Greenock known as the Tail of the Bank in reference to the sandbar which separates the firth from the estuary of the River Clyde. Greenock ( Gaelic Grianaig g̊ɾʲiənɛg̊ʲ is a large town and former Burgh of barony in the Inverclyde Council area of western The Tail of the Bank is the name given to the Anchorage in the upper Firth of Clyde immediately north of Greenock and Gourock. A shoal or sandbar (also called sandbank) is a somewhat Linear Landform within or extending into a body of Water, An estuary is a semi-enclosed Coastal body of Water with one or more Rivers or Streams flowing into it and with a free connection to the open The River Clyde ( Gaelic: Abhainn Chluaidh, avɪɲˈxɫ̪uəj is a major River in Scotland. The Clyde is still almost 2 miles (3 km) wide at the sandbar, and its upper tidal limit is at the tidal Weir adjacent to Glasgow Green. WEIR (1430 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format Glasgow Green is a Park situated in the east end of Glasgow on the north bank of the River Clyde.
The cultural and geographical distinction between the firth and the River Clyde is vague, and people will sometimes refer to Dumbarton as being on the Firth of Clyde, while the population of Port Glasgow and Greenock frequently refer to the firth to their north as "the river". Dumbarton ( Gaelic Dùn Breatainn d̪̊unˈb̊ɾʲɛhd̪̊ɪɲ is a Burgh in Scotland, lying on the north bank of the River Clyde Port Glasgow ( Gaelic Port Ghlaschu pɔɾʃd̪̊ˈɣɫ̪as̪əxu is the second largest town in the Inverclyde Council area Greenock ( Gaelic Grianaig g̊ɾʲiənɛg̊ʲ is a large town and former Burgh of barony in the Inverclyde Council area of western In Scottish Gaelic the landward end is called Linne Chluaidh (pronounced [ʎiɲəˈxɫ̪uəj]) (meaning the same as the English), while the area around the south of Arran, Kintyre and Ayrshire/Galloway is An Linne Ghlas (pronounced [ə ʎiɲə ɣɫ̪as̪]). Scottish Gaelic ( Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. Galloway ( Gaelic: Gall-Ghaidhealaibh, əŋ ɡauɫ̪ɣəɫ̪əv or Gallobha, Lowland Scots Gallowa) is an area in southwestern
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Geography
The firth encompasses many islands and peninsulas and has twelve ferry routes connecting them to the mainland and each other. The Islands of the Firth of Clyde are the fifth of the major Scottish island groups after the Inner and Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland A peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by Water but connected to Mainland via an Isthmus. The majority of these services are run by Caledonian MacBrayne and many of the routes are lifeline services for communities living in remote areas. Caledonian MacBrayne (usually shortened to Cal Mac; Caledonian Mac a' Bhriuthainn in Scottish Gaelic) is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries A number of sea lochs adjoin the firth. A loch (usually Lough as a name element outside Scotland) is a body of Water which is either a Lake or
Towns and villages along the shoreline
This lists the major towns and some of the numerous villages along the firth (not the River Clyde or connecting lochs). The River Clyde ( Gaelic: Abhainn Chluaidh, avɪɲˈxɫ̪uəj is a major River in Scotland.
- Ardrossan, Ayr
- Barassie, Brodick
- Campbeltown, Cardross, Carradale
- Dumbarton, Dunoon
- Fairlie
- Gourock, Greenock, Girvan
- Helensburgh, Hunter's Quay, Hunterston
- Innellan, Inverkip, Irvine
- Kilcreggan, Kilmun, Kirn
- Lamlash, Largs, Lochranza
- Millport
- Port Bannatyne, Portencross, Port Glasgow, Prestwick
- Rothesay
- Saltcoats, Seamill, Skelmorlie, Strone
- Toward, Troon
- Wemyss Bay, West Kilbride
Islands in the Clyde
There are many islands in the firth. Ardrossan ( Gaelic: Aird Rosain) is a town located on the North Ayrshire coast in western Scotland. Ayr (Inbhir Àir Mouth of the River Ayr) is a town and port situated on the Firth of Clyde, in south-west Scotland. Barassie is a village in South Ayrshire, Scotland. Brodick ( Scottish Gaelic: Breadhaig) is the second-largest village (after Lamlash) on the Isle of Arran, in the Firth of Clyde Campbeltown ( Scottish Gaelic: "Ceann Loch Chille Chiarain" is a town and former Royal burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, located Cardross ( Càrdainn Ros in Gaelic) is a large village in Scotland, on the north side of the Firth of Clyde, situated halfway between Dumbarton Carradale ( Scottish Gaelic: Càrradal kaːrˠəd̪̊əlˠ̪ is a picturesque village on the east side of Kintyre, overlooking the Kilbrannan Sound and Dumbarton ( Gaelic Dùn Breatainn d̪̊unˈb̊ɾʲɛhd̪̊ɪɲ is a Burgh in Scotland, lying on the north bank of the River Clyde Dunoon ( Dùn Omhain in Gaelic) is a resort town situated on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll, Scotland. Fairlie is a village in North Ayrshire, Scotland. Fairlie sits on the eastern shore of the Firth of Clyde and looks across to the Isle of Arran Gourock ( Gaelic Guireag (pimple shaped or rounded g̊uɾʲag̊ is a Burgh in Inverclyde, Scotland. Greenock ( Gaelic Grianaig g̊ɾʲiənɛg̊ʲ is a large town and former Burgh of barony in the Inverclyde Council area of western Girvan is a Burgh in Carrick, South Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of about 8000 people Helensburgh ( Baile Eilidh in Gaelic) is a Burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Hunter's Quay is a settlement in Argyll and Bute. Part of the built up area near Dunoon, Hunter's Quay is the main base of Western Ferries, operating between Hunterston Terminal, in North Ayrshire, Scotland is a coal-handling port located at Hunterston on the Firth Innellan is a Village that lies on the east shore of the Cowal peninsula on the Firth of Clyde, 4 miles south of the town of Dunoon in Inverkip ( Scottish Gaelic: Inbhir Chip) is a village and parish in Inverclyde, Scotland. Irvine ( Gaelic: Irbhinn) is a coastal New town in North Ayrshire, Scotland. Kilcreggan is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It developed on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde at a time when Clyde steamers Kilmun is a linear settlement on the north shore of the Holy Loch in Argyll and Bute in south-west Scotland, up to the village of Strone at Strone Kirn is a village in Argyll in south-west Scotland on the west shore of the Firth of Clyde. Lamlash is the largest village by population on the Isle of Arran, in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. Largs is a Town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about 33 miles (53 km from Glasgow. Lochranza ( Gaelic: Loch Raonasa) is a village located on the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. Millport ( Scottish Gaelic: Port a' Mhuilinn) is the only town on the island of Great Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde off the coast of North Port Bannatyne is a coastal village on the Isle of Bute, Scotland. Portencross (Port na coise is a hamlet near Farland Head in North Ayrshire, Scotland. Port Glasgow ( Gaelic Port Ghlaschu pɔɾʃd̪̊ˈɣɫ̪as̪əxu is the second largest town in the Inverclyde Council area Prestwick is a town located in South Ayrshire on the south west coast of Scotland, approximately to the south-west of Glasgow. The town of Rothesay (Baile Bhòid is the principal town on the Isle of Bute, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. For other places with the same name see Saltcoats (disambiguation. Seamill is a Village in North Ayrshire on the west coast of Scotland, about 5 miles north of Ardrossan and 8 miles south of Largs Skelmorlie is a village in North Ayrshire, Scotland. Although it is the northernmost settlement in the council area of North Ayrshire it is contiguous with Strone is a village on in Argyll in south-west Scotland at the point where the north shore of the Holy Loch becomes the west shore of the Firth of Toward (Tollard is a village near Dunoon at the southern tip of the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Troon is a town in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is situated on the west coast about eight miles north of Ayr and three miles northwest of Wemyss Bay ("Wemyss" pronounced weemz /'wimz/ is a village on the west Coast of the Firth of Clyde in the district of Inverclyde, West Kilbride is a village in North Ayrshire, on the west coast of Scotland by the Firth of Clyde, looking across the water to Goat Fell and The largest all have thriving communities and regular ferry services connecting them to the mainland. They are:
There are many other inhabited and uninhabited islands in the firth. The Isle of Arran ( Scots Gaelic: Eilean Arainn) is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland, with an area of 430 km² (167 square The Isle of Bute ( Eilean Bhòid in Gaelic is one of the Islands of the lower Firth of Clyde in Scotland. Great Cumbrae ( Scottish Gaelic, Cumaradh Mòr; also known as Cumbrae or the Isle of Cumbrae) is the larger of the two islands known as The See the Islands of the Clyde for a more comprehensive list and links. The Islands of the Firth of Clyde are the fifth of the major Scottish island groups after the Inner and Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland
Sea lochs off the Clyde
- Gare Loch
- Loch Long, and Loch Goil
- The Holy Loch
- Loch Striven
- Loch Riddon off the Kyles of Bute
- Loch Fyne, and Loch Gilp
- Campbeltown Loch. The Gare Loch or Gareloch ( Gaelic: An Gearr Loch) is a Sea loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland Loch Long ( Loch Long in Gaelic is a body of water in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Loch Goil ( Scottish Gaelic: Loch Goill) is a small Sea loch in Scotland. The Holy Loch ( Scottish Gaelic "An Loch Sianta/Seunta" is a Sea loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Loch Striven ( Scottish Gaelic: Loch Sroigheann) is a Sea loch adjoining the west side of the Firth of Clyde just north of the Isle of Bute The Kyles of Bute ( Scottish Gaelic: Na Caoil Bhòdach) are a narrow sea channel which separates the northern end of the Isle of Bute from the Cowal Loch Fyne ( Scottish Gaelic: Loch Fìne, ɫ̪ɔx fiːnə is a Sea loch on the west coast of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Loch Gilp ( Scottish Gaelic: "Loch Gilb" is a small Inlet on Loch Fyne which gives its name to Lochgilphead. Campbeltown Loch ( Scottish Gaelic: Loch Chille Chiarain) is a small Sea loch near the south of the Kintyre Peninsula facing eastwards
History
The Clyde formed an important sea route from the earliest times, and the Battle of Largs marked the turning point for Viking ambitions on the west of Scotland. The Battle of Largs was an engagement fought between the armies of Norway and Scotland near the present-day town of Largs in North A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas
In Victorian times with the advent of tourism the area became popular with Glaswegians who travelled 'doon the watter' on Clyde steamers to holiday in the picturesque seaside towns and villages that line the firth, with the more wealthy building substantial holiday homes along the coast. Culture The Victorian fascination with novelty resulted in a deep interest in the relationship between modernity and cultural continuities Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel The era of the Clyde steamer in Scotland began in August 1812 with the very first successful commercial Steamboat service in Europe when Henry Bell 's Many towns such as Largs, Dunoon and Rothesay flourished during this boom period and became fully fledged resorts with well appointed hotels and attractions. Largs is a Town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about 33 miles (53 km from Glasgow. Dunoon ( Dùn Omhain in Gaelic) is a resort town situated on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll, Scotland. The town of Rothesay (Baile Bhòid is the principal town on the Isle of Bute, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland.
Nowadays the PS Waverley still makes trips to these coastal towns, allowing passengers to sail back in time. History The Waverley was built in 1946 as a replacement for an earlier PS Waverley of 1899 that took part in the WW II war effort as a minesweeper
In 1942 the World's first deep water test of a submarine oil pipeline was conducted on a pipeline laid across the Firth of Clyde in Operation Pluto.
The "lower Clyde" shipyards of Greenock and Port Glasgow played an important role in shipbuilding, with the Comet being the first successful steamboat in Europe, and a large proportion of the world's shipping being built there until well into the 20th century. Greenock ( Gaelic Grianaig g̊ɾʲiənɛg̊ʲ is a large town and former Burgh of barony in the Inverclyde Council area of western Port Glasgow ( Gaelic Port Ghlaschu pɔɾʃd̪̊ˈɣɫ̪as̪əxu is the second largest town in the Inverclyde Council area The Paddle steamer PS Comet was built for Henry Bell, Hotel and Baths owner in Helensburgh, and began a passenger service A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving a Propeller In more recent times the natural beauty of the firth has been marred in places by a succession of industrial and military developments along the shoreline, including Hunterston and Inverkip Power Stations, while at the same time shipbuilding has declined. Inverkip power station is an Oil -fired Power station in Inverclyde, on the west coast of Scotland. Today only one lower Clyde shipyard survives, next to Newark Castle, Port Glasgow, at the point where the firth becomes the River Clyde. Newark Castle ( is a well-preserved Castle sited on the south shore of the Estuary of the River Clyde in Port Glasgow, Inverclyde The River Clyde ( Gaelic: Abhainn Chluaidh, avɪɲˈxɫ̪uəj is a major River in Scotland. The Garvel dry dock in Greenock continues in operation for ship repair, and the large Inchgreen dry dock in Port 'Glasgow is in occasional use. A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform The sites of the former Greenock shipyards are currently being regenerated.
Marine wildlife
Common and Grey Seals abound in the firth.
Harbour Porpoises are also common and while Dolphins are much less so, they have been spotted in the upper reaches of the firth in the summer of 2005 . The Harbor Porpoise ( Phocoena phocoena) is one of six Species of Porpoise. Dolphins are Marine mammals that are closely related to Whales and Porpoises There are almost forty species of dolphin in seventeen genera. Whales do not favour the Clyde and although there have been instances of larger whales beaching themselves or becoming stranded in the upper firth, only smaller Pilot or Minke Whales seem to visit with any kind of regularity. Whales are marine mammals which are neither Dolphins (ie members of the families Delphinidae or Platanistoidae) nor Porpoises Orcas The pilot whale is either of two Species of Cetacean in the Genus Globicephala. Minke Whale ( or Lesser Rorqual is a name given to two species of Marine mammal belonging to a Clade within the suborder of Baleen whales The
In 2005 the firth was listed as having the 2nd highest incidence of basking shark sightings in Scotland (after the The Minch). The basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus, is the second largest Fish, after the Whale shark. The Minch ( Scottish Gaelic An Cuan Sgith Cuan na Hearadh An Cuan Leòdhasach) also called The North Minch, is a Strait in north-west In particular these huge sharks seem to favour the warm, shallow waters surrounding Pladda. Pladda ( Scottish Gaelic: Pladaigh) is an island off the west coast of Scotland.
Although at one time heavily fished, the only catches remaining in Clyde waters today that are of any commercial interest to fisherman are Prawns, Lobster and Herring. Prawns are Crustaceans belonging to the sub-order Dendrobranchiata Clawed lobsters compose a family ( Nephropidae, sometimes also Homaridae) of large marine Crustaceans Lobsters are economically important as Herring are small Oily fish of the genus Clupea found in the shallow temperate waters of the North Atlantic, the Baltic Sea, the North
There is a Marine Biological Station run by the Universities of Glasgow and London on Great Cumbrae. The University Marine Biological Station Millport (or UMBSM) is a higher education institute located on the island of Great Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde The University of Glasgow (Oilthigh Ghlaschu was founded in 1451 in Glasgow, Scotland and along with its contemporary institutions the University of St Andrews The University of London is a university based primarily in London, England, UK. Great Cumbrae ( Scottish Gaelic, Cumaradh Mòr; also known as Cumbrae or the Isle of Cumbrae) is the larger of the two islands known as The
Shipping in the Firth
The Firth of Clyde like the River Clyde has historically been an important centre of shipbuilding. The River Clyde ( Gaelic: Abhainn Chluaidh, avɪɲˈxɫ̪uəj is a major River in Scotland. There have been shipyards at Renfrew, Greenock, Port Glasgow and Troon and a major boatyard at Fairlie. Renfrew ( Rinn Friù in Scottish Gaelic) is a town located west of Glasgow on the west coast of Scotland. Greenock ( Gaelic Grianaig g̊ɾʲiənɛg̊ʲ is a large town and former Burgh of barony in the Inverclyde Council area of western Port Glasgow ( Gaelic Port Ghlaschu pɔɾʃd̪̊ˈɣɫ̪as̪əxu is the second largest town in the Inverclyde Council area Troon is a town in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is situated on the west coast about eight miles north of Ayr and three miles northwest of Fairlie is a village in North Ayrshire, Scotland. Fairlie sits on the eastern shore of the Firth of Clyde and looks across to the Isle of Arran Ferguson Shipbuilders yard, adjacent to Newark Castle, Port Glasgow, is one of the last privately owned shipyards left in Scotland. Ferguson Shipbuilders Limited is a Shipyard located in Port Glasgow on the River Clyde in Scotland. Newark Castle ( is a well-preserved Castle sited on the south shore of the Estuary of the River Clyde in Port Glasgow, Inverclyde Port Glasgow is also the site of one of the world's largest dry dock and ship-repair facilities at Inchgreen. A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform The dry dock there is 305m long and 44m wide and is operated by Northwestern Shiprepairers Limited using the name Scott Lithgow, although the company is unrelated to the famous Port Glasgow Scott Lithgow shipbuilding company. Scott Lithgow Limited was a British shipbuilding company formed in 1967 by the merger of Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company and Lithgows
The Firth of Clyde has one of the deepest sea entrance channels in northern Europe, which can accommodate the largest Capesize vessels afloat, and as such the Clyde is one of the UK's leading ports, handling some 7. Capesize ships are Cargo ships originally too large to transit the Suez Canal (i 5 million tonnes of cargo each year, as well as regular cruise liner traffic at Greenock's Ocean Terminal facility. A cruise ship or cruise liner is a Passenger ship used for pleasure voyages where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience Greenock ( Gaelic Grianaig g̊ɾʲiənɛg̊ʲ is a large town and former Burgh of barony in the Inverclyde Council area of western
In addition to the existing bulk ore terminal at Hunterston Ore Terminal; Clydeport, North Ayrshire Council and Scottish Enterprise also propose a £200m international deep-water container terminal at Hunterston which would effectively act as a worldwide gateway port, and possibly become the major container port for the northern half of Europe. Hunterston Terminal, in North Ayrshire, Scotland is a coal-handling port located at Hunterston on the Firth Scottish Enterprise, is Scotland 's main economic enterprise innovation and investment agency Initial environmental and economic impact studies are currently being undertaken.
The Royal Navy also has a significant presence on the Clyde, at HMNB Clyde on the Gare Loch and on Loch Long, while one of the three main ports providing marine services support vessels is at Greenock. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) Along with HMNB Devonport and HMNB Portsmouth, Her Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB Clyde is one of the Royal Navy 's three operational bases The Gare Loch or Gareloch ( Gaelic: An Gearr Loch) is a Sea loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland Loch Long ( Loch Long in Gaelic is a body of water in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Greenock ( Gaelic Grianaig g̊ɾʲiənɛg̊ʲ is a large town and former Burgh of barony in the Inverclyde Council area of western This formerly came under the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service which still operates some vessels, but the services have been put out to commercial tender by the Warship Support Agency and are currently operated by Serco Denholm, who are preferred bidders for the next contract. Organisation The RMAS merged with the former Port Auxiliary Service in 1976 to form a component of the Naval Service that is known as Marine Services The Warship Support Agency (WSA was a non-executive agency within the Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO of the UK Ministry of Defence. Serco Group plc ( is a Business Services company based in Hook North Hampshire of the United Kingdom The contract includes management of the ports at Devonport, Portsmouth and The Clyde (dual site operation at Faslane and Great Harbour, Greenock).
There are lighthouses at:
References
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