Dumbartonshire

DUMBARTONSHIRE, western county, Scotland, bounded north by Perthshire, east by Stirlingshire, south-east by Lanark shire, south by the Clyde and its estuary, and west by Loch Long and Argyllshire. The detached parish of Kirkintilloch and part of that of Cumbernauld are enclosed between the shires of Stirling and Lanark. This formerly formed part of Stirlingshire, but was annexed in the 14th century when the earl of Wigtown, to whom it belonged, became heritable sheriff of Dumbartonshire. Dum bartonshire has an area (excluding water) of 156,927 acres. The north-west and west are mountainous, the highest point exceed ing 3,200 feet. This is a district composed of rocks belonging to the metamorphic series of the Highlands, into which, in the north of the county, there is a large plutonic intrusion. In the south of the county are the Kilpatrick Hills (1,30o ft.), a system of lavas, tuffs and agglomerates intercalated in the Calciferous Sandstone series. Sandstones of various ages occupy most of the rest of the county, but the Carboniferous limestone follows them in some parts, and, notably in the detached portion of the county, includes important coal-measures. The boulder clay of the Carboniferous lowland is full of schistose boulders brought by glacial action from areas far to the north-west. The Clyde, the Kelvin and the Leven are the only rivers of importance. The Leven flows out of Loch Lomond at Balloch and joins the Clyde at Dumbarton after a serpentine course of about 7 miles. Most of the other streams are among the mountains, whence they find their way to Loch Lomond, and nearly all afford good fishing. Of the inland lakes by far the largest is Loch Lomond (q.v.). The boundary between the shires of Dumbarton and Stirling runs through the lake from the mouth of Endrick Water to a point opposite the Isle of Vow, giving about two-thirds of the loch to the former county. Loch Sloy on the side of Ben Vorlich is a long, narrow lake, 812 ft. above the sea amid wild scenery. From its name the Macfarlanes took their slogan or war-cry. The shores of the Gareloch, a salt-water inlet 6 m. long and 1 m. wide, are studded with houses of those whose business lies in Glasgow. Garelochhead, and Cove and Kilcreggan at the entrance to Loch Long, are favourite summer resorts. The more important salt-water inlet, Loch Long, is 17 m. in length and varies in width from 2 m. at its mouth to about 2 m. in its upper reach. It is a dumping-place for the dredgers which are constantly at work preserving the tide-way of the Clyde from Dumbarton to Broomielaw. The scenery on both shores is very beautiful. Only a mile separates Garelochhead from Loch Long, and at Arrochar the distance from Tarbet on Loch Lomond is barely 14 miles. Nearly all the glens are situated in the Highland part of the shire, the principal being Glen Sloy, Glen Douglas, Glen Luss and Glen Fruin. The last is memorable as the scene of the conflict in 1603 between the Macgregors and the Colquhouns, in which the latter were almost exterminated. It was this en counter that led to the proscription of the Macgregors, including Rob Roy.

History.

Prehistoric peoples have left rude forts and tumuli, and there are several remains of the wall of Antoninus, built from Forth to Clyde, and running along the north of the detached por tion of the shire and through the south-eastern corner of the county to Kilpatrick. Other Roman relics have been found at Duntocher, Cumbernauld and elsewhere. The shire forms part of the old Scottish territory of Lennox (Levenachs, "fields of the Leven"), which embraced the Vale of the Leven and the basin of Loch Lomond, or all modern Dumbartonshire, most of Stirling and parts of the shires of Renfrew and Perth. It gave the title of the earldom created in 1174 by William the Lion and of the duke dom conferred by Charles II. on his natural son, Charles, duke of Richmond and Lennox. Robert Bruce is said to have mustered his forces at Dullatur prior to the battle of Bannockburn, and died at Cardross Castle in 1329. The Covenanters in their flight from the field of Kilsyth, where in 1645 Montrose had defeated them, made their way through the southern districts. The clans of Macgregor and Macfarlane made their home in the Highland fastness and raided their Lowland neighbours.

Agriculture, Industries and Communications.—The arable lands extend chiefly along the Clyde and the Leven, and are corn posed of rich black loam, gravelly soil and clay. The farmers have markets on the Clyde for all kinds of stock and produce, and high farming and dairying prosper. Black-faced sheep and Highland cattle are pastured on the hilly lands and Cheviots and Ayrshires on the low grounds. Oats are the principal cereal, but wheat, potatoes and turnips are also grown.

Turkey-red dyeing has long been a distinctive industry. The water of the Leven being singularly soft and pure, dyers and bleachers have constructed works at many places. Bleaching has been carried on since the early part of the i8th century, and cotton-printing at Levenfield dates from 1768. There are large establishments at Alexandria, Bonhill, Jamestown, Renton and other towns for bleaching, dyeing and printing of cottons, calicoes and other cloths, besides yarns. The engineering works and ship building yards at Clydebank are famous, and at Dumbarton there are others. The Vale of Leven and the riverside towns east of Dumbarton make a busy industrial district. Coal and fireclay are worked, and sandstone and igneous rocks are quarried in the de tached portion at Kirkintilloch and Cumbernauld. There is some fishing at Helensburgh and along the Gareloch.

The populous districts of the county are served by the L.N.E.R. From Helensburgh to Inverarnan the West Highland line runs through beautiful scenery. The L.M.S.R. has access to Balloch from Glasgow, and traverses the detached portion. Portions of the Forth and Clyde Canal, connecting with the Clyde at Bowling, and opened for traffic in 1775, pass through the shire. There is regular steamer communication between Glasgow and the towns and villages on the coast.

Population and Government.

The population of Dumbar tonshire in 1921 was 150,868, and in 1931, 147,751, of whom 1,866 spoke both Gaelic and English. The principal towns, with populations in 1931, are--Bonhill (15,565), Clydebank (46,963), Dumbarton (21,546), Helensburgh (8,893), Kirkintilloch (II, 817), Milngavie (5,056). The county returns one member to parliament, and Dumbarton, the county town and the only royal burgh, one member with Clydebank. Dumbartonshire forms a sheriffdom with the counties of Stirling and Clackmannan, and there is a resident sheriff-substitute at Helensburgh, who sits also at Dumbarton and Kirkintilloch.