OLD KILPATRICK

Much has been written about Hadrian's Wall, which separated England and Scotland in Roman times and much of which still survives to this day.  Much less well known is the Antonine Wall, the fortification built by the Romans which connected the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde.  The wall was relatively short-lived, the occupants retrreating to Hadrian's Wall in 162 after just 20 years.  The wall marks the northernmost territory that the Romans were able to conqueur, and its western extremity is near Old Kirkpatrick, a small town on the north bank of the River Clyde near the Erskine Bridge.  Roman remains were discovered here in 1790, when the Forth and Clyde Canal was being dug.  Old Kilpatrick is reputed to be the birthplace of St Patrick, hence the name.  An area called The Saltings has been bestowed with Local Nature Reserve status, quite rightly given the site is home to Swans, Grey Herons, Cormorant, Oyster Catcher and Curlew as well as unusual butterflies.  The Reserve also enjoys wonderful views of the River Clyde and Dumbarton Rock.  Other attractions include a Distillery.

Map of the area.

Old Kilpatrick 1109. Photo by Dave Souza, via Wikimedia Commons

DUMBARTON

Dumbarton, founded in the fifth century, was the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Strathclyde, although the town's strategic importance dates from the Iron Age when Dumbarton Castle was built on a plug of volcanic rock known as Dumbarton Rock.  The castle has the longest recorded history of any fortification in Britain.  Nowadays, the mainly 18th century fortifications are accessible by pathways and steps up the Rock, which offers wonderful views of the Firth of Clyde.  Dumbarton is mainly a commuter town for Glasgow, but once upon a time it had a trio of thriving industries: shipbuilding, whisky and glassmaking.  These are now gone, but there is a reminder of the shipbuilding industry in the Scottish Maritime Museum, which gives pride of place to Denny's Ship Model Experiment Tank, Denny being the founder of William Denny and Brothers, a Victorian shipbuilding company.

Down on the foreshore there are redshanks, shelduck and buntings, while a launching ramp is the only reminder of a wartime flying-boat factory which once stood here.  Overlooking the town is Overtoun House, built in 1862, which as well as being an impressive building in its own right, lies in grounds offering wildlife, gardens and picnic areas.  The House has accommodation and a tea room and bills itself as a "Centre for Hope and Healing".  Dumbarton has a prominent Football Club dating from 1872, which regained its place in Divison One in 2012.  Another claim to fame for the town is that it was the birthplace of  musician David Byrne of Talking Heads, who was born there in 1952.  One of the main events in Dumbarton's calendar is the annual Royal Scottish Pipe Band Championships.  Dumbarton offers easy access to the only-just-landlocked Loch Lomond, which is reached by a short 5-mile drive along the A82.

Map of the area. 

Dumbarton Rock - geograph.org.uk - 614476. Photo by Thomas Nugent, via Wikimedia Commons

CONNEL AND DUNSTAFFNAGE CASTLE

Connel straddles the narrow mouth of Loch Etive and is divided in two: North Connel and Connel. The two communities are linked by the Connel Bridge, a cantilever bridge completed in 1903, originally built as a railway viaduct, but now carrying road traffic. Before the bridge was built there used to be a ferry service connecting the two shores, and the village in those days was called Connel Ferry. The name Connel derives from the Gaelic for "rough water", which is appropriate, since this spot is known for a phenomenon occurring with the ebbing tide named the Falls of Lora, which consists of dramatic rapids caused by a submerged rocky shelf. The Gothic Revival St Oran's Church, built in 1888, has an attractive interior with a timbered ceiling and fine stained glass windows, and a garden with wonderful views of Loch Etive.

A couple of miles from Connel, standing proud on a promontory near the mouth of Loch Etive, is Dunstaffnage Castle, founded by the MacDougalls in the 13th century. The castle was captured by Robert the Bruce in 1309 and remained in royal hands for some time before being granted to the Earls, and then the Dukes of Argyll. The well-known aider and abetter of Bonnie Prince Charlie, Flora MacDonald, was incarcerated in the castle for ten days before being sent to London to go on trial for her part in assisting the Prince in his escape after Culloden. The castle was destroyed by fire in 1810, but its impressive curtain wall battlements remain, and a visit to the castle is rewarded with lovely views across to Lismore and Morvern.

Map of the area.

Dunstaffnage Castle. - geograph.org.uk - 1349719. Photo by sylvia duckworth, via Wikimedia Commons.