Dumbarton

For other uses, see Dumbarton (disambiguation).

Dumbarton
Town
Skyline of Dumbarton
Dumbarton is located in West Dunbartonshire
Dumbarton
Dumbarton
Location within West Dunbartonshire
Population20,480 (2022)[4]
OS grid referenceNS397759
• Edinburgh54 mi (87 km) E
• London356 mi (574 km) SSE
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townDUMBARTON
Postcode districtG82
Dialling code01389
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
55°57′00″N 4°34′00″W / 55.95°N 4.566667°W / 55.95; -4.566667

Dumbarton (/dʌmˈbɑːrtən/; Scots: Dumbairton, Dumbartoun or Dumbertan; Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Breatann [t̪um ˈpɾʲɛht̪ən̪ˠ] or Dùn Breatainn [t̪um ˈpɾʲɛht̪ɪɲ], meaning 'fort of the Britons'[5]) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,990.[6]

Dumbarton was the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Strathclyde, and later the county town of Dunbartonshire. Dumbarton Castle, on top of Dumbarton Rock, dominates the area. Dumbarton was a royal burgh between 1222 and 1975.[7]

Dumbarton emerged from the 19th century as a centre for shipbuilding, glassmaking, and whisky production. However, these industries have since declined, and Dumbarton today is increasingly a commuter town for Glasgow 13 miles (21 km) east-southeast of it. Dumbarton F.C. is the local football club. Dumbarton is home to BBC Scotland's drama studio.

  1. ^ "Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba ~ Gaelic Place-Names of Scotland". Gaelicplacenames.org. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  2. ^ Andy Eagle (27 February 2003). "The Online Scots Dictionary". Scots-online.org. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  3. ^ "Scots Language Centre: Scottish Place Names in Scots". Scotslanguage.com. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  4. ^ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  5. ^ "Scottish Parliament: Placenames collected by Iain Mac an Tailleir" (PDF).
  6. ^ "Publications and Data". General Record Office for Scotland. Archived from the original on 16 September 2009.
  7. ^ "Vision of Britain". Archived from the original on 30 March 2009. Retrieved 4 March 2008.