Greenock-Glasgow, Scotland

Greenock is a historic industrial town on the south bank of the Firth of Clyde, 40 km's west of Glasgow. The town grew as a fishing community, then became the site of the first dock on the Clyde in 1711. Shipbuilding and overseas trade transformed the town from then on until the latter half of the 20th century.

Today, much of the west end retains impressive Victorian buildings such as Victoria Tower crowning the town hall. The waterfront is under considerable redevelopment. The ferry travels from Victoria Harbour around the Firth of Clyde to places such as Dunoon, Rothesay and Tarbert. A superb view of the Clyde Estuary and the mountains is to be had from the Free French Memorial on Lyle Hill.

The town's maritime history can be traced at the Custom House Museum, while the McLean Museum and Art Gallery dedicates a room to Greenock's most famous son, steam engine pioneer James Watt.

Things to See and Do

* View from Craig's Top
* Walk the cut - aqueduct
* The Esplanade
* Battery Park
* Underheugh Cottage

General information

Cruise Season - March - Nov
Currency - Pound Sterling (£)
Language - English
Land Area - 63,438 hec
Population - 50,000
Electricity - 2 vertical square pins and one perpendicular below British style
Time - GMT plus zero hours
International Country Telephone Code - + 44

Port Location - The Clydeport Ocean Terminal is located in downtown Greenock.

Transport Links - The town is situated at the mouth of the River Clyde in the picturesque area of Inverclyde. Greenock has easy transport routes from main population centres and airports. Glasgow International airport is the closest to Greenock.
Greenock is not a huge town, so it is fairly easy to get around the place on foot. It is worth renting a car to explore the nearby hills.