What's on in Dunbartonshire

Dunbartonshire, or the County of Dunbarton is a Scottish registration county in the west-central lowlands area of Scotland. A full county until 1975 and previously part of the historic Lennox district it is now divided into two of the 32 Scottish council areas, East Dunbartonshire and West Dunbartonshire.

Its administrative centre is Dunbarton. Historically it is named after the fortress of the Britons or ‘Dun Breatann’, and the Britons were the first to recognize the defensive potential of the huge basalt rock that looked out from a great height over the entire region. Thus was it the capital of the Briton kingdom of Strathclyde and it is one of the oldest UK fortified sites.

The town of Dunbarton itself is also famous for ship-building and its ship builders included William Denny and Brothers (who were responsible for building the Cutty Sark). But the town is still most famous for that fortified site, and the castle that now sits on top of it, Dumbarton Castle, which dominates the skyline and guards the Clyde Estuary. Dumbarton Castle was not just important to the ancient Britons, but was also an important Scottish Royal Residence and site of many battles. Also worth seeing is the Overtoun Estate on the hillside over Dumbarton with an elegant mansion built in 1859 and gardens featuring exotic Himalayan species, rolling parklands, gorges and wooden glens.

For those looking to get out and about in Dunbartonshire the whole region is packed with gorgeous scenery, from Campsie Fells and the Kilpatrick Hills to the west, to the gentle walking of the Leven Valley Heritage Trail that goes from Balloch to Dumbarton, where the Leven meets the Clyde. Also worth visiting are the small towns of Old Kilpatrick, Bowling and Milton.