Dumbarton factfile

How to get to Dumbarton
The town of Dumbarton, the administrative centre of West Dunbartonshire, stands where the River Leven and the River Clyde meet up, some 24 km (15 mi) downstream from Glasgow. It's easily accessible from the A82, which links Glasgow to the south-east and Loch Lomond to the north.

Famous landmarks in Dumbarton
Dumbarton Rock, the ancient castle which sits 73 m (240 ft) above the River Leven where it merges with the Clyde, dominates the town. It stands on one of a pair of adjacent volcanic plugs.

How Dumbarton got its name
Dumbarton's name derives from the Gaelic "Dun Breatainn", or "Fortress of the Britons". The town was called Dunbretane until the 15th century. It remains unclear how "Dun" became a "Dum", but the town is now within the boundaries of West Dunbartonshire.

Famous people from Dumbarton
Formula 1 racing driver Jackie Stewart, who won three world drivers' championships between 1965 and 1973, was born in Dumbarton in 1939. David Byrne, lead singer and songwriter of art-rock band Talking Heads, was also born in Dumbarton, in 1952.

Sports and leisure in Dumbarton
Nearby Loch Lomond offers water sports and pleasure cruises. Fishing is a popular pastime on both the loch and the River Leven.

Visitors won't be stuck for local golf courses, nor will they need to search long for scenic walking and cycling routes. Dumbarton itself has a large sports complex and leisure pool.

Arts and culture in Dumbarton
Dumbarton has hosted the Royal Scottish Pipe Bands Championships since 2000, in which over 140 bands from countries such as Sweden, Denmark, Holland and Ireland compete in one of the biggest pipe band events in the world.

Dumbarton also boasts the Denny Civic Theatre, opened in 1969, and home to the Dumbarton People's Theatre. There's also a large public library.

Shopping in Dumbarton
While Dumbarton town centre has a great many shops, short journeys further afield will yield even more retail opportunities. There's the Clyde Shopping Centre, Loch Lomond Outlet Centre and the Antartext Village Visitor Centre in Alexandria.

Natural beauty spots around Dumbarton
Any list of beauty spots around Dumbarton would be dominated by Loch Lomond and the National Park. The largest freshwater loch (lake) in mainland Britain is 39 km (24 mi) long and 8 km (5 mi) wide. Some 200 species of birds and over 25 per cent of Britain's wild plants have been recorded in the area.