Many facets in a real diamond
DUNBARTONSHIRE lies to the north and west of Glasgow and covers an area of 250 square miles divided between large industrial towns, small rural villages and areas of scenic majesty.
It is an area which has played a huge part in Scottish history, from a number of important Roman sites to Dumbarton Castle which once housed Mary Queen of Scots and which had earlier been the target of a Viking raid which saw 200 long boats leaving the Clyde laden with booty.
It was the home to Robert the Bruce part of whose remains are buried in Dumbarton, Robert Burns was a freeman of Dumbarton and of course many famous writers and artists have made the county the focus of literati the world over.
Situated just North of Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire covers an area of some 77 square miles and has easy access to major motorways. Around 110,000 people live within the area, which is bounded to the north by the Campsie Hills. Local communities include Bearsden, Bishopbriggs, Kirkintilloch, Lennoxtown, Lenzie, Milngavie, Milton of Campsie, Torrance and Twechar.
Glasgow commuters fuel a large part of the economy but East Dunbartonshire has a significant commercial and industrial base and also gains considerably from the Forth and Clyde Canal, which runs through the area, having been re-opened as a major Millennium project. Kirkintilloch is rightly known as the ‘Canal Capital of Scotland’.
East Dunbartonshire has excellent transport links and a wide range of visitors attractions in its own right making it a popular base for tourists planning to explore the central belt, enjoy the West Highland Way or make use of the county’s world famous golfing, sailing and angling opportunities.
The more highland flavour of West Dunbartonshire with the towering Arrochar Alps, beautiful Ben Lomond and of course the rugged magnificence of Loch Lomond makes it a popular destination for tourists.
It is an area rich in cultural heritage with many places of historic interest again varying from Roman sites to area reflecting our more modern industrial heritage. The days of major shipbuilding, car manufacture, marine engineering, glass manufacture and textile dyeing are, however, long gone, and West Dunbartonshire is now home of a huge range of light industrial enterprises from steel fabrication to whisky distilling.
Within easy reach of the Glasgow city centre West Dunbartonshire is also a commuter paradise offering easy journeys to work and the very best of facilities for shopping and leisure for all the family.
A small corner of the former county of Dunbartonshire now comes under the auspices of Argyll and Bute Council. The Clydeside town of Helensburgh and its surrounding area are popular with tourists, (Helensburgh was once known as the Garden City of the Clyde), but is also home to the nation’s fleet of Trident Submarines with the Royal Naval Base Clyde providing jobs both at Faslane on the Gareloch and at the armaments depot at Coulport on Loch Long.
Dunbartonshire is an area of many facets, a shining diamond in Scotland's crown and a thriving business area which offers its entrepreneurs much in the way of support and facilities. It also combines easy reach of the city and all that it offers with unbeatable countryside and leisure facilities. The three local authorities operating in the county work together on many partnership projects to support economic development and the partnership ethos is alive and well throughout the many agencies working in the county.
Some of the best schools in the country both public and private are working for the future of the children in Dunbartonshire and the county is sited within easy reach of a wide range of further education facilities.
All of which makes Dunbartonshire an exciting place to live and work in today with a shining, even brighter, tomorrow.
Come along and visit Dunbartonshire at your earliest convenience.