GLASGOW, ΤΟ DUMBARTON, INVERARY, STAFFA, FORTWILLIAM, AND INVERNESS. LEAVING Glasgow at the western side of the city, the road leads direct for Dumbarton. Passing through Anderston, an improving village, you next come to the village of Partick, where the Company of Bakers at Glasgow have extensive mills and granaries, situated on the river Kelvin. About five miles from Glasgow, close upon the Clyde, stands Scotstown; soon after passing which, you obtain a view of Renfrew, on the opposite side of the Clyde. About eight miles from Glasgow, on the opposite side of the Clyde, is North-Bar, or Sempill House. The road at the ninth milestone ascends a little eminence, called Dalnotter Hill, just below which is the village of Old Kilpatrick. At this place the view begins to open, and presents to the eye a scene highly interesting and picturesque. The Clyde here expands into a noble river, producing a very fine effect on the landscape. The Castle of Dumbarton rises majestically as if from the bosom of the water, of a conical form. Towards the right is the ruined fort of Dunglass, projecting into the Clyde; once a place of con Canal-Aqueduct at Kelvin. siderable strength. On the left, near the edge of the water, is seen Erskine House, the seat of Lord Blantyre, pleasantly situated, and the grounds finely wooded. Farther on the right, are seen some rocks dipping into the river, as a bulwark to confine its waters; the lofty mountains of Argyllshire, their summits covered with clouds, bounding the view, within which the Castle and town of Dumbarton, with its glasshouses, are distinctly seen; while Port Glasgow and Greenock, with the blue surface of the river, thickly covered with white sails, filling up as it were the centre of the view, come under the eye at one glance. The Canal joins the Clyde here, and displays what can be done by the persevering hand of man. Its extreme length from the Forth to the Clyde is thirty-five miles, beginning at the mouth of the Carron shore on the east, and ending in the Clyde near Kilpatrick on the west coast of Scotland. It rises and falls 160 feet by means of thirty-nine locks, twenty of which are on the east, and nineteen on the west, the Clyde not ebbing so low as the Forth by nine feet. About five miles from Kilpatrick, the grand aque. duct over the Kelvin is to be seen, consisting of four arches sixty-five feet high, and four hundred and twenty in length. The situation of the bridge is very striking and picturesque. Kilpatrick itself is a small village, but was once a place of importance, taking its name from St Patrick, the tutelar saint of Ireland. About a mile and a half from Kilpatrick may be seen the remains of a Roman bridge at the village of Duntocher, in the line of the Roman wall, which joined the Clyde near this place. Dumbarton Castle. The road from this place to Dumbarton continues close to the Clyde, passing Friskie-hall, a small villa singularly situated; and a little farther on, the ruinous fort of Dunglas, standing on a point of the promontory of Dunglas, more conspicuous from its singular situa tion than from any picturesque effect of itself. On approaching Dumbarton, the bold parts of rock become more and more distinct, pointing out how admirably it is calculated for a fortress, being only accessible by the north-east. Dunbeck, a rock on the right of the road, puts on a majestic appearance, and is, like Dumbarton, composed of basaltes, having some tendency to a columnar form. " About the 13th mile from Glasgow is the first distinct view of Benlomond, rising with great majesty amidst hills of inferior magnitude. DUMBARTON Castle. On approaching Dumbarton, the Castle becomes a very picturesque object: the rock divides about the middle, and forms two summits; the craggy sides are finely broken; the buildings upon it, although of themselves of little importance, yet when combined with other objects, have a good effect, and serve to give it consequence. The entrance to this fortress is by a gate at the bottom; from hence you ascend by a long flight of steps to that part of the rock where it divides, where are a battery, barracks for the garrison, and a reservoir always filled with water. Above these are several batteries mounted with cannon. To describe fully the various objects of attention in Dumbarton Castle. this fortress would fill a volume; suffice it to say, that the mind, on entering this place, is impressed with its magnitude and strength, and on ascending, these impressions are confirmed by passing batteries and bulwarks on all sides, until you gain the summit of the rock, when, upon looking round, it has the impression of a scene in Fairy-land, after escaping from the danger of frowning rocks overhanging the passage up, with the devouring cannon facing you at every turn. On gaining the summit, the prospects all around are striking, and laid down as on a map. Standing on the top of a rock rising out of the water, as if the whole mass was your footstool, you see the lofty Benlomond on the north, the vale of the Leven, bounded by high hills on every side, with the river holding its serpentine course down the centre. On the east, the course of the Clyde from Glasgow, with the various objects on its banks. On the west, the towns of Greenock and Port-Glasgow, with their numerous shipping filling the basin of the river, forming here a bay of considerable extent, bounded by the mountains of Argyllshire, &c. The town of Dumbarton probably owes its origin to the protecting influence of the Castle. It is situated 14 miles from Glasgow, at the mouth of the Leven, and carries on a considerable trade in glass, and sometimes in fish. The shipping belonging to this little port employs a good number of hardy seamen. Leaving Dunbarton, the road crosses the Leven, taking a northern direction, having on the left a road to Helensburgh, and to Arroquhar, by Loch Long. Continuing forward to Loch Lomond, through the vale of the Leven, a rich and diversified tract, having flou Dr Smollett-Renton-Alexandria, rishing villages, elegant seats, neat and comfortable cottages, well wooded, with the Leven holding its silvery and winding course through the bosom of this vale, from Loch Lomond to the Clyde, in a course of 9 miles, including all its windings, with only a fall of 22 feet. Dr Smollett, the author of Roderick Random, &c. was a native of this place, and has painted its beauties in an ode, beginning thus,"On Leven's banks while free to rove, And tune the rural pipe to love," &c. At the distance of two miles from Dunbarton, on the right, is an old mansion-house on the bank of the river, in which that eminent writer was born. On the left of the road, a little farther north, is an elegant monument erected to his memory, consisting of a Tuscan column, terminated by a vase, and having inscribed on it his character in classical Latin. On passing this monument, comes the village of Renton, created from the number of people employed in the bleachfields and other manufactories in the neighbourhood. Another village, called Alexandria, owes its existence to the same cause. The bleaching trade is carried on in this vale to nearly as great an extent as in any other part in Britain, paying annually about L.50,000 of duties to government. These works have been drawn towards this place from the continued supply of clear water issuing from Lochlomond, for "No torrents stain thy limpid source, No rocks impede thy dimpling course, With white round polish'd pebbles spread;" as also labour being cheaper than in a place of greater trade. |