Town and administrative centre in Scotland
Greenock
(
;
Scots
:
Greenock
;
Scottish Gaelic
:
Grianaig
,
pronounced
[?k??i?n?k?]
) is a
town
in
Inverclyde
, Scotland, located in the west
central Lowlands
of
Scotland
. The town is currently the
administrative centre
of
Inverclyde Council
. It is a former
burgh
within the
historic county
of
Renfrewshire
, and forms part of a contiguous urban area with
Gourock
to the west and
Port Glasgow
to the east.
The
2011 UK Census
showed that Greenock had a population of 44,248, a decrease from the 46,861 recorded in the
2001 UK Census
. It lies on the south bank of the Clyde at the "
Tail of the Bank
" where the
River Clyde
deepens into the
Firth of Clyde
.
History
[
edit
]
Name
[
edit
]
Place-name scholar
William J. Watson
wrote that "Greenock is well known in Gaelic as Grianaig, dative of grianag, a sunny knoll".
[3]
The
Scottish Gaelic
place-name
Grianaig
is relatively common, with another (Greenock) near
Callander
in
Menteith
(formerly in Perthshire) and yet another at
Muirkirk
in
Kyle
, now in
East Ayrshire
.
[4]
R. M. Smith in (1921) described the alternative derivation from
Common Brittonic
*
Graenag
, a "gravelly" or "sandy place", as more appropriate, accurately describing the original foreshore.
[5]
Johnston (1934) notes that "some Gaels call the seaport Ghonait", and that a possible derivation may be
greannach
, meaning "rough, gravelly".
[6]
The name of the town has had various spellings over time. It was printed in early Acts of Parliament as
Grinok
,
Greenhok
,
Grinock
,
Greenhoke
,
Greinnock
, and later as
Greinok
. Old Presbyterial records used
Grenok
, a common spelling until it was changed to Greenock around 1700.
The spelling
Greenoak
was found in two factory accounts dating back to 1717, and a legend developed of a green oak tree at the edge of the Clyde at William Street being used by fishermen to tie up their boats. No reliable source has been found referencing green oaks, however, and so this has been generally dismissed as imaginative Anglophone
folk etymology
. Nonetheless the image has frequently been used as an emblem or logo, carved on public buildings, used on banners and badges,
[7]
and was once emblazoned on the local
Co-operative Society
emblem. It reappeared in 1992 as the new shopping centre's name:
The Oak Mall
, which uses a green tree as its logo. The name is also recalled in a local song (
The Green Oak Tree
). Significantly, no green oak appears on the former burgh
coat of arms
which features the three chalices of the Shaw Stewarts, a sailing ship in full sail and two
herring
above the motto
God Speed Greenock
.
Early history
[
edit
]
Hugh de Grenock was created a Scottish
Baron
in 1296, and the seat of the
feudal barony
of Greenock was apparently
[
weasel words
]
what became
Easter Greenock Castle
. Around 1400 his successor Malcolm Galbraith died with no sons, and his estate was divided between his two daughters to become two baronies: the eldest inherited Easter Greenock and married a Crawfurd, while Wester Greenock went to the younger daughter who married Schaw of Sauchie. Around 1540 the adjoining barony of
Finnart
was passed to the Schaw family, extending their holdings westward to the boundary of
Gourock
, and in 1542 Sir John Schaw founded Wester Greenock castle.
[8]
[9]
The
Scottish Reformation
of 1560 closed the chapels in the parish, and as the parish church was some 6 miles (10 kilometres) distant at
Inverkip
over a difficult route which was impassable in winter, in 1589 John Schaw obtained a charter from
King James VI
to build a kirk for the "poor people upon his lands who were all fishers and of a reasonable number".
[10]
Later known as the Old Kirk or the
Old West Kirk
, it was constructed on the west bank of the West Burn estuary and is reputed to have been the first
Protestant
church built in Scotland after the Reformation.
[11]
The Schaw, later
Shaw
and
Shaw-Stewart
, family retained a leading role in Greenock over the following centuries. In 1670, Sir John Shaw obtained a charter from
King Charles II
, combining the lands of
Finnart
and the barony of Wester Greenock, to create the barony of Greenock.
[12]
Fishing villages, harbours and shipbuilding
[
edit
]
The coast of Greenock formed a broad bay with three smaller indentations: the Bay of Quick was known as a safe anchorage as far back as 1164. To its east, a sandy bay ran eastwards from the Old Kirk and the West Burn as far as Wester Greenock castle. The fishing village of Greenock developed along this bay, and around 1635 Sir John Schaw had a jetty built into the bay which became known as Sir John's Bay. In that year he obtained a Charter raising Greenock to a Burgh of Barony with rights to a weekly market. Further east, Saint Laurence Bay curved round past the Crawfurd Barony of Easter Greenock to Garvel (or Gravel) Point. When a pier (or dyke) was built making the bay an important harbour, the fishing village of Cartsdyke gained the alternative name of Craufurdsdyke. In 1642 it was made into the Burgh of Barony of Crawfurdsdyke, and part of the ill-fated
Darien Scheme
set out from this pier in 1697. Its town was named Cartsburn.
[13]
[14]
The fishing trade grew prosperous, with barrels of salted
herring
exported widely, and shipping trade developed. As seagoing ships could not go further up the
River Clyde
, the
Glasgow
merchants including the
Tobacco Lords
wanted harbour access but were in disputes with Greenock over harbour dues and warehouses. They tried to buy the Garvel estate for a harbour when Easter Greenock lands were put up for sale to meet debts, but were outbid by Sir John Schaw who then got a Crown Charter of 1670 uniting Easter and Wester Greenock into the Burgh Barony of Greenock. A separate
Barony of Cartsburn
was created, the first baron being Thomas Craufurd. In 1668 the City of Glasgow got the lease of 13 acres (5 hectares) of land upriver close to
Newark Castle
, and construction promptly started on
Newport Glasgow
harbour which by 1710 had the principal Clyde
custom house
.
[15]
[14]
In 1696 and 1700 Schaw and residents of the town made unsuccessful bids to the Scottish Parliament for grants for a Greenock harbour, then when the
Act of Union 1707
opened up involvement in colonial trade, they raised their own funds. The work was completed in 1710, with
quays
extended out into Sir John's Bay to enclose the harbour. In 1711 the shipbuilding industry was founded when
Scotts
leased ground between the harbour and the West Burn to build fishing boats. Greenock rapidly became a major port and shipbuilding centre, and though tobacco imported from the colonies was taken to Glasgow by pack horse, the more bulky imports of sugar were processed locally. From 1774 the dredging of the River Clyde increasingly allowed ships to take merchandise directly to Glasgow, but merchants continued to use Greenock harbour.
The
American Revolutionary War
temporarily interrupted trade, and the gun battery of Fort Beauclerc near the West Burn was extended to guard against the threat of
privateers
, but the emphasis shifted to wider markets including imports of
rum
and sugar from the
Caribbean
, wines from Spain, and fish from North America. A
whaling
business operated for about 40 years. Greenock "was mainly a trading port for goods such as sugar and cotton, but also dispatched ships to West Africa
to take people to be enslaved
" in Britain's American colonies.
[16]
[17]
In 1868, in what became a
cause celebre
,
[18]
seven young Greenock males
stowed away on a cargo ship
bound for
Quebec
. Treated with what was, even for the times, exceptional brutality, they were forcibly disembarked in
Newfoundland
; by the time they were returned to Scotland, three of them had died. The Captain and mate of the cargo ship were tried in a blaze of publicity at the Sheriff's Court and served short prison terms.
[19]
Custom House and steamboats
[
edit
]
In 1714 Greenock became a
custom house
port as a branch of
Port Glasgow
, and for a period this operated from rooms leased in Greenock. Receipts rose rapidly with the expansion of colonial trade, and in 1778 the custom house moved to newly-built premises at the West Quay of the harbour.
[20]
By 1791 a new pier was constructed at the East Quay. In 1812 Europe's first steamboat service was introduced by
PS
Comet
with frequent sailings between Glasgow, Greenock and
Helensburgh
, and as trade built up the pier became known as Steamboat Quay.
The custom house needed larger premises and in May 1817 the foundation stone was laid at Steamboat Quay for a Custom House building designed by
William Burn
, which was completed in 1818. Its gracious
neoclassical architecture
features a Grecian
Doric
portico
looking out over the quay,
[20]
[21]
which would eventually be renamed Custom House Quay.
[22]
In 1828 the Custom House was praised as "a grand National Structure" in "the highest style of elegance". By then there were scheduled steamboat sailings to
Belfast
,
Derry
, Liverpool,
Inverness
,
Campbeltown
, the
Hebrides
and "all the principal places in the Highlands".
[23]
The Custom House underwent extensive refurbishment which was completed in 1989 and, until closure of the building in 2010, housed a customs and
excise
museum which was open to the public. In June 2008
HM Revenue and Customs
(HMRC) announced that the building would close in 2011 as part of a rationalisation project with any jobs being transferred to offices in
Glasgow
, and despite a campaign to oppose these plans, the building closed in August 2010.
Riverside Inverclyde arranged further refurbishment works, and in 2013 announced that space had already been let to companies including PG Paper Company Ltd and
Toshiba
which had planning permission to form meeting rooms and an executive office in the building.
[24]
[25]
Greenock Telegraph
estimated that £4.1 million has been spent over five-year period for the renovation works.
[26]
Industry and railways
[
edit
]
Greenock became a centre of industry, with water power being used to process imported goods. In 1827
Loch Thom
was constructed as a reservoir with
The Cut
aqueduct
, bringing water to two lines of falls for water mills to power a paper mill, cotton and woollen mills, sugar refineries and shipbuilding
Greenock Central railway station
at Cathcart Street opened in 1841, for the first time providing a fast route from Glasgow to the coast linking up with
Clyde steamer
services. The provision of this new line meant there was no need to take the steamer all the way down river from Glasgow. In 1869 the
Caledonian Railway
was bypassed by the rival
Greenock and Ayrshire Railway
which opened a station on the waterfront at its
Albert Harbour station
(later renamed Princes Pier), served by a tunnel under Greenock's west end. To regain custom, the Caledonian Railway extended (what is now known as the
Inverclyde Line
) the
Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway
west to Gourock; this line was built to run inland through deep cuttings and tunnels, with a tunnel under the whole length of Newton Street crossing under the other railway tunnel to emerge near
Fort Matilda railway station
. Spoil from the cuttings and tunnels was used to build an embankment out from the shore to a long timber wharf at
Gourock railway station
, providing space for railway sidings.
The railway bought Wester Greenock castle and its extension, the Mansion House, and demolished them before constructing the tunnel immediately west of Greenock Central station, running under the castle grounds which now form Well Park.
[9]
Greenock's increasing importance and wealth was manifested in the construction of the
Greenock Municipal Buildings
, whose Victoria Tower, completed in 1886, stands 245 feet (75 metres) tall.
[28]
The
War of 1812
reawakened fears of American raids against Britain's ports. Earlier gun batteries had been dismantled and in 1813 ground was granted for a battery at Whitefarland Point.
Fort Matilda
was completed in 1818 and was sporadically modified over the century. The land to the west of this was common ground for inhabitants of the town, but in 1907 the
Admiralty
compulsorily purchased part of this land for a torpedo factory. The remaining space was handed over to Greenock Corporation in 1914 as a public park.
[29]
The
Clyde Torpedo Factory
opened in 1910, with 700 workers transferred from the
Royal Arsenal
,
Woolwich
. The site was tasked with designing and testing of
torpedoes
, the testing taking place in
Loch Long
. During the
Second World War
the site switched entirely to manufacturing torpedoes. The original gun battery site was occupied by the
Navy Buildings
, the main offices, just to the east of the torpedo factory buildings.
Following WW2, in 1947,
[30]
the site became fully committed to R&D as the Torpedo Experimental Establishment (TEE). TEE was closed in 1959, when all torpedo research, development and design were concentrated at the newly formed Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment (AUWE), Portland.
[31]
A church which became known as the
Old West Kirk
had been established in Greenock in 1591 under the patronage of John Schaw, the first built in Scotland since the
Reformation
. It was extended over the years, at an early stage the Schaw aisle provided pews for the Laird of the Barony, built as a gallery to the east of the nave of the church. Opposite it, above the front entrance, is the Crawfurdsburn or Choir Gallery. At the south end of the nave, the Sailor's Loft gallery was built in 1698 and features a 19th-century model frigate, which replaced earlier models. At the north end, the Farmer's Gallery is above the main seating area. A tower was added in the mid 19th century.
In 1926, to make way for expansion of the
Harland & Wolff
shipyard (the present-day location of Container Way), the Old West Kirk was relocated to a new site on the Esplanade where it still stands. The shipbuilders provided the Pirrie Hall to the south of the site: this was opened in February 1925, just after the old church closed for work to commence, and was used during the works to accommodate services, enabling the congregation to see progress on the rebuilt kirk. It then came into use as the church hall.
The church is notable for
stained glass
by artists such as
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
and Sir
Edward Burne-Jones
. The Church has a website.
[32]
Second World War
[
edit
]
Greenock suffered badly during the
Second World War
and its anchorage at the
Tail of the Bank
became the base for the
Home Fleet
as well as the main assembly point for
Atlantic
convoys. On 30 April 1940 the French
Vauquelin class destroyer
Maille Breze
blew up off Greenock with heavy loss of life following an accident involving two of her own torpedoes.
[33]
Although this disaster occurred before the
Free French
Naval Forces were established, many people tend to regard the
Cross of Lorraine
on
Lyle Hill
as a memorial to the loss of the
Maille Breze
as well as to the later losses of the
Free French Naval Forces
which sailed from the town. On the nights of 6 May and 7 May 1941 around 300
Luftwaffe
aircraft attacked the town in the
Greenock Blitz
.
On 10 October 1940,
RAF Greenock
was created as a maintenance base for RAF flying boats. The base was hit on 7 May 1941 during the Greenock Blitz.
[34]
A large building housing a drapery business constructed on Cowan's property at the corner of the Municipal Buildings was badly damaged and was demolished, leaving the blank brick corner area still known as "Cowan's Corner". This was later landscaped and used as a garden.
[35]
Post?war years
[
edit
]
Greenock thrived in the post-war years but as the heavy industries declined in the 1970s and 1980s unemployment became a major problem, and it has only been in the last ten years with reinvestment and the redevelopment of large sections of the town that the local economy has started to revive. Tourism has appeared as an unexpected bonus with the development of the Clydeport
container port
as Ocean Terminal, a
passenger terminal
for
cruise ships
touring the Atlantic. Students who do not travel further afield for study often attend the Greenock campus of West College (formerly known as
James Watt College
of Further and Higher Education).
Greenock reached its population peak in 1921 (81,123) and was once the sixth largest town in Scotland.
Governance
[
edit
]
Until 1974, Greenock was a
parliamentary burgh
in its own right. It was merged with Port Glasgow to form
Greenock and Port Glasgow
constituency. In 1997, it became
Greenock and Inverclyde
. After the redistribution of Scottish seats, it was merged into an enlarged
Inverclyde
constituency ? the first time in political history that Greenock has not been named in a parliamentary seat.
Greenock and Inverclyde
remains a
Scottish Parliament
constituency.
Greenock is the administrative centre of
Inverclyde Council
, the local authority responsible for the wider
Inverclyde
area in which Greenock is located. The council is based in the
Greenock Municipal Buildings
.
Climate
[
edit
]
Greenock
|
Climate chart (
explanation
)
|
J
|
F
|
M
|
A
|
M
|
J
|
J
|
A
|
S
|
O
|
N
|
D
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
?
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
|
?
Precipitation totals in mm
| Source: Precipitation:
[36]
|
|
Imperial conversion
|
J
| F
| M
| A
| M
| J
| J
| A
| S
| O
| N
| D
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
?
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
|
?
Precipitation totals in inches
|
|
Greenock's climate is
temperate
maritime
having mainly cool summers and mild winters. The coastal location means that the heat capacity of seawater helps keep winter temperatures higher than locations just a few miles inland.
Although there has been recent debate
[37]
the moderating influence of the
North Atlantic Drift
, a warm oceanic current that is the eastern extension of the
Gulf Stream
, means that Greenock's average temperature is approximately one degree Celsius greater than eastern Scottish coastal towns on the same latitude (55.94 degrees north); whilst in winter, Greenock is considerably warmer than continental locations at the same latitude, such as Moscow.
Anecdotally Greenock has a reputation for receiving higher than average rainfall (the song
The Green Oak Tree
comments on this). Whilst the rainfall is indeed higher than the average recorded at Scottish weather stations, the greatest rainfall in Scotland occurs on the west (ocean) facing mountain slopes of
Lochaber
, near
Fort William
in the
Highlands
.
[38]
Greenock's latitude means long hours of
daylight
in
midsummer
with the opposite true in
midwinter
. On the summer solstice, usually observed on the 21 June, the sun rises at 04:31 and sets at 22:07. On the winter solstice, usually 21 December, the sun rises at 08:46 and sets at 15:44.
Education
[
edit
]
The Highlanders academy was built in 1837, partly by subscription, and partly by grant from government, on a site given by the late Sir Michael Shaw Stewart.
[12]
Greenock has the following primary schools as of 2023:
- Ardgowan Primary School, on Newton Street
- Lady Alice Primary School, on Gateside Avenue
- St Josephs R C Primary School, on Wren Road
- St Mary's Catholic Primary School, on Patrick Street
- St Patricks Primary School, on Cornhaddock Street
- Whinhill Primary School, on Peat Road
- Aileymill Primary School, on Norfolk Road
- St Andrew's Primary School, on Chester Road
- All Saints Primary School, on Blairmore Road
- King's Oak Primary School, on East Crawford Street
Greenock has the following high schools as of 2023:
- Notre Dame High School, on Dunlop Street
- Inverclyde Academy, on Cumberland Road
Greenock has the following other educational establishments:
- Cedars School of Excellence
- Lomond View Academy
Health
[
edit
]
The
Greenock Infirmary
, later the Royal Infirmary, was established in 1809, when a building was erected at an expense of £1815, on a site of land given by Sir John Shaw Stewart.
[12]
Today, the town is served by the
Inverclyde Royal Hospital
which is located in Greenock serving the population of
Inverclyde
,
Largs
, the
Isle of Bute
and the
Cowal
Peninsula.
[39]
The hospital was commissioned to replace the
Greenock Royal Infirmary
, the Eye Infirmary, Gateside Hospital, Duncan Macpherson Hospital and Broadstone Jubilee Hospital.
[40]
Construction work started at the end on August 1970
[41]
and the hospital was completed in 1979.
[40]
In 2004 Inverclyde Royal Hospital faced proposals for a major downsizing with the loss of the accident and emergency department and the acute surgical ward in an effort to save costs. Many people criticised the plans complaining that the Inverclyde Royal Hospital was being seen as nothing more than a large health centre.
[42]
In February 2007, after undertaking a review, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde proposed retaining the accident and emergency department and core inpatient services, including the trauma and emergency medical departments at Inverclyde Royal Hospital and submitted this proposal to the Scottish Government for approval.
[43]
Langhill Clinic situated behind Inverclyde Royal Hospital is now the main psychiatric hospital with an IPCU unit and
Day hospital
alongside the main psychiatric ward.
Economy
[
edit
]
Economic history
[
edit
]
Historically, the town relied on
shipbuilding
, sugar refining and
wool
manufacturing for employment, but none of these industries are today part of Greenock's economy. More recently the town relied heavily on
electronics
manufacture. However, this has given way mostly to:
call centre
business, insurance, banking and shipping export.
The Fleming and Reid merino wool mill employed 500 people ? mostly women and produced wool garments spun and woven at the mill. This mill was at the corner of Drumfrochar Road and Mill Road.
As of October 2012 Greenock has an unemployment rate of 5.3%, above the Scottish average of 3.9% (figure is for the
Scottish Parliament
constituency
and includes
Gourock
,
Inverkip
,
Port Glasgow
and
Wemyss Bay
).
[44]
Shipbuilding
[
edit
]
In the early 17th century, the first
pier
was built in Greenock. Shipbuilding was already an important employer by this time. The first proper
harbour
was constructed in 1710 and the first well-known shipbuilders,
Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company
, was established the following year. It gained numerous contracts with the
Royal Navy
from 1806, building ships such as
Glasgow
.
In 1967 Scott's was merged with
Lithgows
(founded 1874, later the largest privately owned yard in the world) the same year becoming
Scott Lithgow
, which was later nationalised as part of
British Shipbuilders
in 1977. From 1800 to 1980 many thousands of people worked to design, build and repair ships. The reduction in shipbuilding in the 1970s and 1980s meant that none of these companies are still trading.
Greenock Shipbuilders included: Scotts, Browns, William Lithgows, Fergusons, Head the Boat Builder (lifeboats). Other marine engineering related companies included engine-makers ? Kincaids, Scotts, Rankin and Blackmore (which included the Eagle Foundry) ? ship repair (Lamonts) and Hasties for steering gear. Yacht builders included Adams and McLean (at Cardwell Bay). Other yards included Cartsburn, Cartsdyke, and Klondyke ? all of which closed during the 1970s and 1980s due to competition from
South Korea
and Japan.
Part of the site of the
Scott's
yard, is now an
EE
call centre, and the Kingston Yard was redeveloped for housing. Shipbuilding is now continued at
Ferguson Marine Engineering
in nearby
Port Glasgow
, after Ferguson Shipbuilders was taken over by
Jim McColl
and began modernisation.
Ship repair work continues at the Garvel Drydock in Greenock's Great Harbour.
The Inchgreen Drydock was opened in 1964 as one of the largest in the world at 305 m long and 48 m wide. It was used to re-fit the
RMS
Queen Elizabeth
, and to fit-out the
QE2
.
[45]
In 1966 it came under the nationalised Clydeport, which was privatised in 1982 and in 2003 was sold to Peel Ports of
The Peel Group
.
[46]
They subsequently operated the drydock as part of their
Cammell Laird
shipbuilding subsidiary.
[47]
Peel Ports put the drydock on the market for a lease in 2014, and Jim McColl opened discussions on leasing the dock to expand Fergusons' shipbuilding,
[48]
but nothing came of the negotiations. On 1 May 2017, Clydeport stated that the drydock cranes are to be demolished.
[45]
In November 2021 it was announced that the dock had been leased to Atlas Decommissioning as a site for breaking up marine vessels.
[49]
Shipping
[
edit
]
Freight traffic is handled at the
container cranes
of Greenock's
Ocean Terminal
, at
Prince's Pier
which was constructed for the
Glasgow and South Western Railway
. The same terminal is a regular port of call for
cruise liners
visiting the west of Scotland.
Greenock was a regular port of call for Cunard Line and Canadian Pacific in the 1950s and 1960s. Ships on the Montreal to Liverpool transit would anchor at the Tail of the Bank off Greenock in the Firth of Clyde and steam paddlewheel ferries would service the liners. Cunard operated: the RMS Ivernia (1954), RMS Saxonia (1955), RMS Carinthia (1956) and RMS Sylvania (1957). These four ships were built at John Brown & Company shipyards, typically 22,000 tons, twin screw, 600 passengers. CP operated the Empress of Britain (1956), Empress of Canada and Empress of England.
Greenock's Great Harbour is one of the three main ports providing marine services support to the Royal Navy, in dual site operation with
Faslane
at
HMNB Clyde
on the
Gare Loch
. 240 staff of the former
Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service
were transferred to
Serco Denholm
under a 15-year £1bn PFI contract awarded in December 2007.
[50]
This facility means that "Admiralty" boats and tugs are a common sight on the Clyde.
Greenock's attractive esplanade provides a gently curving riverside walk just over a mile (1.6 km) long extending to the west from
Ocean Terminal
to the
Royal West of Scotland Amateur Boat Club
sailing, kayaking and rowing facilities, which originated as a rowing club built against the east wall of
Fort Matilda
in 1866, and was granted its present title in 1885. The present clubhouse dates from 1878, and was subsequently extended.
[51]
Fort Matilda was adapted for various purposes, eventually becoming the
Navy Buildings
which housed a main
Her Majesty's Coastguard
centre until it closed in December 2012, as well as a
Royal Naval Reserve
establishment,
HMS
Dalriada
. The buildings have now been demolished, as a site for blocks of flats off Eldon Street.
Sugar
[
edit
]
Sugar refining began in Greenock in 1765.
[52]
John Walker began a sugar refinery in Greenock in 1850 followed by the prominent local
cooper
and shipowner
Abram Lyle
who, with four partners, purchased the
Glebe Sugar Refinery
in 1865. Another 12 refineries were active at one point. The most successful of these was
Tate & Lyle
. It was formed from a merger in 1921 between Abram Lyle, who had expanded into
Plaistow
, and
Henry Tate
, who had set up a sugar refinery in
Liverpool
and had expanded into
London
.
The James Watt Dock, opened in 1886, provided shipping and shipbuilding facilities including a large warehouse (known as the Sugar Shed) which was used for both imported raw sugar, and refined sugar ready for delivery.
[53]
[54]
By the end of the 19th century, around 400 ships a year were transporting sugar from Caribbean holdings to Greenock for processing. There were 14 sugar refineries, including The Westburn, Walkers, The Glebe, Lochore and Ferguson and Dempster, plus a sugar beet factory on Ingleston Street. Tobacco from the Americas also arrived here.
When Tate and Lyle finally closed its Greenock refinery in 1997 it brought to an end the town's 150-year-old connections with sugar manufacture. A newly built sugar warehouse continued shipping operations at Greenock's
Ocean Terminal
. The former sugar warehouse at the James Watt Dock was by then scheduled as a category A
listed building
as a fine example of early industrial architecture, with an unusual feature of a
colonnade
of cast iron columns forming a sheltered unloading area next to the
quayside
. This building has since lain empty, with various schemes being proposed for conversion and restoration. The photographs show the building still intact in February 2006, but a fire on the evening of 12 June 2006 caused severe damage to much of the building before being brought under control in the early hours of 13 June. The local council confirmed that parts of the building will have to be taken down to ensure public safety, but promised an investigation and emphasised the importance of this world heritage building.
[55]
In 2007, approval was given to proposals for a major regeneration project.
[56]
As of 2018, the building and adjacent area of the dock accommodated a
marina
.
[53]
Electronics
[
edit
]
Since
IBM
arrived in the town in 1951, electronics and light manufacturing have, until recently, been the mainstay of local employment.
Texas Instruments
(and before that
National Semiconductor
) ran a
silicon
wafer manufacturing plant in the town from 1970 until 2019, when the plant was transferred to
Diodes Incorporated
.
[57]
However, with manufacturing moving to Eastern Europe and Asia, work has shifted to the
service sector
, especially call centres. EE and IBM both have major call centre operations in Greenock, while the
Royal Bank of Scotland
Mortgage Centre processes Mortgage applications from throughout the UK & Ireland.
IBM closed their entire factory in Greenock which is in the process of being demolished.
Sanmina
, another electronics company, took over much of the IBM installation but moved 370 jobs to
Hungary
in 2006.
[58]
The Sanmina plant, which consisted of the former IBM AMDC (Automated Materials Distribution Centre) and Modules buildings 1 to 5, has since ceased operation and was demolished in 2009. The
Spango Valley
site was rebranded as "Valley Park" in late 2009. Lenovo has also re-located away from Greenock, and the plant is now at 10% of the 1999/2000 capacity. As of 2020 the site of IBM in Spango Valley had been completely demolished.
[59]
Trade and commerce
[
edit
]
Greenock's main shopping thoroughfare was Hamilton Street, which connected West Blackhall Street in the west to Clyde Square in the east. In 1975 it disappeared, along with several other central streets, as the area was
pedestrianised
as Hamilton Way. In 1992 it was covered and enclosed as an 85-unit centre by Covell Matthews for then-clients Ossory Road Estates as
The Oak Mall
(in administration as of 21 November 2013).
[60]
It has since been supplanted as Inverclyde's main shopping area by the retail park at Port Glasgow. Occupants of the mall now include
Boots
,
Argos
,
The Body Shop
,
Clarks
and
New Look
.
Marks and Spencer
was in its original building (of 1936) which was simply built round during the first phase of pedestrianisation, where it remained until the store moved to a new unit at Port Glasgow.
[61]
In its place, is a collection of separate small markets.
Tesco
and
Morrisons
also have a presence in the town. A small retail estate is opposite the
Waterfront
swimming pool and leisure centre. Elsewhere, small groups of shops in most of the areas of the town provide for day-to-day needs. The town contains one diplomatic mission, an Italian consulate.
Transport
[
edit
]
Greenock is Scotland's best served town in terms of railway stations. It boasts eight:
Bogston
,
Cartsdyke
,
Greenock Central
,
Greenock West
,
Fort Matilda
,
Whinhill
,
Drumfrochar
and
Branchton
. A ninth station, located at the
former IBM complex
, is currently mothballed pending redevelopment of the site. Only Glasgow has a much greater number of stations and Edinburgh possesses only two more. Greenock has a railway tunnel at 1.2 miles (1.9 km) in length. Located directly under Newton Street in the town, the tunnel allowed for the extension of the railway to
Gourock
.
Greenock is served by a number of local bus routes covering the majority of Greenock, Gourock and Port Glasgow. Long-distance services travel regularly to Glasgow, Largs and Dunoon. The majority of routes are run by
McGill's Bus Services
. The Largs to Glasgow corridor is served by two services, the 901, 906, which provide a bus along this route every 15 minutes for most of the day. The 531 service also offers travel from Greenock to Glasgow, serving the Slaemuir area of Port Glasgow before connecting with the X7 Service and continuing through Bridge of Weir, Houston and Linwood, then joining the motorway to Braehead before heading into Glasgow City Centre.
Greenock is located at the end of the
A8 road
/
M8 motorway
which begins in
Edinburgh
. It is also the northern terminus of
Euroroute
E05
which heads south through England, France and Spain, ending at the Spanish port and container terminal of
Algeciras
.
Culture
[
edit
]
Greenock is home to the world's first
Burns Club
, The Mother Club, which was founded in 1801 by merchants born in
Ayrshire
, some of whom had known Robert Burns. They held the first
Burns Supper
on what they thought was his birthday on 29 January 1802, but in 1803 discovered from the Ayr parish records that the correct date was 25 January 1759.
[62]
The
Victorian
landscape artist
John Atkinson Grimshaw
depicted a somewhat idealised Greenock in several of his paintings.
The
Watt Institution
(Mclean Museum) is the largest museum in the Inverclyde area, featuring exhibitions on
James Watt
and a collection of
Ancient Egyptian
artefacts.
The
Beacon Arts Centre
opened in 2013 in a new building at Greenock's Custom House Quay. It provides a 500-seat theatre that hosts a regular programme of plays, concerts, musical events, comedians and other events and a Studio Theatre, as well as a multifunction Gallery Suite providing rehearsal and meeting rooms which combine for event or performance space, with views over the Clyde. On the ground floor a cafe & bar also haas wide views. The Beacon is owned by the Greenock Arts Guild, and replaced the former
Arts Guild Theatre
.
[63]
Greenock hosted the
National Mod
in 1904 and 1925.
[64]
In television
[
edit
]
The 1974
BBC Scotland
adaptation of the
Para Handy
novels, entitled
The Vital Spark
, was filmed in Greenock. In 2012, Greenock became the setting for the
BBC
television drama
Waterloo Road
, after the series was relocated from
Rochdale
, Greater Manchester. The series was shot at
Greenock Academy
, a former secondary school in the west of the town.
[65]
The British TV series
Annika
uses the Beacon Arts Centre as the homicide unit's base.
In film
[
edit
]
Greenock has featured as the backdrop to several films: the television films
Just a Boys' Game
(1979),
Down Where the Buffalo Go
(1988) and
Down Among the Big Boys
(1993)
[66]
and the cinema films
Sweet Sixteen
(2002),
Dear Frankie
(2004) and
Badla
(2019).
[67]
An early
Danny Boyle
film
Leaving
(1988) was shot here. In
Rob Roy
, which is set in the mid-eighteenth century, Greenock is referred to as "the port to new world".
In literature
[
edit
]
Greenock is one of the settings for
Alan Sharp
's 1965 novel
A Green Tree in Gedde
. It is fictionalised as 'Gantock' by
Robin Jenkins
in his 1979 novel
Fergus Lamont
(The Gantocks are a rocky
shoal
in the
Firth of Clyde
nearby, just off
Dunoon
).
Alasdair Gray
's 1984 novel
1982, Janine
is set in a Greenock hotel room.
Matthew Fitt
's
cyberpunk
novel
But'n'Ben A-Go-Go
features a submerged Greenock after the effects of
global warming
. Greenock has featured in the poetry of W.S. Graham (evoking his childhood) and
Douglas Dunn
.
Greenock features in
Charles Nodier
's 1832 romantic fairy-tale novel
La fee aux miettes
as the original home and final destination of the eponymous "Crumb Fairy," who, at the beginning of the story is trapped in France.
[68]
In
Promenade from Dieppe to the Mountains of Scotland
, his account of a 50-day journey to Scotland in 1821, Nodier described Greenock as “one of the ornaments of Renfrewshire”
[69]
("la charmante ville de Greenok [sic], un des ornements de Renfrew"
[70]
).
The novel
The Greenock Murders
by Kieran James (2021) is set in Greenock, especially the Cartsdyke area of town around Grosvenor Road, and the pubs of Gourock including the Kempock bar and Monteith's (now closed).
[71]
Media
[
edit
]
The town has a daily evening newspaper,
The
Greenock Telegraph
, dating from 1857.
Local news and television programmes are provided by
BBC Scotland
and
STV Central
. Television signals are received from the
Black Hill
[72]
TV transmitter or one of the local relay transmitters (Rosneath
[73]
and Ravenscraig
[74]
). An internet-based TV station ? Inverclyde TV ? is run by Creative Industries students at Greenock's West College Scotland.
Inverclyde FM on line is a community
Internet radio
station run by volunteers.
[75]
The town is also served by nation-wide radio stations,
BBC Radio Scotland
,
Clyde 1
,
Greatest Hits Radio Glasgow & The West
,
Heart Scotland
, and
Capital Scotland
.
Notable people
[
edit
]
The most famous Greenockian is the engineer
James Watt
.
[76]
[77]
He is remembered in several placenames in the town, in the library instituted in his memory, and by the original Watt Memorial School (later College) building on the site of his birthplace in William Street, which incorporates a commemorative statue. The Finnart Campus of the
local college
was until 2014 known as the James Watt College.
Wetherspoons
opened the James Watt pub after the building was converted from its previous use as the General Post Office.
The Lady Octavia park and sports centre are named after Lady Octavia Grosvenor, wife of the local MP
Sir Michael Shaw-Stewart
, who died in 1921.
John Cummings
, born in Greenock in 1944, was a Scottish footballer, who played for six teams over ten years in both the United Kingdom and United States.
John McGeoch
, one of the most influential
rock
guitarists of the last decades,
[78]
was born in Greenock in 1955; he spent his childhood with his family in the city before moving in his teens.
[79]
Mojo
magazine listed McGeoch as one of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".
[80]
Other Greenockians include the composers
Hamish MacCunn
and
William Wallace
, violinist
Henri Temianka
, mathematician William Spence,
[81]
poets
Denis Devlin
,
W. S. Graham
and
Jean Adam
, merchant
Matthew Algie
, actors
Richard Wilson
,
David Ashton
,
Martin Compston
and
Stella Gonet
, artists
William Scott
and
Alison Watt
, playwrights
Bill Bryden
,
[82]
Neil Paterson
and
Peter McDougall
, comedian
Charles 'Chic' Murray
, opera singer
Hugh Enes Blackmore
, broadcaster
Jimmy Mack
,
American football
player
Lawrence Tynes
, children's theatre performer Ruairidh Forde, PGA Pro golfer Colin Robinson, Antarctic explorer
Henry Robertson 'Birdie' Bowers
and portrait painter
Leonard Boden
.
Two Greenockians, Alexander Bruce and Theophilus S. Marshall, were involved in the drafting of the laws for Australian Rules Football.
People with other connections
[
edit
]
Pirate
William Kidd
claimed on
death row
that he was born in Greenock, but subsequent evidence has shown that he was born either in
Belfast
or
Dundee
.
[86]
[87]
Robert Burns
' lover
Mary Campbell (Highland Mary)
and her father sailed from
Campbeltown
to visit her brother in Greenock early in October 1786. Her brother fell ill with
typhus
, which she caught while nursing him. She died of typhus on 20 or 21 October 1786, and was buried in the
Old West Kirk
graveyard. In 1842 increasing interest in their romance led to a monument being erected by public subscription to mark the grave. In 1920 when the church site was needed to expand
Harland and Wolff
's shipyard, the monument was moved to its present site in Greenock Cemetery, with her remains being transferred to a casket and re-interred with due ceremony. The church itself was moved and rebuilt in its current location at the west end of the Esplanade in 1926.
[88]
[89]
The novelist
John Galt
, who founded
Guelph
,
Ontario
in 1827, lived in the town and based some of his work, most notably
Annals of the Parish
(1821), on Greenock and surrounding towns. He is buried in the Inverkip Street Cemetery. The mother of American comedian and writer
Jay Leno
, Catherine Muir, was born in Greenock and emigrated to the US as a child. The American actress
Julianne Moore
is the daughter of the late Anne Love, a former psychiatric
social worker
who emigrated from Greenock.
The Rev William C. Hewitt
(minister at Westburn Parish Church in Greenock),
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
in 2009?2010, is the first serving minister at a church in Greenock to be appointed. Reverend
Elizabeth Kinniburgh
, born in Greencock in 1929, was one of the first women to become ordained as a minister for the
Church of Scotland
in 1970.
[90]
Abdelbaset al-Megrahi
, the Libyan intelligence officer convicted of the
Lockerbie Bombing
, was incarcerated at
Greenock Prison
from 2005 until his release on 20 August 2009.
Sports
[
edit
]
Greenock Morton F.C.
are the local senior
football
team who currently play in the
Scottish Championship
.
[91]
Founded in 1874 as Morton F.C., they play their home matches at
Cappielow
. At lower levels of the game,
Greenock Juniors F.C.
play in the West of Scotland Football League.
Greenock hosts a
rugby union
team,
Greenock Wanderers RFC
,
[92]
founded in 1873. It is one of the oldest clubs in Scotland.
Greenock also has 2 successful athletics clubs,
Inverclyde AC
and
Glenpark Harriers
It is also the hometown of the
Greenock Cricket Club
[93]
and Greenock Golf Club.
[94]
In 1972, the town was also the host of the first official international
women's football
match played in Britain. The game, between Scotland and England, resulted in a 3-2 win for England.
[95]
Leisure facilities in Greenock are primarily provided by Inverclyde Leisure. There are several sports facilities in the town and surrounding area managed by Inverclyde Leisure:
- Waterfront Leisure Complex
- Greenock Sports Centre
- Lady Octavia Sports Centre
- Boglestone Community Centre and Fitness Gym
- Ravenscraig Sports Centre
- Battery Park Pavilion
- Gourock Fitness Gym
- Gourock Outdoor Swimming Pool
- Birkmyre Park Fitness Gym (Kilmacolm)
As of 2009, there are plans to build a new multi-purpose facility at Rankin Park.
[96]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
"Greenock (Inverclyde, Scotland, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information"
.
www.citypopulation.de
. Retrieved
14 April
2019
.
- ^
"Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland"
.
National Records of Scotland
. 31 March 2022
. Retrieved
31 March
2022
.
- ^
W. J. Watson,
The History of the Celtic Place-Names of Scotland
(Edinburgh, 1926), p. 201.
- ^
Watson,
The History of the Celtic Place-Names of Scotland
, p. 201.
- ^
Smith 1921
, pp. 8?9
- ^
Johnston, J.B. (1934)
Place-names of Scotland
, John Murray, p. 197
- ^
Smith 1921
, p. 9
- ^
Smith 1921
, pp. 4?5
- ^
a
b
Sweet, Andy.
"Greenock Castle (site of) - Castle in Greenock, Renfrewshire"
.
Stravaiging around Scotland
. Retrieved
19 February
2018
.
- ^
Weir, Daniel (1829).
History of the Town of Greenock
. Greenock: Robertson & Atkinson, Glasgow; John Boyd, Edinburgh; Whittaker & Co., London. pp. 12?14.
- ^
Smith 1921
, pp. 9, 86, 109
Monteith 2004
, p. 3
- ^
a
b
c
"A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Originally published by S Lewis, London, 1846"
.
British History Online
.
- ^
Smith 1921
, pp. 6, 9, 64
Brown 1905
, p. 4
- ^
a
b
"Roy Military Survey of Scotland, 1747?1752, Greenock, Craufurdsdyke, Newport Glasgow"
.
National Library of Scotland, Map images
. Retrieved
29 April
2024
.
- ^
Smith 1921
, pp. 6, 55, 85
Monteith 2003
, p. 3
- ^
Williams, Lisa (9 October 2016).
"Remaking our histories: Scotland, Slavery and Empire"
.
National Galleries Scotland
. Retrieved
9 April
2023
.
- ^
Smith 1921
, pp. 6, 55, 85, 87, 94
- ^
James, B. (2011).
Popular Crime: Reflections on the Celebration of Violence
. New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 51.
ISBN
978-1-41655-274-1
.
- ^
McDermott, S. (30 May 2018).
"The Boys on the Ice"
.
BBC News
. BBC.
Archived
from the original on 25 June 2018
. Retrieved
25 June
2018
.
- ^
a
b
Monteith 2004
, p. 19
- ^
"OS Six-inch 1st edition, surveyed 1857, published 1864 (Renfrewshire, Sheet II)"
.
National Library of Scotland, Map images
. Retrieved
29 April
2024
.
- ^
"OS 25 inch 2nd edition, surveyed 1896, published 1897"
.
National Library of Scotland, Map images
. Retrieved
30 April
2024
.
- ^
Wood 1828
, pp. 172?175
- ^
"Regeneration Projects Attracting Interest"
. Inverclyde Now. 16 November 2013. Archived from
the original
on 12 December 2013
. Retrieved
10 December
2013
.
- ^
"PG Paper moves to Greenock's Custom House"
.
HeraldScotland
. 22 September 2015
. Retrieved
6 February
2017
.
- ^
"£4m Greenock Custom House project nears an end"
.
Greenock Telegraph
. 17 May 2016
. Retrieved
6 February
2017
.
- ^
Sphinx Fine Art; Edward Strachan; Roy Bolton (2008).
Russia & Europe in the Nineteenth Century
. Sphinx Fine Art. pp. 30?.
ISBN
978-1-907200-02-1
.
- ^
Smith 1921
, pp. 148, 168?169
- ^
"Secret Scotland ? Royal Naval Torpedo Factories"
.
- ^
I worked there 1957?59
- ^
"Welcome To The Old West Kirk, Greenock"
. Lyle Kirk
. Retrieved
15 September
2016
.
- ^
"Fs Maille Breze: Tail Of The Bank, Upper Firth Of Clyde | Canmore"
.
canmore.org.uk
. Retrieved
19 January
2023
.
- ^
"Greenock - Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust UK"
.
- ^
"Shop owner's fight to defend Cowan's Corner"
. Greenock Telegraph. 24 March 2015
. Retrieved
4 April
2021
.
- ^
"Climate & Weather Averages in Greenock, Scotland, United Kingdom"
.
Timeanddate.com
. Retrieved
9 October
2019
.
. Data for period 1985?2015.
- ^
"The Gulf Stream Myth"
.
ocp.ldeo.columbia.edu
.
- ^
"Northern Scotland: climate"
. Met Office. Archived from
the original
on 13 August 2011
. Retrieved
7 May
2010
.
- ^
"Inverclyde Royal Hospital"
. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Archived from
the original
on 27 November 2010
. Retrieved
7 May
2010
.
- ^
a
b
"Inverclyde Royal Hospital, Greenock"
. Historic Hospitals
. Retrieved
21 December
2018
.
- ^
"Official start made to £7m. hospital"
.
The Herald
. 1 September 1970. p. 3.
Archived
from the original on 7 March 2017
. Retrieved
6 November
2016
.
- ^
"Inverclyde Royal Hospital"
. Wemyss Bay. Archived from
the original
on 19 June 2009
. Retrieved
30 August
2009
.
- ^
"South Clyde Acute Hospital Consultation"
. NHSGGC
. Retrieved
31 December
2018
.
- ^
"nomis ? official labour market statistics"
. Nomisweb.co.uk. 30 September 2010
. Retrieved
26 January
2013
.
- ^
a
b
"End of an era as cranes set to be flattened at Inchgreen"
.
Greenock Telegraph
. 1 May 2017
. Retrieved
11 May
2017
.
- ^
"History"
.
Peel Ports
. Retrieved
11 May
2017
.
- ^
"Inchgreen Drydock"
.
Cammell Laird
. 10 October 2015. Archived from
the original
on 11 May 2017
. Retrieved
11 May
2017
.
- ^
"Revealed: billionaire scouts giant Greenock dry dock as potential shipyard"
.
HeraldScotland
. 18 September 2014
. Retrieved
11 May
2017
.
- ^
"Dry dock brought back to use after two decades"
.
BBC News
. 16 November 2021
. Retrieved
17 November
2021
.
- ^
"Signing of Marine Services Contract"
. Serco Group plc. 14 December 2007. Archived from
the original
on 19 July 2011
. Retrieved
7 May
2010
.
- ^
Royal West of Scotland Amateur Boat Club Jubilee 1926 CS63-1-1
Archived
21 February 2018 at the
Wayback Machine
, from
"Local History Downloads"
.
Inverclyde Council
. 2016. Archived from
the original
on 21 February 2018
. Retrieved
20 February
2018
.
- ^
Chisholm, Hugh
, ed. (1911).
"Greenock"
.
Encyclopædia Britannica
. Vol. 12 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 548?549.
- ^
a
b
JWDAdministrator.
"JWD History"
.
James Watt Dock Marina, Greenock, Scotland
. Archived from
the original
on 12 February 2018
. Retrieved
11 February
2018
.
- ^
"Greenock, James Watt Dock"
.
Canmore
. Retrieved
11 February
2018
.
- ^
"Picture Gallery"
. Archived from
the original
on 26 October 2006.
- ^
"£180 million Regeneration Project Approved"
. Inverclyde Council. 7 January 2010. Archived from
the original
on 19 September 2013
. Retrieved
20 February
2010
.
- ^
Manners, David (4 February 2019).
"Diodes buys Greenock fab"
.
Electronics Weekly
. Retrieved
20 November
2020
.
- ^
"Workers' disgust at Hungary move"
,
Greenock Telegraph
, 15 February 2006, archived from
the original
on 27 February 2012
, retrieved
7 May
2010
- ^
"End of era as IBM leaves Inverclyde after over 70 years"
.
www.thenational.scot
. The National. 1 April 2023
. Retrieved
24 February
2024
.
- ^
"OAK MALL GREENOCK LIMITED [04384548]"
.
Insolvent, Winding Up, Bankrupt & Administration Information
. 21 November 2013.
- ^
Greenock from Old Photographs
, 1984
- ^
"Congratulation Greenock Burns Club"
. The Robert Burns World Federation Limited. Archived from
the original
on 26 January 2010
. Retrieved
18 January
2010
.
- ^
"Homepage"
.
The Beacon Arts Centre
. 25 April 2013
. Retrieved
20 February
2018
.
- ^
List of Mod's places
for each year on
Sabhal Mor Ostaig
website
- ^
"Waterloo Road relocates to Greenock"
.
BBC News
. 27 October 2011.
- ^
"Screen One" Down Among the Big Boys (1993)
at
IMDb
- ^
"Bollywood blockbuster is being filmed in Inverclyde"
.
Greenock Telegraph
. 17 June 2018
. Retrieved
28 October
2019
.
- ^
Trilby * The Crumb Fairy
adapted by Ruth Berman. Black Coat Press, 2016
- ^
Charles Nodier
, on
Irvine History Site
Retrieved 2021-02-07.
- ^
Nodier, C. (1821)
Promenade de Dieppe aux montagnes d'Ecosse
. Paris, J.N. Barba, p. 283.
- ^
James, K. (2021),
The Greenock Murders
, published by Mybestseller.co.uk
- ^
"Full Freeview on the Black Hill (North Lanarkshire, Scotland) transmitter"
. 1 May 2004
. Retrieved
12 October
2023
.
- ^
"Full Freeview on the Rosneath (Argyll and Bute, Scotland) transmitter"
. 1 May 2004
. Retrieved
12 October
2023
.
- ^
"Freeview Light on the Ravenscraig (Inverclyde, Scotland) transmitter"
. 1 May 2004
. Retrieved
12 October
2023
.
- ^
"Inverclydemedia.com"
. Archived from
the original
on 31 August 2009
. Retrieved
10 November
2009
.
- ^
"Discover Historic Inverclyde"
. Inverclyde Council
. Retrieved
10 November
2022
.
- ^
Groome, Francis.
"Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland"
. Grian Press
. Retrieved
10 November
2022
.
- ^
Parker, Matt (27 April 2022).
"The genius of John McGeoch"
. Guitarworld
. Retrieved
12 July
2022
.
- ^
Sullivan-Burke, Rory (April 2022).
The Light Pours Out of Me: The Authorised Biography of John McGeoch
.
Omnibus Press
.
ISBN
978-1913172664
.
- ^
"Mojo ? 100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time June 1996 Issue"
.
Mojo
. 1996
. Retrieved
29 February
2016
.
89. John McGeogh ? "
Spellbound
" by
Siouxsie & the Banshees
on
Juju
) ? 1981 ? Yamaha SG1000
- ^
Craik, A. D. D. (October 2013).
"Polylogarithms, functional equations and more: The elusive essays of William Spence (1777?1815)"
.
Historia Mathematica
.
40
(4): 353?482.
doi
:
10.1016/j.hm.2013.06.002
.
- ^
"Scottish theatre director Bill Bryden dies aged 79"
.
BBC News
. 6 January 2022
. Retrieved
6 January
2022
.
- ^
Sims, Sue; Clare, Hilary (2020). Thomas, Tig (ed.).
The Encyclopaedia of Girls' School Stories
(2nd ed.). Girls Gone By Publishers. p. 193.
ISBN
978-1-84745-257-3
.
- ^
Fulton, Rick (21 January 2021).
"Scots Dancing on Ice skater Angela Egan was working at Amazon until she got job"
.
Daily Record
. Retrieved
14 March
2021
.
- ^
"M. R. D. Meek: crime fiction writer"
.
The Times
. 30 May 2023.
ISSN
0140-0460
. Retrieved
30 May
2023
.
- ^
"KIDD-L Archives ? Subject: [KIDD-L] Captain William Kidd: recent biography"
. RootsWeb
. Retrieved
13 December
2007
.
[
permanent dead link
]
- ^
"William Kidd 1645?1701"
. Archived from
the original
on 28 September 2007
. Retrieved
13 December
2007
.
- ^
"Highland Mary (Mary Campbell)"
.
Famous Sons and Daughters of Greenock
. Nostalgic Greenock. Archived from
the original
on 21 August 2008
. Retrieved
17 January
2010
.
- ^
"National Burns Collection ? Design for a Monument proposed to be erected in memory of Highland Mary"
. Retrieved
18 January
2010
.
- ^
"Obituary - Betty Kinniburgh, minister at the forefront of sweeping changes in the Church of Scotland"
.
HeraldScotland
. 5 November 2016
. Retrieved
13 March
2022
.
- ^
"GMFC.net"
. Greenock Morton FC. Archived from
the original
on 8 June 2003.
- ^
"Greenockwanderers.co.uk"
. Greenock Wanderers RFC. Archived from
the original
on 28 August 2009
. Retrieved
1 September
2009
.
- ^
"Greenockcricketclub.com"
. Greenock Cricket Club.
- ^
"Greenockgolfclub.co.uk"
. Greenock Golf Club.
- ^
"The History of Women's Football in England"
.
thefa.com
. The FA
. Retrieved
1 February
2021
.
- ^
Baxter, Eric (13 February 2009),
"Council tax frozen...but £23m leisure boost"
,
Greenock Telegraph
, retrieved
7 May
2010
References
[
edit
]
- Brown, Archibald (1905),
The Early Annals of Greenock
, Greenock Telegraph printing works, archived from
the original
on 19 November 2014
(
Inverclyde
Council website)
- Monteith, Joy (2003),
Old Port Glasgow
, Catrine, Ayrshire: Stenlake Publishing,
ISBN
978-1-84033-250-6
- Monteith, Joy (2004),
Old Greenock
, Catrine, Ayrshire: Stenlake Publishing,
ISBN
978-1-84033-314-5
, archived from
the original
on 18 February 2015
, retrieved
22 October
2013
- Smith, R.M. (1921),
The History of Greenock
, Greenock: Orr, Pollock & Co, archived from
the original
on 23 August 2022
, retrieved
23 August
2022
(
Inverclyde
Council website @ Inverclyde Libraries, McLean Museum and Inverclyde Archives)
- Watson, W. J.
The History of the Celtic Place-Names of Scotland
(Edinburgh, 1926)
- Wood, John (1828),
Descriptive account of the principal towns in Scotland: to accompany Wood's town atlas
, Edinburgh, pp.
171?177
(
Plan of the Town of Greenock from actual survey. ? Maps of Scotland
, 1825,
National Library of Scotland
website)
Further reading
[
edit
]
- Snoddy, TG (1937)
Round About Greenock
- Weir, D (1827, r. 2004)
History of the Town of Greenock
External links
[
edit
]
- Media related to
Greenock
at Wikimedia Commons
- Greenock
travel guide from Wikivoyage
|
---|
International
| |
---|
National
| |
---|
Geographic
| |
---|
Other
| |
---|