Helensburgh is a town in
Argyll and ButeArgyll and Bute is both one of 32 unitary council areas; and a Lieutenancy area in Scotland. The administrative centre for the council area is located in Lochgilphead.Argyll and Bute covers the second largest administrative area of any Scottish council...
,
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It lies on the north shore of the
Firth of ClydeThe Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. The Kilbrannan Sound is a large arm of the Firth of Clyde, separating the Kintyre Peninsula from the Isle of Arran.At...
and the eastern shore of the entrance to the Gareloch.
Helensburgh was formerly in Dumbarton District, but was re-allocated under local government reorganisation in 1996. Prior to 1975 it was part of the former
DunbartonshireDunbartonshire or the County of Dumbarton is a lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Until 1975 it was a county used as a primary unit of local government with its county town and administrative centre at the town...
.
History
Helensburgh was founded in 1776 when Sir James Colquhoun of
LussLuss is a village in Argyll & Bute, Scotland, on the west bank of Loch Lomond.-History:Historically in the County of Dunbarton, its original name is Clachan dubh, or 'dark village'...
built
spa bathsA spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
on the site of
Ardencaple CastleArdencaple Castle, also known as Ardincaple Castle, and sometimes referred to as Ardencaple Castle Light, is a listed building, situated about from Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Today, all that remains of the castle is a tower, perched on the edge of a plateau, looking down on a flat...
, which dated back to about 1600. He then had the
seaside resortA seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
town constructed to the east of the spa on a formal layout in the style of
Edinburgh New TownThe New Town is a central area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is often considered to be a masterpiece of city planning, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site...
, and named it after his wife Helen. A ferry service he arranged across the Firth of Clyde to
GreenockGreenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
was successful in attracting residents who could commute from jobs there to attractive homes in the new town.
In 1808, Henry Bell bought the public baths and hotel, which his wife superintended while he continued his interest in early
steamboatA steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
s such as the nearby
Charlotte DundasThe Charlotte Dundas is regarded as the world's "first practical steamboat", the first towing steamboat and the boat that demonstrated the practicality of steam power for ships....
and the
North River Steamboat which
Robert FultonRobert Fulton was an American engineer and inventor who is widely credited with developing the first commercially successful steamboat...
had just introduced at
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. To improve hotel trade, he had the
paddle steamerA paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...
CometThe paddle steamer PS Comet was built for Henry Bell, hotel and baths owner in Helensburgh, and began a passenger service in 1812 on the River Clyde between Glasgow and Greenock, the first commercially successful steamboat service in Europe.-History:...
constructed and in 1812 introduced
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
's first successful
steamboatA steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
service, bringing passengers down the
River ClydeThe River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
from
GlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
to Greenock and Helensburgh. The
Clyde steamerThe era of the Clyde steamer in Scotland began in August 1812 with the very first successful commercial steamboat service in Europe, when Henry Bell's began a passenger service on the River Clyde between Glasgow and Greenock...
trade developed rapidly, and Helensburgh pier and Craigendoran pier at the east end of the town both became major departure points. From 1858 holidaymakers were brought to the resort and the steamers by the
Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh RailwayGlasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway is an historic railway in Scotland.-History:It was authorised by an Act of Parliament on 14 August 1855.The railway was absorbed by the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway on 31 July 1862....
terminus built in the centre of the town, and in 1894 a second railway station was opened higher up the hill on the
West Highland RailwayThe West Highland Railway was one of the last main lines to be built in Scotland. It is one of the most scenic railway lines in Britain, linking Fort William on the west coast to Glasgow. It was originally operated by the North British Railway.- History :...
to Fort William.
Helensburgh born coal miner Charles Harper emigrated to
New South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
(now a state of
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
) and became the first manager of the
Metropolitan Coal Company before being killed in a mine accident in 1887. In that year, the company took over the mining lease on an area south of
SydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
known as
Camp Creek. When the coal mine opened the following year, the town was named
HelensburghHelensburgh is a small town in New South Wales, Australia. Helensburgh is located 45 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and north of Wollongong. Helensburgh is in the local government area of Wollongong City Council and marks the northern end of the Illawarra region...
, possibly named after his birthplace or after his daughter Helen. The two Helensburghs are now sister cities.
In 1903,
Charles Rennie MackintoshCharles Rennie Mackintosh was a Scottish architect, designer, watercolourist and artist. He was a designer in the Arts and Crafts movement and also the main representative of Art Nouveau in the United Kingdom. He had a considerable influence on European design...
built the Hill House for the publishing tycoon Walter Blackie. The house, in Colquhoun Street on the north edge of town, is one of the best examples of his style, with startlingly modern interiors incorporating furniture which he designed. It is now owned by the
National Trust for ScotlandThe National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust for Scotland describes itself as the conservation charity that protects and promotes Scotland's natural and cultural heritage for present and future generations to...
and is a popular tourist attraction.
The town is also notable as the birthplace of
John Logie BairdJohn Logie Baird FRSE was a Scottish engineer and inventor of the world's first practical, publicly demonstrated television system, and also the world's first fully electronic colour television tube...
the inventor of television, Academy Award-nominated actress
Deborah KerrDeborah Kerr, CBE was a Scottish film and television actress from Glasgow. She won the Sarah Siddons Award for her Chicago performance as Laura Reynolds in Tea and Sympathy, a role which she originated on Broadway, a Golden Globe Award for the motion picture The King and I, and was a three-time...
and
Jack BuchananWalter John "Jack" Buchanan was a British theatre and film actor, singer, producer and director. He was known for three decades as the embodiment of the debonair man-about-town in the tradition of George Grossmith Jr., and was described by The Times as "the last of the knuts." He is best known in...
. The author
A. J. CroninArchibald Joseph Cronin was a Scottish physician and novelist. His best-known works are Hatter's Castle, The Stars Look Down, The Citadel, The Keys of the Kingdom and The Green Years, all of which were adapted to film. He also created the Dr...
lived in the town as a child. Helensburgh was also the childhood home of the
Rev John ChristieJohn Cairns Christie is a minister of the Church of Scotland. He is Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland for 2010-2011.Christie was born in Glasgow on 9 July 1947 and lived in Helensburgh as a child...
,
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of ScotlandThe Moderator of the General Assembly of Church of Scotland is a Minister, Elder or Deacon of the Church of Scotland chosen to "moderate" the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week in Edinburgh every May....
in 2010-2011.
The baronetcy of Helensburgh
The
Raeburn BaronetcyThe Raeburn Baronetcy, of Helensburgh in the County of Dunbarton, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 25 July 1923 for William Raeburn. He was head of the firm of Raeburn & Verel, Ltd, and also represented Dunbartonshire in the House of Commons as a Unionist...
, of Helensburgh in the County of Dunbarton, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 25 July 1923 for
William RaeburnSir William Hannay Raeburn, 1st Baronet was a Scottish shipping businessman and Unionist Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament between 1918 and 1923....
. He was head of the firm of Raeburn & Verel, Ltd, (a shipping company) and also represented
DunbartonshireDunbartonshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1950...
in the House of Commons as a Unionist.
The town today
Helensburgh today acts as a commuter town for nearby
GlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, with a population at the 2004 census of 20,626, and also serves as a main shopping centre for the area and for tourists attracted to the seaside resort. Helensburgh is also influenced by the presence of the
Clyde Naval BaseHer Majesty's Naval Base Clyde is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy...
at Faslane on the
Gare LochThe Gare Loch or Gareloch is a sea loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.-Geography:A sea loch aligned north-south, Gare Loch is 10 kilometres long with an average width of 1.5 kilometres. At its southern end it opens into the Firth of Clyde through the Rhu narrows...
, a major local employer. The town is a popular destination for day trippers.
The town is served by three railway stations,
Helensburgh UpperHelensburgh Upper railway station serves the town of Helensburgh, Scotland, on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde to the west of Glasgow. It is located in a residential area uphill from the town centre and is by far the smaller of the town's two stations....
on the
West Highland LineThe West Highland Line is considered the most scenic railway line in Britain, linking the ports of Mallaig and Oban on the west coast of Scotland to Glasgow. The line was voted the top rail journey in the world by readers of independent travel magazine Wanderlust in 2009, ahead of the iconic...
,
CraigendoranCraigendoran railway station is a railway station serving Craigendoran, east of Helensburgh, Scotland.The station is managed by First ScotRail and is served by trains on the North Clyde Line west of...
, on the
North Clyde LineThe North Clyde Line is a suburban railway in West Central Scotland. The route is operated by First ScotRail, on behalf of Transport Scotland...
and
Helensburgh CentralHelensburgh Central railway station serves the town of Helensburgh on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde, near to Glasgow, Scotland. The station is a terminus on the North Clyde Line, north west of Glasgow Queen Street railway station...
, the terminus of the
North Clyde LineThe North Clyde Line is a suburban railway in West Central Scotland. The route is operated by First ScotRail, on behalf of Transport Scotland...
.
The seafront has an indoor swimming pool, an esplanade walk and
sailingSailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
facilities including Helensburgh Sailing Club. and the nearby
marinaA marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
at
RhuRhu is a village and historic parish on the east shore of the Gare Loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.The traditional spelling of its name was Row, but it was changed in the 1920s so that outsiders would pronounce it correctly...
just beyond the town boundary. The streets are built on a gentle slope rising to the north east, and at the brow of the hill a golf club has views looking south out over the town to the Clyde, and to the north across nearby
Loch LomondLoch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch, lying on the Highland Boundary Fault. It is the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area. The lake contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest fresh-water island in the British Isles, although the lake itself is smaller than many Irish...
to the
TrossachsThe Trossachs itself is a small woodland glen in the Stirling council area of Scotland. It lies between Ben A'an to the north and Ben Venue to the south, with Loch Katrine to the west and Loch Achray to the east. However, the name is used generally to refer to the wider area of wooded glens and...
hills.
A regular passenger
ferryA ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
service runs from Helensburgh pier to
KilcregganKilcreggan is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.It developed on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde at a time when Clyde steamers brought it within easy reach of Glasgow at about 25 miles west of the centre of Glasgow by boat...
and
GourockGourock is a town falling within the Inverclyde council area and formerly forming a burgh of the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It has in the past functioned as a seaside resort on the Firth of Clyde...
, (until 2007 the historic ferry
KenilworthThe MV Kenilworth is a historic passenger ferry. Built in 1936 as MV Hotspur II, she was the Hythe Ferry service across Southampton Water until 1978...
was used on this route); Craigendoran pier fell into disuse in the late 20th century. The paddle steamer
WaverleyPS Waverley is the last seagoing passenger carrying paddle steamer in the world. Built in 1946, she sailed from Craigendoran on the Firth of Clyde to Arrochar on Loch Long until 1973...
calls in to Helensburgh pier during summer sailings.
In a recent study, Helensburgh was shown to be the second most expensive town in which to buy property in Scotland.
The town is used extensively for the local Naval Base, Faslane which is the site that houses the British nuclear deterrent fleet of
Vanguard class submarineThe Vanguard class are the Royal Navy's current nuclear ballistic missile submarines , each armed with up to 16 Trident II Submarine-launched ballistic missiles...
s. The base is only six miles away from the town.e
A significant amount of income for the town is generated by the base, its submarines and visiting vessels alike.
Helensburgh is home to a number of annual events, with the local branch of Round Table running an annual fireworks display on
Guy Fawkes NightGuy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night and Firework Night, is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in England. Its history begins with the events of 5 November 1605, when Guy Fawkes, a member of the Gunpowder Plot, was arrested while guarding...
and hosting a Real Ale Festival at the Victoria Halls.
Music
Helensburgh also boasts its own Scottish Fiddle Orchestra,
The Helensburgh and Lomond Fiddlers, a group of traditional musicians which perform for both public and private functions in the area.
Sports
Sports are well represented with various football, rugby, cricket, athletics, netball, hockey,
curlingCurling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
, bowling, golf, sailing and fishing clubs amongst others active in the town.
Notable residents
- John Logie Baird
John Logie Baird FRSE was a Scottish engineer and inventor of the world's first practical, publicly demonstrated television system, and also the world's first fully electronic colour television tube...
: Inventor of the television was born in the town on 13 August 1888.
- Deborah Kerr
Deborah Kerr, CBE was a Scottish film and television actress from Glasgow. She won the Sarah Siddons Award for her Chicago performance as Laura Reynolds in Tea and Sympathy, a role which she originated on Broadway, a Golden Globe Award for the motion picture The King and I, and was a three-time...
: Hollywood actress, most notable in The King and IThe King and I is a 1956 musical film made by 20th Century Fox, directed by Walter Lang and produced by Charles Brackett and Darryl F. Zanuck. The screenplay by Ernest Lehman is based on the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II musical The King and I, based in turn on the book Anna and the King...
(1956)
- Bob McGregor
Robert Bilsand McGregor MBE , known as Bob or Bobby and nicknamed the Falkirk Flyer, was a Scottish swimmer of the 1960s who won a silver medal in the 100 metres freestyle at the 1964 Olympic Games. He finished second in the 1963 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award. In 2002 he was inducted...
: Olympic Silver medalist in the 100m freestyle at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. He was also captain of GB Olympic squad for Mexico in 1968.
- Walter Smith
Walter Smith, OBE is a Scottish football manager. His most recent job was at Scottish Premier League club Rangers.Smith had a relatively modest playing career, consisting of two spells with Dundee United which was split by a short time at Dumbarton.A pelvic injury meant he moved in to coaching at...
: Former manager of the Scotland national football teamThe Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
, Rangers F.C.Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
and Everton F.C.Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
- Kenny Hyslop
Kenny Hyslop is a Scottish drummer who played with different projects and bands who were varied in different styles, such as glam rock, 1970s teenybop, soft rock, punk, new wave, new romantic, blues and modern electronica.-Biography:Hyslop attended Hermitage School.He joined the band Salvation...
: drummer in SlikSlik were a Scottish pop group of the mid 1970s, most notable for their UK no.1 hit "Forever and Ever" in 1976. Beginning with glam rock and changing their style to soft rock/bubblegum...
and Simple MindsSimple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the...
. With each band, he recorded a hit single: with the first band, "Forever And Ever" in 1975, and with the latter, the New Wave song "Promised You a Miracle"Promised You A Miracle" is a 1982 song by Simple Minds and was released as the first single from their fifth studio album New Gold Dream . It is most notable for being the band's first successful chart hit in the UK, reaching #13 in the UK Singles Chart and charting for 11 weeks...
" in 1982.
- Tom Vaughan
Tom Vaughan is a Scottish television and film director. His work includes Cold Feet and He Knew He Was Right for television, and What Happens in Vegas and Extraordinary Measures for cinema....
: Film and television director (Starter for 10, What Happens in VegasWhat Happens in Vegas is a 2008 American romantic comedy film from 20th Century Fox starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher. The title is based on the marketing catchphrase, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."-Plot:...
) grew up in the town and produced his first amateur films there.
- Robbie Coltrane
Robbie Coltrane, OBE is a Scottish actor, comedian and author. He is known both for his role as Dr...
: actor has residence just above the town
Tourist destinations
Aside from the Hill House, Helensburgh has a range of shops, cafes and pubs on the seafront.
External links