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The 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 . At its entrance the firth is some 26 miles (42 km) wide. Its upper reaches include an area where it is joined by Loch Long and the Gare Loch . This includes the large Anchorage off Greenock known as the Tail Of The Bank in reference to the Sandbar which separates the firth from the Estuary of the River Clyde . The Clyde is still almost 2 miles (3 km) wide at the sandbar, and its upper tidal limit is in Glasgow city centre. The distinction beween the firth and the River Clyde is vague, and people will sometimes refer to Dumbarton as being on the ''Firth of Clyde'', while the population of Port Glasgow and Greenock frequently refer to the firth to their north as "the river". beach looks south down the outer firth towards southern Arran and Ailsa Craig .]] GEOGRAPHY The firth encompasses many Islands and Peninsulas and has twelve ferry routes connecting them to the mainland and each other. The majority of these services are run by Caledonian MacBrayne and many of the routes are lifeline services for communities living in remote areas. A number of Sea Lochs adjoin the firth. Towns and villages along the shoreline This lists the major towns and some of the numerous villages along the firth (not the River Clyde or connecting lochs). seen across the upper Firth of Clyde from Gourock , with Hunter's Quay to the left and Strone to the right, with the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry MV ''Saturn'' arriving from Dunoon .]]
Islands in the Clyde There are many islands in the firth. The largest all have thriving communities and regular ferry services connecting them to the mainland. They are: off Arran.]] There are many other inhabited and unihabited islands in the firth. See the Islands Of The Lower Firth Of Clyde for a more comprehensive list and links. HISTORY , close by Newark Castle, Port Glasgow , at the upper end of the firth.]] The Clyde formed an important sea route from the earliest times, and the Battle Of Largs marked the turning point for Viking ambitions on the west of Scotland. In Victorian times with the advent of Tourism the area became popular with Glaswegians who travelled 'doon the watter' on Clyde Steamers to holiday in the picturesque seaside towns and villages that line the firth, with the more wealthy building substantial holiday homes along the coast. Many towns such as Largs , Dunoon and Rothesay flourished during this boom period and became fully fledged resorts with well appointed hotels and attractions. In 1942 the World's first deep water test of a submarine oil pipeline was conducted on a pipeline laid across the Firth of Clyde in Operation Pluto . The "lower Clyde" shipyards of Greenock and Port Glasgow played an important role in shipbuilding, with the ''Comet'' being the first successful Steamboat in Europe , and a large proportion of the world's shipping being built there until well into the 20th century. In more recent times the natural beauty of the firth has been marred in places by a succession of industrial and military developments along the shoreline, including Hunterston and Inverkip Power Stations , while at the same time shipbuilding has declined. Today only one lower Clyde shipyard survives, next to Newark Castle, Port Glasgow , at the point where the firth becomes the River Clyde . The site of the former Greenock shipyards are currently being regenerated. MARINE WILDLIFE peninsula near Dunoon , looking north east to the coast of Inverclyde at Cloch point south of Gourock and Greenock , and beyond that the Tail Of The Bank . The ''Waverley'' can be seen cruising south "doon the watter".]] Common & Grey Seal s abound in the firth. Harbour Porpoise s are also common and while Dolphin s are much less so, they have been spotted in the upper reaches of the firth in the summer of 2005 . Whales do not favour the Clyde and although there have been instances of larger whales beaching themselves or becoming stranded in the upper firth, only smaller Pilot or Minke Whale s seem to visit with any kind of regularity. In 2005 the firth was listed as having the 2nd highest incidence of Basking Shark sightings in Scotland (after the The Minch ). In particular these huge sharks seem to favour the warm, shallow waters surrounding Pladda . Although at one time heavily fished, the only catches remaining in Clyde waters today that are of any commercial interest to fisherman are Prawn s, Lobster and Herring . There is a Marine Biological Station run by the Universities of Glasgow and London on Great Cumbrae . SHIPPING IN THE FIRTH over the Tail Of The Bank , the Container Cranes of ''Ocean Terminal'' can be seen to the right, while on the other side of the Firth of Clyde the waters of the Gare Loch are just visible beyond the tail of the Rosneath peninsula.]] The Firth of Clyde like the River Clyde has historically been an important centre of shipbuilding. There have been shipyards at Renfrew , Greenock , Port Glasgow and Troon and a major boatyard at Fairlie . Fergusons shipyard adjacent to Newark Castle, Port Glasgow , is one of the last privately owned shipyards left in Scotland. Port Glasgow is also the site of one of the world's largest Dry Dock and ship-repair facilities at Inchgreen. The dry dock there is 305m long and 44m wide. The Firth of Clyde has one of the deepest sea entrance channels in northern Europe, which can accommodate the largest Capesize vessels afloat, and as such the Clyde is one of the UK's leading ports, handling some 7.5 million tonnes of cargo each year, as well as growing Cruise Liner traffic at Greenock's Ocean Terminal facility. "Pencil" looking south towards the Hunterston terminal, with Cumbrae and the Isle Of Arran to the west.]] In addition to the existing bulk ore terminal at Hunterston; Clydeport, North Ayrshire Council and Scottish Enterprise also propose a £200m international deep-water container terminal at Hunterston which would effectively act as a worldwide gateway port, and possibly become the major container port for the northern half of Europe. Initial environmental and economic impact studies are currently being undertaken. The Royal Navy also has a significant presence on the Clyde, at HMNB Clyde on the Gare Loch and on Loch Long . There are lighthouses at: |
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