By Sabrina Fay
As Scotland's second longest river and the United Kingdom's eighth longest, the River Clyde is well-known and well-loved. It flows through hilly countryside out to the western side of the Atlantic Ocean, and helps produce the beautifully scenic view most tourists imagine when they think of Scotland. The River Clyde is incredibly important to worldwide sea trade, however, and has been for a long time.
The River Clyde as seen from Erskine Bridge
Records exist of ships being built in the Clyde firth as early as the 15th century. Yet it wasn't until the 19th century that shipbuilding became a prominent source of income for Glasgow and the surrounding area, with businesses like Denny's Shipyard and John Brown's Shipyard taking off. Through most of the 19th and 20th century, the calloused hands of the Clyde's mariner men sent off the largest, strongest, and best ships to seas all over the world. Though Clydebuilt ships began with wind power at their backs, shipbuilders like the Denny family were among the first to adopt steam power, and turn it into an economic boon for Glasgow and Scotland in general. The first steamship to cross the English channel, the first turbine steamer, the first diesel-electric paddle boat, and numerous ships of oceanic fame have been assembled on the Clyde.
The Cutty Sark, for example, a 45-foot long sailboat last sailed in 1938, is Clydebuilt and a popular tourist attraction. From the River Clyde also came the Comet (the first successful steamboat ferry), the Queen Mary (which held the record of fastest Atlantic crossing for 14 years), and the HMS Hood (the pride of the Royal Navy in World War II).
The battleship HMS Hood via Wikipedia
Unfortunately, though war can sometimes be seen as a boost to a country's economy, such was not the case for Scotland in World War II. The second great conflict of global powers dealt a hefty blow to both Glasgow and the Clyde with German air raids, and thus the shipbuilding industry was sent into a steady decline that caused the collapse of many previously booming shipyards.
Fortunately, the Scottish government has invested in reviving the waterfront, and in recent years there has been a significant resurgence of commerce along the Clyde. New industries involved in finance, tourism, digital media and shipping have taken root, and keep the heart of the Clyde beating with the flow of business. Of course, many of the old shipyards still stand and continue to assemble vessels, just as many of the Clydebuilt ships still sail, showing off their Scottish-built strength to the world. The United Kingdom, and the lands beyond it, are proud of the Clyde's heritage and also of the new direction it is headed. One thing is for sure: come fire, famine, or flood, the tradition of shipbuilding on the River Clyde will endure.