History of the River Clyde

Looking over the River Clyde to buildings at New Lanark World Heritage Site, the model village designed by 19th century industrialist, Robert Owen and now a museum, South Lanarkshire. PIC: VisitScotland/SCOTTISH VIEWPOINT

The history of the Clyde is tied up with steamship building. From the launch of the first sea going steam powered ship in Europe 'Comet' in 1812 up till the end of the First World War, Glasgow and the Clyde flourished.

From 1824 steam dredgers began to clear the river bed to enable larger ships to use the waters. At Elderslie explosives had to be used to clea ancient lava flows from the bottom. Over 108,000 tons of rock was removed over 53 years. Some of the largest ships in the world at the time were built here, including the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth. After the Second World War, shipbuilding declined further with the last great liner built on the Clyde being the QE2 in 1967.