Tradespeople in Bowling, West Dunbartonshire

Bowling is a small village on the north bank of the Clyde between Old Kilpatrick and Dumbarton, best known as the western sea-lock terminus of the Forth and Clyde Canal.

The canal basin and sea lock, where the 35-mile waterway meets the tidal Clyde, have been restored and form an attractive focal point. The historic railway viaduct and the ruins of Dunglass Castle - a medieval stronghold on a rocky promontory over the river - add character to the village.

Bowling is a popular starting or finishing point for walkers and cyclists using the canal towpath, which runs east through Clydebank, Kirkintilloch and Falkirk to connect with the Union Canal at the Falkirk Wheel.

The village is small and has very few services, but its riverside setting, canal heritage and proximity to the Kilpatrick Hills make it a distinctive spot on the Clyde.

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West Dunbartonshire is a council area on the north bank of the River Clyde, stretching from the western edge of Glasgow at Clydebank through Dumbarton to the southern tip of Loch Lomond at Balloch.

The area has a proud industrial heritage shaped by shipbuilding, engineering and manufacturing. Clydebank was one of the great shipbuilding towns of the world - the Cunard liners Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth 2 were built in John Brown's shipyard - and the town bore devastating damage during the Clydebank Blitz of March 1941, one of the most destructive bombing raids on any British town during the Second World War.

Dumbarton, the administrative centre, sits at the confluence of the River Leven and the Clyde, overlooked by Dumbarton Rock and its ancient castle - a volcanic plug fortress that has been a stronghold since at least the fifth century and served as the capital of the medieval Kingdom of Strathclyde.

The Vale of Leven - Alexandria, Bonhill, Renton and Jamestown - runs north along the River Leven to Balloch, the gateway to Loch Lomond. The area is well connected by rail, with services from Balloch, Dumbarton and Clydebank reaching Glasgow Queen Street and Glasgow Central in 30 minutes or less and the A82 providing the main road route to Loch Lomond and the Highlands.

The proximity to Loch Lomond and the Kilpatrick Hills gives West Dunbartonshire immediate access to open countryside and the national park, while the ongoing regeneration of Queens Quay in Clydebank is bringing new housing, healthcare and public spaces to the waterfront.