Fimi 2022 flying early morning at Dumbarton Castle, Also Dumbarton FC Stadium, The ship grave yard (better viewed at low tide) and with Ben Lomond in the background
Dumbarton Rock was formed between 330 and 340 million years ago, during the Early Carboniferous period, a time of widespread volcanic activity in the area where Glasgow is now situated; over time, the softer exterior of the volcano weathered away, leaving behind a volcanic plug of basalt
Dumbarton Castle guards the point where the River Leven joins the River Clyde. Its recorded history goes back 1,500 years.
Back then, the place was known as Alt Clut (‘Rock of the Clyde’). Later it became known by the Gaelic name Dun Breatann (‘Fortress of the Britons’) from which the name Dumbarton is derived.
In the 1220s, the castle was a border stronghold - the Norwegian frontier lay just 10 miles downriver. The Treaty of Perth (1266) gave control of the Western Isles to the Scottish Crown, removing the threat from Norway - but an even greater menace from England soon replaced it.
Dumbarton was an important royal castle in the Middle Ages. In later centuries, Dumbarton Rock became a mighty garrison fortress, its defences packed with guns. It last saw military action as recently as the Second World War.