Hotels in Greenock
The natural deepwater channel in the River Clyde comes close to its south shore at Greenock, and this helped the town evolve into the major port on Scotland's west coast, servicing almost all of Glasgow's needs until the river upstream from Dumbarton was dredged in the 1800s. It then went on to play its part in Clydeside's role as the shipbuilding capital of the world for the better part of a hundred years. Some 22 miles downstream of Glasgow, most of the town lies on steep north facing slopes giving magnificent views across the Firth of Clyde to the mountains beyond.
In the late 1500s, Greenock was no more than a fishing village in the shadow of a castle that has long since disappeared. In the early 1600s the first pier and breakwater were built at Greenock, and shipbuilding, largely along the foreshore, was already a significant employer in the town.
The first real harbour was built in the years to 1710. The following year the first of the Clyde's well known shipbuilding firms, Scott's was established. It was to produce ships for 277 years until its closure in 1988. The early 1700s saw rapid growth in Greenock, and in 1736 the town's most famous son, James Watt, was born here. Watt's improvements to the steam engines of the day have led many to regard him as one of the most important influences in the coming of the Industrial Revolution.
Watt is far from forgotten in his home town. The James Watt College was founded in 1907 with funds donated by Andrew Carnegie. Its most recent campus is superbly located on the waterfront at Greenock. He is also remembered in the name of the James Watt, one of the Wetherspoon chain of pubs housed in a spectacular building on Cathcart Street; and in a statue at the rear of the Town Hall looking across the A8 towards the docks beyond.
Greenock itself remains home to many fine buildings. The most spectacular of them is Greenock Town Hall and its 245ft high Victoria Tower. The impressive exterior is matched by an ornate interior. It was completed in 1886. Today one corner of the Town Hall, next to the base of the tower, comprises just brick faces quite different from the rest of the building. We've not seen it confirmed but assume this was as a result of bomb damage in World War II.
21 hotels
HOTELS
Location: Greenock
Distance: 0.43 miles
Rating: 3*
Prices From: £55.00
Location: Greenock
Distance: 0.69 miles
Rating: 3*
Prices From: £50.05
Location: Helensburgh
Distance: 3.92 miles
Rating: 2*
Prices From: £44.95
Location: Helensburgh
Distance: 4.72 miles
Rating: 2*
Prices From: £63.90
Location: Loch Lomond
Distance: 4.82 miles
Rating: 3*
Prices From: £99.00
Location: Cove
Distance: 5.81 miles
Rating: 4*
Prices From: £80.00
Location: Dunoon
Distance: 5.95 miles
Rating: 3*
Prices From: £39.00
Location: Dunoon
Distance: 6.31 miles
Rating: 1*
Prices From: £58.00
Attractions near Greenock
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