Greenock

Greenock is a town on the south side of the River Clyde in Scotland, 27 miles west of Glasgow.

The town is popular for Lyle Hill Viewpoint, Highland Mary Grave, Cruise Ship Terminal, Bus Tours from the Cruise Terminal, Cathcart Square buildings, Fire Brigade Museum by the Square, Horse Sculpture on Cathcart Street by the Square, Well Park above the Square, Mclean Museum a half mile walk southwest of the Square, Shipbuilders Statues 3 miles east, Newark Castle 3 miles east, and Finlaystone House & Gardens 7 miles east.

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The image top right is of the Lyle Hill Viewpoint high above Greenock, with views over Greenock, Gourock to the west, and Dunoon across the River Clyde. Lyle is the name of a wealthy family that imported sugar from the 1800s.

You can take a car or passenger ferry from Gourock to Dunoon.

Round from the Viewpoint is the Greenock Cemetery with the Highland Mary Grave and Blitz Memorial for when Gourock was attacked during World War Two with 271 people killed. Map

The Greenock Ocean Terminal is by the Town centre, with many Cruise Ships visiting throughout the year, up to 150,000 tons and over 1,000 feet long. There is a free Art Gallery and large Restaurant at the Terminal.

Local Tour Buses depart from the Ocean Terminal in summer, normally when there is a Cruise Ship there.

Along the Quay from the Cruise Ships is the Waterfront Leisure Complex with Swimming, Gyms and an Ice Rink.

Just Past the Leisure Complex is the Beacon Arts Centre with a Cafe and Bar with views over the Clyde. The Beacon is where the Music Concerts are held.

Next to the Beacon is the Greenock Custom House built in 1818. Large Images and Info.

Cathcart Square is the centre of Town close to the Cruise Terminal with the 75m / 245ft high Victoria Tower completed in 1889.

Next to the Tower is the Well Park Mid Kirk / Church, built in 1760 with the Steeple added in 1787.

Either side of the Church are the small Cathcart Street Massacre Memorial and the The Men of the Clyde Sculpture.

Round Behind the Victoria Tower is the Scottish Fire Brigades Heritage Trust Museum.

Ginger the Horse Sculpture is a short walk down Cathcart Street by the Square, in honour of a Heavy Horse that worked at the Docks in 1889. Large Images and Info.

Cathcart Street is where the Port Glasgow Militia fired on a crowd in Cathcart Street, killing at least eight people in 1820, during a Political protest. Large Images and Info.

Cathcart Street is where the Wetherspoon Bar Diner is in the Old Post Office building from 1899. Large Image

Well Park with a large War Memorial is above Cathcart Street. Well Park is where a Mansion House of the Shaw family was up to 1886, a family that helped build the first Harbour at Greenock.

The McLean Museum is a half mile walk, drive or the Tour Buses visit, from Cathcart Square. This Museum covers Archeology, Natural Sciences, Fine Art, Social History and more.

The Shipbuilders Statues are 3 miles east of Greenock centre in Port Glasgow, in Coronation Park, by John McKenna, unveiled in June 2023 in honour of the men that built ships in the area, 10m / 33ft high. Large Image and Info.

Newark Castle is just past the Shipbuilders Statues open for visits much of the summer, built from 1478 for George Maxwell, Baron of Finlaystone.

The Shipbuilders Statues and Newark Castle are visited by the Greenock Open Top Tour Buses.

Greenock and Port Glasgow are joined with many large Shopping Stores, MacDonald's and Burger King in the area between them.

Finlaystone House & Gardens are 7 miles east of Greenock, with the Gardens and Cafe open most of the year, with the Mansion built from the 1760s for the Cunningham's, now owned by the MacMillan family.

Greenock History

The towns of Gourock, Greenock and Port Glasgow grew side by side till they merged.

The towns grew around farming, fishing and shipping trade from the 1100s.

1296 - Hugh de Greenock was a Scottish Baron with land in the area.

1500s - Easter Greenock Castle was built for the Crawford's from Ayrshire who took over lands of Hugh de Greenock. This Castle ruin was demolished in 1865 to make way for the Railway.

1500s - the Shaw family became the Barons of Greenock through marriage, building a Mansion in Greenock where Well Park is today.

1591 - the Old West Kirk was built in Greenock centre.

1710 - Sir John Shaw and friends raised funds to build Greenock Harbour.

1711 - John Scott and Company began building small boats at Greenock such as Herring Boats for the local Fishing Industry. There were soon a number of Ship Yards between Greenock and Port Glasgow.

1736 - Rope Making began in the three towns, soon becoming one of the largest Rope Making areas in the world.

1786 - Highland Mary died in Greenock with her buried at the Old West Kirk. She was best known for her affair with Robert Burns the poet. She was born in Dunoon just across the Clyde.

1809 - East India Harbour was opened at Greenock for trade such as herring, iron ore, flour, timber, wheat, tobacco, and sugar.

1839 - the first Sail Ships from Trinidad arrived at Greenock with Sugar, with up to 400 per year by the late 1800s.

1850 - the first Sugar Refinery was built at Greenock.

1850 - Victoria Harbour opened at Greenock.

1886 - James Watt Dock was opened at Greenock, mainly for the expanding Sugar trade and Wool.

1903 - Ferguson Marine shipbuilders opened at Port Glasgow.

1926 - the Old West Kirk was moved a short distance west to the Esplanade to make way for Shipbuilding.

Many of the Graves were moved around that time to Greenock Cemetery high above the town, including the grave of Highland Mary.

1954 - the first Car Ferries began operating between Gourock and Dunoon, there is now a Car Ferry and Passenger Only Ferry running.

1964 - Inchgreen Graving Dock was built at Greenock as the largest in the World at that time, for fitting out liners such as the 65,000 ton QE2 and Supertankers.

1969 - the largest ship ever built in Scotland was launched at the Scott Yard in Port Glasgow, Naess Enterprise, a 133,000 ton tanker.

1969 - the Container Ship Terminal opened at Greenock, leading to the end of many conventional Cargo Ships as Container Ships can be loaded / unloaded in hours rather than days.

1976 - the Gourock Rope Works in Port Glasgow closed with the huge building converted to flats in 2008.

1979 to 1984 - the last Ship Builders closed at Greenock such as Cartsdyke, Cartsburn, and Scott's.

1994 - the first Cruise Ship docked at Greenock, the Southern Cross at 20,204 tons, 604m / 604ft long.

1997 - the Tate & Lyle Refinery closed, the last in the area, leading to the James Watt Dock being converted to a Marina.

2008 - work began on the vast James Watt Dock Sugar Warehouse, converting it for Businesses.

2015 - Ferguson Marine began building two large Ferries for Caledonian MacBrayne for the Troon or Ardossan to the Isle of Arran route.

The first Ferry took until 2025 to be completed due to financial and technical issues.

Ferguson Marine is the last Shipbuilders in the area.

2023 - the new Greenock Ocean Terminal building opened with a shop, museum and restaurant.

2023 - The Ship Builders of Port Glasgow monument was erected in honour of the men that worked in the industry. The large Rope Works factory is across the road from the Monument.

2025 - Regal Princes began visiting Greenock at 142,000 tons and 330m / 1,082ft long, one of the largest of the Ultra Large Cruise Ships now visiting with tours popular such as from Southampton England, Cobh / Cork Ireland, Dublin Ireland, Belfast Northern Ireland, Liverpool England, Greenock / Glasgow Scotland, Invergordon / Inverness Scotland, and Edinburgh Scotland.