Dumbarton

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For other uses, see Dumbarton (disambiguation).

Dumbarton District 1975-96
Image:Scot1975Dumbarton.png

Dumbarton (Dùn Breatainn in Scottish Gaelic) is a town in Scotland, lying on the north bank of the River Clyde on the confluence of that river with the River Leven. Dumbarton Castle, sitting on top of Dumbarton Rock, dominates the area. Dumbarton functioned as the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Strathclyde, and later as the county town of the traditional county of Dunbartonshire (formerly known as "Dumbartonshire"). The name comes from the Scottish Gaelic meaning "Fort of the Brythons (Britons)". The Brythons themselves knew it as "Alclud" (Ail Chluaidh), the "Rock on the Clyde".

In more recent times, the town became a centre for shipbuilding at Denny's yard, which closed in the 1960s. It is the birthplace of David Byrne from Talking Heads, and of the motor-racing driver Jackie Stewart.

From 1975 Dumbarton lent its name to a local government district in the Strathclyde Region of Scotland. In 1996 the administrative functions of this district transferred to the West Dunbartonshire and Argyll and Bute unitary councils. (See: Subdivisions of Scotland). Dumbarton town currently serves as the administrative centre of the West Dunbartonshire authority.

There is also a Dumbarton constituency of the Scottish Parliament and a former Dumbarton constituency of the House of Commons.

As of 2001 the town had a population of roughly 20,550.

The town has a football team, Dumbarton F.C., who play in the Scottish Football League. It has a theatre, the Denny Civic Theatre, which is used by a number of local groups.