Greenock facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Greenock Scottish Gaelic: Grianaig Scots: Greenock
Town and administrative centre
From top; left–right: View of Greenock from Auchmountain Road; view over Greenock and Cruise Terminal (right); Greenock Municipal Buildings; the Free France monument atop Lyle Hill; view from Lyle Hill
Greenock
Area	12.7 km2 (4.9 sq mi)
Population	41,280 (2020)
• Density	3,250/km2 (8,400/sq mi)
OS grid reference	NS275764
• London	360 mi (580 km)
Council area	Inverclyde
Lieutenancy area	Renfrewshire
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	GREENOCK
Postcode district	PA15, PA16
Dialling code	01475
Police	Strathclyde
Fire	Strathclyde
Ambulance	Scottish
EU Parliament	Scotland
UK Parliament	Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West
Scottish Parliament	Greenock and Inverclyde
List of places UK Scotland 55°57′00″N 4°45′54″W / 55.950°N 4.765°W / 55.950; -4.765

Greenock is a town in Inverclyde, Scotland. It is located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. Greenock is the main administrative centre for Inverclyde Council. It used to be a special kind of town called a burgh within the historic area of Renfrewshire. Greenock is connected to Gourock in the west and Port Glasgow in the east, forming one large urban area.

In 2011, Greenock had a population of 44,248 people. This was a slight decrease from 46,861 in 2001. The town sits on the south bank of the River Clyde. This is where the river gets deeper and widens into the Firth of Clyde.

History of Greenock

What's in a Name?

The name Greenock comes from the Scottish Gaelic word Grianaig. This means 'a sunny knoll' or 'a sunny hill'. There are other places in Scotland with similar names.

Some people thought the name came from a "green oak tree" by the Clyde. They believed fishermen used to tie their boats to it. However, there's no real proof of this story. It's likely just a folk tale. Still, a green tree is often used as a symbol for Greenock. For example, the local shopping centre, the Oak Mall, uses a green tree as its logo.

Early Days

Greenock started as a small settlement. Around 1400, the land was split into two parts: Easter Greenock and Wester Greenock. Later, in 1542, Sir John Schaw built Wester Greenock castle.

In 1589, John Schaw got permission from King James VI to build a church for the local fishing people. This church, later called the Old West Kirk, was one of the first Protestant churches built in Scotland. The Schaw family remained important in Greenock for many years. In 1670, King Charles II combined the lands to officially create the barony of Greenock.

Fishing, Harbours, and Ships

Waterfront, roads outside the harbour, around 1838.

Greenock's coast had good bays for boats. A fishing village grew here. Around 1635, Sir John Schaw built a jetty, which became known as Sir John's Bay. Greenock was then made a Burgh of Barony, which gave it rights to hold a weekly market. Another nearby fishing village, Cartsdyke, also became important.

The fishing business grew, with lots of salted herring being sent out. Shipping also became a big part of the town. In 1710, a proper harbour was built in Greenock. In 1711, the shipbuilding industry began when Scotts company started building fishing boats.

Greenock quickly became a major port and shipbuilding centre. Goods like sugar were brought in and processed locally. Even when the River Clyde was deepened, allowing ships to go directly to Glasgow, Greenock's harbour remained busy.

During the American Revolutionary War, Greenock's trade was affected. The town then focused on wider markets, importing rum and sugar from the Caribbean. Greenock was a trading port for goods like sugar and cotton. It also sent ships to West Africa to take people to be enslaved in Britain's American colonies. In 1868, seven young Greenock boys tried to stow away on a cargo ship to Canada. They were treated very badly and three of them died. The ship's captain and mate were sent to prison.

Custom House and Steamboats

The Custom House, viewed from Custom House Quay.

In 1714, Greenock became a port where customs duties were collected. As trade grew, a new Custom House was needed. In 1817, a grand new building was started at Steamboat Quay. It was designed by William Burn and finished in 1818. This beautiful building, with its Greek-style entrance, looked out over the quay, which is now called Custom House Quay.

In 1812, Europe's first steamboat service started. The PS Comet sailed regularly between Glasgow, Greenock, and Helensburgh. This made Greenock a very important stop for travellers. By 1828, steamboats from Greenock sailed to many places, including Belfast and Liverpool.

The Custom House was used for customs and excise until 2010. It even had a museum. The building has since been refurbished and now houses offices for companies like Toshiba.

Industry and Railways

The Cut – an aqueduct that brought water to Greenock's industries.

Greenock became a hub for industry. Water power from Loch Thom was used to run mills for paper, cotton, wool, and sugar.

View from above Cathcart Street over Cathcart Square to Greenock Municipal Buildings, with the Victoria Tower to the right of "Cowan's Corner", and the Mid Kirk spire of 1781 to the left.

In 1841, Greenock Central railway station opened. This provided a fast way to travel from Glasgow to the coast. Later, more railway lines and stations were built, including a long tunnel under Newton Street.

Greenock's growing importance was shown by the building of the Greenock Municipal Buildings. Its Victoria Tower, finished in 1886, is 245 feet (75 m) tall.

A torpedo factory was built in Greenock in 1910. It designed and tested torpedoes, which were tested in Loch Long. During the Second World War, the factory made torpedoes. It closed in 1959.

The Old West Kirk church, built in 1591, was moved in 1926. This was to make space for the expansion of the Harland & Wolff shipyard. The church is famous for its beautiful stained glass windows by artists like Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

Second World War

The Free French Memorial on Lyle Hill overlooking Gourock.

Greenock played a vital role during the Second World War. Its harbour became a base for the British Home Fleet and a meeting point for ships travelling in convoys across the Atlantic.

In May 1941, around 300 German aircraft attacked Greenock in what was known as the Greenock Blitz. Many buildings were damaged, including the Municipal Buildings. A large memorial, the Cross of Lorraine, stands on Lyle Hill overlooking the town. It remembers the Free French Naval Forces who sailed from Greenock and those who lost their lives.

After the War

After the war, Greenock's heavy industries began to decline in the 1970s and 1980s. This led to high unemployment. However, in recent years, the town has seen new investments and developments. The local economy is starting to improve.

Tourism has also grown, especially with the Ocean Terminal becoming a stop for cruise ships. Many students attend the Greenock campus of West College. Greenock reached its largest population in 1921, with over 81,000 people. It was once the sixth largest town in Scotland.

Governance

Greenock Municipal Buildings.

Greenock is the main office for Inverclyde Council. This is the local government that manages the wider Inverclyde area. The council is based in the Greenock Municipal Buildings.

Greenock used to have its own special representative in the UK Parliament. Now, it is part of the larger Inverclyde area for the UK Parliament. However, Greenock and Inverclyde is still a separate area for the Scottish Parliament.

Climate

Greenock has a mild climate. Summers are usually cool, and winters are mild. Because it's by the coast, the sea helps keep winter temperatures higher than places further inland.

Greenock is known for having a lot of rain. While it does get more rain than many other places in Scotland, the wettest areas are actually in the Scottish Highlands.

In summer, Greenock has long hours of daylight. The sun rises early and sets late. In winter, the days are much shorter.

Education

Inverclyde Academy (2012).

Notre Dame High School (2011).

Greenock has several primary schools and high schools. The Highlanders Academy was built in 1837.

Here are some of Greenock's primary schools:

• Ardgowan Primary School
• Lady Alice Primary School
• St Josephs R C Primary School
• St Mary's Catholic Primary School
• St Patricks Primary School
• Whinhill Primary School
• Aileymill Primary School
• St Andrew's Primary School
• All Saints Primary School
• King's Oak Primary School

Greenock's high schools include:

• Notre Dame High School
• Inverclyde Academy
• Clydeview Academy

There is also Lomond View Academy. A private school, the Cedars School of Excellence, closed in 2024.

Economy

Greenock's Industries

Greenock waterfront from Victoria Harbour to Ocean Terminal, with Victoria Tower in the distance.

In the past, Greenock was famous for shipbuilding, refining sugar, and making wool products. Today, these industries are no longer the main employers. More recently, electronics manufacturing was important. Now, many jobs are in call centres, insurance, banking, and shipping.

As of 2012, Greenock's unemployment rate was 5.3%, which was a bit higher than the average for Scotland.

Shipbuilding

Shipbuilding has a long history in Greenock. The first proper harbour was built in 1710. Soon after, Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company started building ships. They even built ships for the Royal Navy.

The Inchgreen Drydock in 2013, used for urgent repairs to the ferry Finnarrow.

Over the years, many shipbuilding companies operated in Greenock, like Lithgows and Fergusons. Thousands of people worked designing, building, and repairing ships. However, in the 1970s and 1980s, competition from other countries led to the closure of most of these yards.

Today, shipbuilding continues at Ferguson Marine Engineering in nearby Port Glasgow. Ship repair work still happens at the Garvel Drydock in Greenock. The Inchgreen Drydock, one of the largest in the world when it opened in 1964, is now used for breaking up old marine vessels.

Shipping

The cruise ship Jewel of the Seas at Greenock in 2006.

Greenock's Ocean Terminal handles freight traffic with large cranes. This terminal is also a popular stop for cruise ships visiting Scotland.

The cruise ship MS Queen Victoria moored at Greenock in 2018.

In the 1950s and 1960s, large passenger ships from companies like Cunard Line often stopped at Greenock. Smaller ferries would take passengers to and from these big liners.

Greenock's Great Harbour also provides support services for the Royal Navy. This means you can often see naval tugs and boats on the Clyde.

The town has a lovely esplanade, a riverside walk about a mile long. It stretches from the Ocean Terminal to the Royal West of Scotland Amateur Boat Club, where people enjoy sailing, kayaking, and rowing.

Sugar

The Sugar Shed at James Watt Dock.

Sugar refining started in Greenock in 1765. Many refineries opened, including the famous Tate & Lyle. By the late 1800s, about 400 ships each year brought sugar from the Caribbean to Greenock for processing.

The James Watt Dock, opened in 1886, had a huge warehouse called the Sugar Shed. This building stored both raw and refined sugar. When Tate & Lyle closed its Greenock refinery in 1997, it ended the town's long history with sugar making.

The old Sugar Shed warehouse was damaged by a fire in 2006. Since then, the area has been redeveloped, and the dock now has a marina.

Electronics

The IBM facility in Greenock in 2019.

Since IBM arrived in 1951, electronics manufacturing was a major employer. Texas Instruments also had a plant in the town.

However, many manufacturing jobs have moved to other countries. Now, Greenock's economy relies more on the service sector, especially call centres. Both EE and IBM have large call centres here. The Royal Bank of Scotland also has a mortgage centre in Greenock.

The large IBM factory in Spango Valley has been demolished. Other electronics companies like Sanmina also moved jobs away from Greenock. The area is now called "Valley Park."

Shops and Businesses

Shopping outlets in the Oak Mall.

Greenock's main shopping area is the Oak Mall. It was built in 1992 and has many shops, restaurants, and cafes.

Over the years, some big stores like Marks and Spencer and Woolworths have closed or moved from the Oak Mall. Now, it has stores like Argos, Boots, New Look, and Primark.

The Oak Mall has faced problems, including leaks from the road above it. There are plans to demolish the eastern part of the Oak Mall and the road above it in 2025 as part of a redevelopment project.

Tesco opened its first Scottish store in Greenock in 1970. Today, there is still a Tesco store with a petrol station. Other large supermarkets like Aldi, Lidl, and Morrisons also have stores in Greenock.

Transport

Greenock Central railway station.

Greenock has many railway stations, more than most towns in Scotland. It has eight active stations: Bogston, Cartsdyke, Greenock Central, Greenock West, Fort Matilda, Whinhill, Drumfrochar and Branchton. There's also a long railway tunnel under Newton Street.

A new £20 million ocean terminal opened in August 2023. It expects to welcome over 100 cruise ships each year. In March 2024, Princess Anne visited the terminal.

Greenock has many local bus routes that connect the town with Gourock and Port Glasgow. Longer bus services go to Glasgow, Largs, and Dunoon. Most buses are run by McGill's Bus Services.

Greenock is at the end of the A8 road and the M8 motorway, which starts in Edinburgh. It is also the northern end of Euroroute E05, which goes all the way south through England, France, and Spain.

Culture

Greenock is home to the world's first Burns Club. It was founded in 1801 by people from Ayrshire who knew the poet Robert Burns. They held the first Burns Supper in 1802.

The Watt Institution (McLean Museum) is the biggest museum in the Inverclyde area. It has exhibits about James Watt, shipbuilding, and even ancient Egyptian artefacts.

The Beacon Arts Centre opened in 2013 at Greenock's Custom House Quay. It has a 500-seat theatre for plays, concerts, and other events. It also has a smaller studio theatre and a cafe with views of the Clyde. Nearby, The Wyllieum museum opened in 2024, celebrating Scottish artist George Wyllie.

Greenock has hosted the Royal National Mòd, a Scottish Gaelic festival, in 1904 and 1925.

Greenock in TV and Film

Greenock has been used as a filming location for several TV shows and movies.

• The 1974 TV show The Vital Spark was filmed here.
• In 2012, the BBC drama Waterloo Road moved its filming to Greenock. It was shot at the former Greenock Academy school.
• The British TV series Annika uses the Beacon Arts Centre as its main setting.
• Films like Sweet Sixteen (2002) and Dear Frankie (2004) were also filmed in Greenock.

Greenock in Books

Greenock has appeared in many books.

• Alan Sharp's 1965 novel A Green Tree in Gedde is partly set in Greenock.
• Robin Jenkins's 1979 novel Fergus Lamont calls Greenock 'Gantock'.
• Alasdair Gray's 1984 novel 1982, Janine takes place in a Greenock hotel room.
• The novel The Greenock Murders by Kieran James (2021) is set in the town.

Local Media

Greenock has its own daily evening newspaper, The Greenock Telegraph, which started in 1857.

Local news and TV shows are provided by BBC Scotland and STV Central. There's also an online TV station called Inverclyde TV. Inverclyde FM is a community Internet radio station run by volunteers.

Famous People from Greenock

James Watt's statue of 1908 at the original James Watt College building, which marks the site of his birthplace.

The most famous person from Greenock is the engineer James Watt. He invented important improvements to the steam engine. Many places in Greenock are named after him, including a library and a college building on the site of his birthplace.

Other notable people from Greenock include:

• John McGeoch, a very influential rock guitarist.
• Actors Richard Wilson and Martin Compston.
• Comedian Charles 'Chic' Murray.
• Antarctic explorer Henry Robertson 'Birdie' Bowers.
• Rosé, a contestant on RuPaul's Drag Race (season 13).
• Angela Egan, the 2021 winner of Dancing on Ice.

Robert Burns's love, Mary Campbell (Highland Mary), died in Greenock in 1786 and is buried here. A monument marks her grave in Greenock Cemetery.

Sports

Cappielow Park, home of Morton F.C.

Greenock Morton is the local professional football team. They play their home matches at Cappielow. Greenock also has a rugby union team, Greenock Wanderers RFC, which is one of the oldest clubs in Scotland.

There are two successful athletics clubs, Inverclyde AC and Glenpark Harriers. Greenock also has a Cricket Club and a Golf Club.

In 1972, Greenock hosted the first official international women's football match played in Britain, between Scotland and England.

Inverclyde Leisure manages several sports facilities in Greenock, including:

See also

In Spanish: Greenock para niños