The Greenock Cut

The towns of Greenock and Gourock lie on the banks of the Clyde just as the river turns into the Firth of Clyde. Famed for it's shipbuilding days in a bygone era, the area was well known for its engineering skills, enhanced by the fact that James Watt was a Greenockian.

Rising above the towns are a series of hill in which several lochs formed, the largest being Loch Thom. In the early 1800s, the loch was turned into a reservoir to provide a water supply to the increasing population. Part of the supply was an aqueduct cut into the hillside down towards the town. Although long since replaced with pipes, the "Cut" is still used to help route heavy rainwater into various streams.

The Greenock Cut is now a popular walk for ramblers providing views over the Clyde towards the Arrochar Alps. I took a walk there recently since we were experiencing some unusually fantastic weather after heavy snow and took a number of shots.

The rest of the photos can be viewed in a set on my Flickr photostream.