The Leven shipyard, on the Clyde, Dumbarton

The location of Dumbarton on the river Leven meant that from the sixteenth century onwards shipbuilding was one of its major industries, by 1853 there were up to five different shipyards along the river. William Denny's firm was one of the most successful shipbuilders in Leven from 1844 until 1963 when the company went bankrupt. Denny's yard was first sited on the north bank of the Leven, but in 1867 moved to the left bank when it became known as the Leven Shipyard. The yard was involved in the building of the Cutty Sark and also The Marjory, the first steam boat to cross the Channel.