Located on the north bank of the River Clyde, 3 miles (5 km) east of Dumbarton, Bowling sits at the foot of the Kilpatrick Hills. Situated on the road from Glasgow to Dumbarton, it developed in association with mills and a brewery in the 18th Century and received a boost in 1790 when it was chosen as the western terminus of the Forth and Clyde Canal, which was built for the transportation of coal and iron. The trials of the pioneer steamship The Comet took place here in 1812 and port facilities were developed. A shipyard was opened in 1825 and Clyde steamers linked Bowling with Glasgow and Lochgilphead. Bowling got its first railway station in 1850, bringing passengers from Balloch on Loch Lomond and Dumbarton to a pier here for onward travel to Glasgow by steamer, while goods could also be trans-shipped via the canal. Eight years later the line was extended into Glasgow. Today, Bowling is largely a commuter settlement with leisure yachting facilities.
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