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Proposed British Isles fixed sea link connections

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There are a number of proposed fixed connections—road or rail, bridge or tunnel—designed to connect the islands of Ireland and Great Britain , connect the island of Great Britain to mainland Europe , as well as to build other connections amongst the smaller islands in the British Islands .

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109-789: This route, a distance of 21 miles (34 km), has been proposed variously as either a tunnel or a bridge. A 2010 report by the Centre for Cross Border Studies estimated building a bridge between Galloway and Ulster would cost just under £20.5 billion. The proposal would see passengers board trains in Glasgow then cross on the bridge via Stranraer and alight in Belfast or Dublin . A longer bridge already exists between Shanghai and Ningbo in East China . Some political parties in Northern Ireland have included

218-568: A British firm applied for £15,000 towards the cost of carrying out borings and soundings in the North Channel to see if a tunnel between Ireland and Scotland was viable. The link would have been of immense commercial benefit, was significant strategically and would have meant faster transatlantic travel from the United Kingdom, via Galway and other ports in Ireland. When Hugh Arnold-Foster asked in

327-583: A North Channel tunnel; Philip Goodhart said no tunnel was planned. In 1988, John Wilson , the Irish Minister for Tourism and Transport , said his department estimated an Irish Sea tunnel would cost more than twice as much as the English Channel Tunnel and generate less than one-fifth of the revenue, thus being economically unviable. In 1997–98, the Department of Public Enterprise refused to fund

436-406: A bridge or tunnel form, was "impossible to justify" in this area given the sea depth, Beaufort's Dyke, and though noted "the economic viability of the provision of such a link is not within the scope of [the] study", recommended that it would regardless take too long to recoup the costs to justify further research. In May 2021 the then British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps discussed the case for

545-568: A feasibility study requested by the engineering firm Symonds to build an immersed tube tunnel. Symonds revived the plan in 2000, with an £8 million feasibility study and a £14 billion construction cost estimate. In 2005, the Irish Minister for Transport said he had not studied A Vision of Transport in Ireland in 2050 , published in September 2004 by the Irish Academy of Engineering,

654-601: A few warm and no hot summers in Glasgow, in stark contrast to areas further south in Great Britain and eastwards in Europe. The warmest month on record in the data series is July 2006, with an average high of 22.7 °C (72.9 °F) and low of 13.7 °C (56.7 °F). Even this extreme event only matched a normal summer on similar parallels in continental Europe, underlining the maritime influences. The coldest month on record since

763-561: A holding reservoir at Milngavie, and then by pipes into the city. The project cost £980,000 and was opened by Queen Victoria in 1859. In the early 19th century an eighth of the people lived in single-room accommodation. The engineer for the project was John Frederick Bateman , while James Morris Gale became the resident engineer for the city section of the project, and subsequently became Engineer in Chief for Glasgow Water Commissioners. He oversaw several improvements during his tenure, including

872-597: A host city of the UEFA Euro 2028 . The UK's first official consumption room for illegal drugs including heroin and cocaine was set to open on 21 October 2024, however this has been delayed. Although Glasgow Corporation had been a pioneer in the municipal socialist movement from the late-nineteenth century, since the Representation of the People Act 1918 , Glasgow increasingly supported left-wing ideas and politics at

981-578: A local government area in Northern Ireland , and are famed in Irish Celtic mythology through their association with the Children of Lir . In the 1800s, this strait was sometimes referred to in general terms as the "Irish Channel". In the 19th century, Alexander Keith Johnston 's suggested name St Patrick's Channel had currency, but it was rejected by the hydrographic department . The North Channel

1090-419: A major industry on the upper stretches of the river, pioneered by industrialists such as Robert Napier , John Elder , George Thomson , Sir William Pearce and Sir Alfred Yarrow . The River Clyde also became an important source of inspiration for artists, such as John Atkinson Grimshaw , John Knox , James Kay , Sir Muirhead Bone , Robert Eadie and L.S. Lowry , willing to depict the new industrial era and

1199-572: A national level. The city council was controlled by the Labour Party for over thirty years, since the decline of the Progressives . Since 2007, when local government elections in Scotland began to use the single transferable vote rather than the first-past-the-post system , the dominance of the Labour Party within the city started to decline. As a result of the 2017 United Kingdom local elections ,

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1308-441: A peak of 1,127,825 people in 1938 (with a higher density and within a smaller territory than in subsequent decades). The population was greatly reduced following comprehensive urban renewal projects in the 1960s which resulted in large-scale relocation of people to designated new towns , such as Cumbernauld , Livingston , East Kilbride and peripheral suburbs, followed by successive boundary changes. Over 1,000,000 people live in

1417-415: A report which included a Wexford–Pembroke tunnel. The proposal of building a bridge between Northern Ireland and Scotland is supported by members of several UK political parties. DUP MP Sammy Wilson compared the idea to the approved Channel Tunnel and HS2 projects. The party made a feasibility study into a tunnel or enclosed bridge a precondition to coalition support in the event of a hung parliament in

1526-454: A satirical description of a proposal by "architect" William Pitt "to build a bridge from Holyhead to the Hill of Howth ." As part of the unionist movement, various roads were built across Great Britain heading towards Ireland; In 1803 William Madocks started building earthworks for a road to Porthdinllaen ; this was rejected by Parliament in 1810 in favour of a London to Holyhead road , which

1635-538: A second aqueduct and further raising of water levels in Loch Katrine. Additional supplies were provided by Loch Arklet in 1902, by impounding the water and creating a tunnel to allow water to flow into Loch Katrine. A similar scheme to create a reservoir in Glen Finglas was authorised in 1903, but was deferred, and was not completed until 1965. Following the 2002 Glasgow floods , the waterborne parasite cryptosporidium

1744-407: A sermon containing the words Lord, Let Glasgow flourish by the preaching of the word and the praising of thy name . This was abbreviated to "Let Glasgow Flourish" and adopted as the city's motto. In 1450, John Stewart, the first Lord Provost of Glasgow, left an endowment so that a "St Mungo's Bell" could be made and tolled throughout the city so that the citizens would pray for his soul. A new bell

1853-542: A submerged "tubular bridge" or a solid causeway". The north channel crossing was the subject of a 2020 study by the United Kingdom government. This is the shortest sea route at around 12 miles (20 km), between Kintyre and County Antrim , but would include either the three hour drive on the A83 road around Loch Fyne and over the landslip-prone Rest and Be Thankful mountain pass, or two further new sea crossings via either

1962-829: A tunnel between Holyhead and Dublin along the Irish Mail route. The proposed tunnel would be a rail tunnel designed to work in much the same way as the Channel Tunnel, with (on the UK side) a main terminus in Liverpool (similar to London St Pancras International ) and another in Anglesey (similar to the Eurotunnel Folkestone Terminal ). Via the Northern Powerhouse Rail network and High Speed 2 Phase Two extension,

2071-512: Is on the eastern side of the Kintyre peninsula, but the western side is only about 16 kilometres (10 mi) from Torr Head coast to coast. The shortest route between Glasgow and Belfast is the route used by the existing ferry service, that via Portpatrick / Stranraer (about 150 km (93 mi) from Glasgow) and Larne (about 35 km (22 mi) from Belfast), a coast-to-coast distance of 45 kilometres (28 mi). This route would require

2180-544: Is represented by seven Members of Parliament (MPs), all elected at least once every five years to represent individual constituencies, using the first-past-the-post system of voting. In Holyrood, Glasgow is represented by sixteen Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), of whom nine are elected to represent individual constituencies once every four years using first-past-the-post, and seven are elected as additional regional members, by proportional representation. Since

2289-586: Is the third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom and the 27th-most-populous city in Europe . In 2022, it had an estimated population as a defined locality of 632,350 and anchored an urban settlement of 1,028,220. Glasgow grew from a small rural settlement close to Glasgow Cathedral and descending to the River Clyde to become the largest seaport in Scotland, and tenth largest by tonnage in Britain. Expanding from

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2398-555: Is the name given to the narrowest expanse of sea in the North Channel between north-eastern Northern Ireland ( County Antrim ) and south-western highlands of Scotland ( Mull of Kintyre ). The narrowest part of the strait is between the Mull of Kintyre and Torr Head, where its width is 19 kilometres (12 mi; 10 nmi), making it possible to see across in clear weather conditions. The straits gave their name to Moyle District Council ,

2507-715: The Sheuch ) is the strait between north-eastern Northern Ireland and south-western Scotland . The Firth of Clyde merges with the channel, between the southern tip of the Kintyre peninsula and Corsewall Point on the Rhins of Galloway . The channel begins north of the Isle of Man and is customarily considered part of the Irish Sea , the channel runs north-west into the Atlantic Ocean . Within

2616-578: The 2015 election , and again reiterated the potential for a sea bridge in January 2018. In January 2018, leading figures in the Democratic Unionist Party revived calls for a bridge or tunnel between Larne in County Antrim and Dumfries and Galloway ; the estimated £20 billion cost of the 25 miles (40 km) project would make it among the biggest infrastructure projects in UK history. The link

2725-534: The 2016 Scottish Parliament election , Glasgow is represented at Holyrood by 9 Scottish National Party MSPs, 4 Labour MSPs, 2 Conservative MSPs and 1 Scottish Green MSP. In the European Parliament, the city formed part of the Scotland constituency , which elected six Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) prior to Brexit . Since Glasgow is covered and operates under two separate central governments,

2834-498: The Acts of Union in 1707, Scotland gained further access to the vast markets of the new British Empire, and Glasgow became prominent as a hub of international trade to and from the Americas, especially in sugar, tobacco, cotton, and manufactured goods. Starting in 1668, the city's Tobacco Lords created a deep water port at Port Glasgow about 20 mi (32 km) down the River Clyde , as

2943-684: The Greater Glasgow contiguous urban area, while the wider Glasgow City Region is home to over 1,800,000 people (its defined functional urban area total was almost the same in 2020), equating to around 33% of Scotland's population; The city has one of the highest densities of any locality in Scotland at 4,023/km . Glasgow's major cultural institutions enjoy international reputations including The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland , Burrell Collection , Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum , Royal Scottish National Orchestra , BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra , Scottish Ballet and Scottish Opera . The city

3052-690: The Hunterian Museum today. Glasgow itself was reputed to have been founded by the Christian missionary Saint Mungo in the 6th century. He established a church on the Molendinar Burn , where the present Glasgow Cathedral stands, and in the following years Glasgow became a religious centre. Glasgow grew over the following centuries as part of the Kingdom of Strathclyde and the Kingdom of Scotland . The Glasgow Fair reportedly began in 1190. A bridge over

3161-579: The Isle of Arran or Cowal . This route (from Dublin to Holyhead in Anglesey, Wales) would be about 50 miles (81 km) long. Avoiding the Saint George's Channel immediately to the south of the route would keep the sea depth less than 300 feet (100 m). The Institution of Engineers of Ireland 's 2004 Vision of Transport in Ireland in 2050 imagines a tunnel to be built between the ports of Fishguard and Rosslare . This route would be approximately twice

3270-643: The Milngavie water treatment works , Glasgow Subway , Glasgow Corporation Tramways , City Chambers , Mitchell Library and Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum were being funded by its wealth. The city also held a series of International Exhibitions at Kelvingrove Park , in 1888 , 1901 and 1911 , with Britain's last major International Exhibition, the Empire Exhibition , being subsequently held in 1938 at Bellahouston Park , which drew 13 million visitors. The 20th century witnessed both decline and renewal in

3379-540: The River Dee . A platform or cofferdam may also be required in the middle of the tunnel to aid with ventilation and access. Given that this rail link would connect the Republic of Ireland to mainland Europe via the UK, eliminating some of the need for rail and ferry crossings, it has received support from some commentators in Ireland. Existing British Isles Fixed Sea Links Proposed Infrastructure and Megaprojects within

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3488-528: The SI unit of temperature , Kelvin, is named. The burgh of Glasgow was historically in Lanarkshire , but close to the border with Renfrewshire . When elected county councils were established in 1890, Glasgow was deemed capable of running its own affairs and so was excluded from the administrative area of Lanarkshire County Council, whilst remaining part of Lanarkshire for lieutenancy and judicial purposes. The burgh

3597-678: The SNP was able to form a minority administration ending Labour's thirty-seven years of uninterrupted control. In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the German Revolution of 1918–19 , the city's frequent strikes and militant organisations caused serious alarm at Westminster , with one uprising in January 1919, the Battle of George Square , prompting Liberal Prime Minister David Lloyd George to deploy 10,000 soldiers and tanks on

3706-627: The Scottish independence referendum , Glasgow voted "Yes" by a margin of 53.5% to 46.5% . In the Brexit referendum , results varied from constituency to constituency. Glasgow North recorded the biggest remain vote with 78% opting to stay in the EU whilst in Glasgow East this figure dropped to 56%. The city as a whole voted to remain in the EU, by 66.6% to 33.3%. Voter turnout has often been lower in Glasgow than in

3815-502: The Secretary of State for Scotland announced his support for a 25-mile (40 km) sea tunnel from Stranraer to Larne , citing the weather impact on bridge opening and the need to avoid Beaufort's Dyke munitions dump as reasons for favouring a tunnel over a bridge. This proposal also received the support of the High-speed rail in the United Kingdom industry group. In September 2021, it

3924-583: The University of Liverpool . He proposed a combined road and rail crossing between Portpatrick , in Dumfries and Galloway, and Larne in Northern Ireland, stating that "the coastline between each country is more sheltered and the waterway better protected" than the English Channel , where, as Foreign Secretary , Boris Johnson had proposed a bridge. He suggested that this would create a 'Celtic powerhouse' due to

4033-594: The Victorian and Edwardian eras . Glasgow became a county in 1893, the city having previously been in the historic county of Lanarkshire , and later growing to also include settlements that were once part of Renfrewshire and Dunbartonshire . It now forms the Glasgow City Council area, one of the 32 council areas of Scotland , and is administered by Glasgow City Council . In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Glasgow's population grew rapidly, reaching

4142-439: The bridge towers to be erected through Beaufort's Dyke , a 200–300 m (700–1,000 ft) deep trench, heavily contaminated by 'large quantities' of munitions ('small arms, high explosives and incendiary devices') and nuclear waste that had been dumped until 1950s. The ex- First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon said her mind was not closed to the idea but added "if he [the prime minister] has got £20 bn to build such

4251-600: The medieval bishopric and episcopal burgh (subsequently royal burgh ), and the later establishment of the University of Glasgow in the 15th century, it became a major centre of the Scottish Enlightenment in the 18th century. From the 18th century onwards, the city also grew as one of Britain's main hubs of oceanic trade with North America and the West Indies ; soon followed by the Orient , India , and China . With

4360-553: The triangular trade and the Atlantic slave trade that the former depended upon. Glasgow merchants dealt in slave-produced cash crops such as sugar, tobacco, cotton and linen. From 1717 to 1766, Scottish slave ships operating out of Glasgow transported approximately 3,000 enslaved Africans to the Americas (out of a total number of 5,000 slaves carried by ships from Scotland). The majority of these slaving voyages left from Glasgow's satellite ports, Greenock and Port Glasgow . After

4469-595: The "Second City of the Empire" and was producing more than half Britain's tonnage of shipping and a quarter of all locomotives in the world. In addition to its pre-eminence in shipbuilding, engineering, industrial machinery, bridge building, chemicals, explosives, coal and oil industries it developed as a major centre in textiles, garment-making, carpet manufacturing, leather processing, furniture-making, pottery, food, drink and cigarette making; printing and publishing. Shipping, banking, insurance and professional services expanded at

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4578-451: The 1950s. By the 1960s, growth of industry in countries like Japan and West Germany , weakened the once pre-eminent position of many of the city's industries. As a result of this, Glasgow entered a lengthy period of relative economic decline and rapid de-industrialisation, leading to high unemployment, urban decay , population decline, welfare dependency and poor health for the city's inhabitants. There were active attempts at regeneration of

4687-433: The 56 additional members . Both kinds of member are known as Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) . The system of election is designed to produce a form of proportional representation . The first past the post seats were created in 1999 with the names and boundaries of then existing Westminster ( House of Commons ) constituencies. In 2005, the number of Westminster Members of Parliament (MPs) representing Scotland

4796-505: The British Isles and associated areas Glasgow This is an accepted version of this page Glasgow ( UK : / ˈ ɡ l ɑː z ɡ oʊ , ˈ ɡ l æ z -, ˈ ɡ l ɑː s -, ˈ ɡ l æ s -/ GLA(H)Z -goh, GLA(H)SS -  ; Scottish Gaelic : Glaschu [ˈkl̪ˠas̪əxu] ) is the most populous city in Scotland , located on the banks of the River Clyde in west central Scotland . The city

4905-502: The Channel , for a better link between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. In August 2007 the Centre for Cross-Border Studies proposed the construction of a 34-kilometre-long (21 mi) long rail bridge or tunnel, estimating that it might cost about £3.5 billion. In the Victorian era , engineers proposed a rail tunnel between Stranraer and Belfast . In February 2020,

5014-512: The City of Glasgow was granted to the royal burgh by the Lord Lyon on 25 October 1866. It incorporates a number of symbols and emblems associated with the life of Glasgow's patron saint, Mungo, which had been used on official seals prior to that date. The emblems represent miracles supposed to have been performed by Mungo and are listed in the traditional rhyme: St Mungo is also said to have preached

5123-458: The Commons in 1897 about a North Channel tunnel, Arthur Balfour said "the financial aspects ... are not of a very promising character". In 1915, a tunnel was proposed by Gershom Stewart as a defence against a German U-boat blockade of Ireland but dismissed by H. H. Asquith as "hardly practicable in the present circumstances". In 1918, Stewart proposed that German prisoners of war might dig

5232-708: The Conservative Party continued to decline into the twenty-first century, winning only one of the 79 councillors on Glasgow City Council in 2012 , despite having been the controlling party (as the Progressives ) from 1969 to 1972 when Sir Donald Liddle was the last non-Labour Lord Provost . Glasgow is represented in both the House of Commons in London , and the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood, Edinburgh . At Westminster, it

5341-450: The EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive ended the practice. The sewerage infrastructure was improved significantly in 2017, with the completion of a tunnel 3.1 mi (5.0 km) long, which provides 20 × 10 ^  imp gal (90 Ml) of storm water storage. It will reduce the risk of flooding and the likelihood that sewage will overflow into the Clyde during storms. Since 2002, clean water provision and sewerage have been

5450-412: The North Channel, which it also refers to parenthetically as the North (Irish) Channel, is part of the Ocean's Seven series. This is a set of seven long-distance open-water swims considered the marathon swimming equivalent of the Seven Summits mountaineering challenge . In Northern Ireland , Unionist political leaders for decades lobbied the British government to construct a railway tunnel under

5559-414: The Prime Minister's Office announced that it had initiated work to examine the feasibility of a bridge between Scotland and Northern Ireland. The transport route with the shortest sailing distance is that between Campbeltown on the Kintyre peninsula (about 220 km (140 mi) from Glasgow via minor roads) and Ballycastle, County Antrim (about 90 km (56 mi) from Belfast ). Campbeltown

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5668-454: The River Clyde was recorded from around 1285, where Victoria Bridge now stands. As the lowest bridging point on the Clyde it was an important crossing. The area around the bridge became known as Briggait. The founding of the University of Glasgow adjoining the cathedral in 1451 and elevation of the bishopric to become the Archdiocese of Glasgow in 1492 increased the town's religious and educational status and landed wealth. Its early trade

5777-441: The Scottish Air Quality Objective levels for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM10)". The city hosted the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) at its main events venue, the SEC Centre . Glasgow hosted the 2014 Commonwealth Games , and will host the 2026 edition of the games . Glasgow also hosted the first European Championships in 2018, was one of the host cities for UEFA Euro 2020 , and will be

5886-512: The annual precipitation averages 1,245 mm (49.0 in). Glasgow has been named as the rainiest city of the UK, having an average of 170 days of rain a year. Winters are cool and overcast, with a January mean of 5.0 °C (41.0 °F), though lows sometimes fall below freezing. Since 2000 Glasgow has experienced few very cold, snowy and harsh winters where temperatures have fallen much below freezing. The most extreme instances have however seen temperatures around −12 °C (10 °F) in

5995-417: The area. Snowfall accumulation is infrequent and short-lived. The spring months (March to May) are usually mild and often quite pleasant. Many of Glasgow's trees and plants begin to flower at this time of the year and parks and gardens are filled with spring colours. During the summer months (June to August) the weather can vary considerably from day to day, ranging from relatively cool and wet to quite warm with

6104-473: The attack in Glasgow and an attack in London the previous day . One of the perpetrators of the attack, Kafeel Ahmed , was the only reported casualty, with a following five people sustaining injuries from the attack. In 2008 the city was ranked at 43 for Personal Safety in the Mercer index of top 50 safest cities in the world. The Mercer report was specifically looking at Quality of Living, yet by 2011 within Glasgow, certain areas were (still) "failing to meet

6213-447: The bridge in their manifesto for some time. However, because of the Beaufort's Dyke sea trench which is approximately 1,000 feet (300 m) deep, this route would be deeper than the southern routes between Wales and Ireland. The sea trench was also used for dumping munitions after World War II , and so would require an expensive cleanup operation. Ronnie Hunter, former chairman of the Institute of Civil Engineers Scotland, suggested that

6322-419: The central area. There are also accusations that the Scottish Office had deliberately attempted to undermine Glasgow's economic and political influence in post-war Scotland by diverting inward investment in new industries to other regions during the Silicon Glen boom and creating the new towns of Cumbernauld, Glenrothes, Irvine, Livingston and East Kilbride , dispersed across the Scottish Lowlands to halve

6431-400: The centre of Glasgow, fuelling allegations of gentrification . In 2008, the city was listed by Lonely Planet as one of the world's top 10 tourist cities. Glasgow still has a higher employment rate than Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester. In 2007, the city's primary airport was the target of a terrorist attack when a Jeep Cherokee filled with propane gas cylinders and petrol cans

6540-424: The channel is the Beaufort's Dyke , at 312 metres (1,024 ft) it is the deepest part. The North Channel connects the Irish Sea with the Atlantic Ocean and is part of the marine area officially classified as the " Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland " by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO). The Straits of Moyle ( Sruth na Maoile in Irish and Scottish Gaelic ) or Sea of Moyle

6649-487: The city in the early 18th century and famously opined in his book A tour thro' the whole island of Great Britain , that Glasgow was "the cleanest and beautifullest, and best built city in Britain, London excepted". At that time the city's population was about 12,000, and the city was yet to undergo the massive expansionary changes to its economy and urban fabric, brought about by the Scottish Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution. The city prospered from its involvement in

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6758-468: The city's population base. By the late 1980s, there had been a significant resurgence in Glasgow's economic fortunes. The " Glasgow's miles better " campaign, launched in 1983, and opening of the Burrell Collection in 1983 and Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in 1985 facilitated Glasgow's new role as a European centre for business services and finance and promoted an increase in tourism and inward investment. The latter continues to be bolstered by

6867-401: The city's streets. A huge demonstration in the city's George Square on 31 January ended in violence, known as the Battle of George Square , after the Riot Act was read. Industrial action at the shipyards gave rise to the " Red Clydeside " epithet. During the 1930s, Glasgow was the main base of the Independent Labour Party . Towards the end of the twentieth century, it became a centre of

6976-596: The city, when the Glasgow Corporation published its controversial Bruce Report , which set out a comprehensive series of initiatives aimed at turning round the decline of the city. The report led to a huge and radical programme of rebuilding and regeneration efforts that started in the mid-1950s and lasted into the late 1970s. This involved the mass demolition of the city's infamous slums and their replacement with large suburban housing estates and tower blocks. The city invested heavily in roads infrastructure, with an extensive system of arterial roads and motorways that bisected

7085-434: The city. After World War I , the city suffered from the impact of the Post–World War I recession and from the later Great Depression , this also led to a rise of radical socialism and the " Red Clydeside " movement. The city had recovered by the outbreak of World War II . The city saw aerial bombardment by the Luftwaffe during the Clydebank Blitz , during the war, then grew through the post-war boom that lasted through

7194-459: The commercial centre of the city. Following the European Protestant Reformation and with the encouragement of the Convention of Royal Burghs , the 14 incorporated trade crafts federated as the Trades House in 1605 to match the power and influence in the town council of the earlier Merchants' Guilds who established their Merchants House in the same year. Glasgow was subsequently raised to the status of Royal Burgh in 1611. Daniel Defoe visited

7303-531: The data series began is December 2010, during a severe cold wave affecting the British Isles. Even then, the December high was above freezing at 1.6 °C (34.9 °F) with the low of −4.4 °C (24.1 °F). This still ensured Glasgow's coldest month of 2010 remained milder than the isotherm of −3 °C (27 °F) normally used to determine continental climate normals. North Channel (British Isles) The North Channel (known in Irish and Scottish Gaelic as Sruth na Maoile , in Scots as

7412-413: The devolved Scottish Parliament and UK Government, they determine various matters that Glasgow City Council is not responsible for. The Glasgow electoral region of the Scottish Parliament covers the Glasgow City council area, a north-western part of South Lanarkshire and a small eastern portion of Renfrewshire . It elects nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituency members and seven of

7521-404: The distance of the English Channel Tunnel at 45 miles (72 km). A new container port on the Shannon Estuary linking a freight line to Europe is included. This report also includes ideas for a Belfast – Dublin – Cork high-speed train , and for a new freight line from Rosslare to Shannon. The failure of the Union Bill 1799 (which succeeded, the next year, as the Act of Union 1800 ) prompted

7630-440: The electorate of Glasgow voted in favour of Scottish independence; the SNP won every seat in the city at the 2015 general election , including a record-breaking 39.3% swing from Labour to SNP in the Glasgow North East constituency. At the 2017 snap general election , Glasgow was represented by 6 Scottish National Party MPs and 1 Labour MP; the Glasgow North East constituency which had a record 39.3% swing from Labour to SNP at

7739-483: The ferry Princess Victoria . The Irish Long Distance Swimming Association (ILDSA) has provided authentication observers for swimmers attempting to cross the approximately 35-kilometre (22 mi) span between Northern Ireland and the Mull of Galloway . According to the ILDSA, this was first accomplished in 1947 by Tom Blower . The first two-way crossing was completed by a six-person relay team on 28 July 2015. The World Open Water Swimming Association note that

7848-449: The legacy of the city's Glasgow Garden Festival in 1988, its status as European Capital of Culture in 1990, and concerted attempts to diversify the city's economy. However, it is the industrial heritage that serves as key tourism enabler. Wider economic revival has persisted and the ongoing regeneration of inner-city areas, including the large-scale Clyde Waterfront Regeneration , has led to more affluent people moving back to live in

7957-596: The length of the Channel Tunnel and around 20 miles longer than the Seikan Tunnel ) and the depth would only need to be around 100m (the Ryfylke Tunnel in Norway reaches 292m below sea level). Rail upgrades or a new line would be needed along the north Welsh coast, as the current North Wales Coast Line is not electrified or suitable for high-speed rail. Depending on the route additional crossings may need to be considered over

8066-565: The lowest turnout were all in Glasgow; turnout further decreased in the 2017 election, when five of the city's seven seats reported a lowered turnout. Glasgow is located on the banks of the River Clyde, in West Central Scotland. Another important river is the Kelvin , a tributary of the River Clyde, whose name was used in creating the title of Baron Kelvin the renowned physicist for whom

8175-472: The mid-eighteenth century the city began expanding westwards from its medieval core at Glasgow Cross, with a grid-iron street plan starting from the 1770s and eventually reaching George Square to accommodate much of the growth, with that expansion much later becoming known in the 1980s onwards as the Merchant City . The largest growth in the city centre area, building on the wealth of trading internationally,

8284-614: The modern name appears for the first time in the Gaelic period (1116), as Glasgu . It is also recorded that the King of Strathclyde , Rhydderch Hael , welcomed Saint Kentigern (also known as Saint Mungo), and procured his consecration as bishop about 540. For some thirteen years Kentigern laboured in the region, building his church at the Molendinar Burn where Glasgow Cathedral now stands, and making many converts. A large community developed around him and became known as Glasgu . The coat of arms of

8393-470: The modern world, as did Stanley Spencer downriver at Port Glasgow . With the population growing, the first scheme to provide a public water supply was by the Glasgow Company in 1806. A second company was formed in 1812, and the two merged in 1838, but there was some dissatisfaction with the quality of the water supplied. The Gorbals Gravitation Water Company began supplying water to residents living to

8502-740: The odd sunny day. Long dry spells of warm weather are generally quite scarce. Overcast and humid conditions without rain are frequent. Generally the weather pattern is quite unsettled and erratic during these months, with only occasional heatwaves. The warmest month is usually July, with average highs above 20 °C (68 °F). Summer days can occasionally reach up to 27 °C (81 °F), and very rarely exceed 30 °C (86 °F). Autumns are generally cool to mild with increasing precipitation. During early autumn there can be some settled periods of weather and it can feel pleasant with mild temperatures and some sunny days. The official Met Office data series goes back to 1959 and shows that there only have been

8611-518: The onset of the Industrial Revolution , the population and economy of Glasgow and the surrounding region expanded rapidly to become one of the world's pre-eminent centres of chemicals, textiles and engineering; most notably in the shipbuilding and marine engineering industry, which produced many innovative and famous vessels. Glasgow was the "Second City of the British Empire " for much of

8720-525: The potential for an increase in trade between the two countries, and the increase in investment from the construction of the project which he put at between £15 billion and £20 billion (a fraction of the £120 billion cost of the proposed bridge over the English Channel). By 2020, the British government had begun to officially undertake scoping into the possibility of an Irish Sea Bridge . In February 2021,

8829-553: The previous general election, was regained by Paul Sweeney of the Labour Party , who narrowly defeated sitting SNP MP Anne McLaughlin by 242 votes. Since the 2019 general election , Glasgow has been represented by 7 Scottish National Party MPs; the Glasgow North East constituency, was regained by Anne McLaughlin of the Scottish National Party , resulting in the same clean sweep like 4 years previously . In

8938-406: The project was a "stretch but doable". He cited the lack of "soft rock, the chalk and sandstone" as a challenge compared to the construction of the Channel Tunnel. He also suggested that the change in rail gauge between Ireland and Great Britain might pose further concerns. Such a project was considered by railway engineer Luke Livingston Macassey in the 1890s as "a rail link using either a tunnel,

9047-521: The rail line would be able to connect up with the rest of the UK's High-Speed rail network. On the Irish side the train would terminate in a new purpose-built station in Dublin. Although the tunnel would be longer than the length of the proposed Irish Sea Bridge , the water in this area is shallower, and there are less obstructions (such as Beaufort's Dyke). The tunnel would be 50 miles in length (approximately twice

9156-450: The regional vote, the Glasgow electoral region is represented by four Labour MSPs, two Conservative MSPs and one Green MSP. Following reform of constituencies of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom ( Westminster ) in 2005, which reduced the number of Scottish Members of Parliament (MPs), the current Westminster constituencies representing Glasgow are: Following the 2014 Scottish independence referendum , in which 53.49% of

9265-454: The responsibility of Scottish Water . Glasgow's population had surpassed that of Edinburgh by 1821. The development of civic institutions included the City of Glasgow Police in 1800, one of the first municipal police forces in the world. Despite the crisis caused by the City of Glasgow Bank 's collapse in 1878, growth continued and by the end of the 19th century it was one of the cities known as

9374-484: The rest of the United Kingdom. In the Referendum of 2014 turnout was 75%, the lowest in Scotland; in the Brexit referendum the city's voters, while joining the rest of Scotland in voting to remain part of the EU, again had a low turnout of 56.2%, although SNP MP Angus Robertson placed this in the historical context of traditional low turnout in Glasgow. In the 2015 general election, the six Scottish constituencies with

9483-419: The river from the city to that point was then too shallow for seagoing merchant ships. By the late 18th century more than half of the British tobacco trade was concentrated on the River Clyde, with over 47,000,000 lb (21,000 t) of tobacco being imported each year at its peak. At the time, Glasgow held a commercial importance as the city participated in the trade of sugar, tobacco and later cotton. From

9592-548: The same time. Glasgow became one of the first cities in Europe to reach a population of one million. The city's new trades and sciences attracted new residents from across the Lowlands and the Highlands of Scotland , from Ireland and other parts of Britain and from Continental Europe . During this period, the construction of many of the city's greatest architectural masterpieces and most ambitious civil engineering projects, such as

9701-493: The second *cöü , "hollow" (cf. Welsh glas-cau ), giving a meaning of "green-hollow". It is often said that the name means "dear green place" or that "dear green place" is a translation from Gaelic Glas Caomh . "The dear green place" remains an affectionate way of referring to the city. The modern Gaelic is Glaschu and derived from the same roots as the Brittonic. The settlement may have an earlier Brittonic name, Cathures ;

9810-490: The sewers, as part of a deal to allow them to tunnel under the city, and sewage treatment works were opened at Dalmarnoch in 1894, Dalmuir in 1904 and Shieldhall in 1910. The works experimented to find better ways to treat sewage, and a number of experimental filters were constructed, until a full activated sludge plant was built between 1962 and 1968 at a cost of £4 million. Treated sludge was dumped at sea, and Glasgow Corporation owned six sludge ships between 1904 and 1998, when

9919-487: The south of the River Clyde in 1846, obtained from reservoirs, which gave 75,000 people a constant water supply, but others were not so fortunate, and some 4,000 died in an outbreak of cholera in 1848/1849. This led to the development of the Glasgow Corporation Water Works , with a project to raise the level of Loch Katrine and to convey clean water by gravity along a 26 mi (42 km) aqueduct to

10028-515: The struggle against the poll tax ; which was introduced in Scotland a whole year before the rest of the United Kingdom and also served as the main base of the Scottish Socialist Party , another left-wing political party in Scotland. The city has not had a Conservative MP since the 1982 Hillhead by-election , when the SDP took the seat, which was in Glasgow's most affluent area. The fortunes of

10137-522: The tunnel; Bonar Law said the Select Committee on Transport could consider the matter. The Senate of Northern Ireland debated a North Channel Tunnel on 25 May 1954. In 1956 Harford Hyde , Unionist Westminster MP for North Belfast , raised a motion in the UK House of Commons for a tunnel across the North Channel. In 1980, John Biggs-Davison suggested European Economic Community involvement in

10246-522: The west of the city, in neighbouring Renfrewshire. Owing to its westerly position and proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, Glasgow is one of Scotland's milder areas. Winter temperatures are usually higher than in most places of equal latitude away from the UK, due to the warming influence of the Gulf Stream . However, this results in less distinct seasons as compared to continental Western Europe. At Paisley ,

10355-527: Was driven at considerable speed into the entrance of the main terminal building . This was the first time that a terrorist attack had targeted Scotland specifically, and was the second terrorist attack to occur in Scotland following the explosion of Pan Am Flight 103 over the town of Lockerbie in the Scottish Borders in December 1988. Immediately following the incident, a close link was established between

10464-590: Was a favourite haunt of privateers preying on British merchant shipping in wars until the 19th century; in 1778, during the American Revolutionary War , it was also the site of a naval duel between American captain John Paul Jones 's USS Ranger and the Royal Navy 's HMS Drake . It is crossed by many ferry services. In 1953, the channel was the scene of a serious maritime disaster, the sinking of

10573-414: Was abolished in 1996, since when the city has again been responsible for all aspects of local government, being one of the 32 council areas in Scotland. Despite its northerly latitude, similar to that of Moscow , Glasgow's climate is classified as oceanic ( Köppen Cfb ). Data is available online for 3 official weather stations in the Glasgow area: Paisley, Abbotsinch and Bishopton. All are located to

10682-509: Was announced that the entire proposal has been abandoned. It was also reported in February 2021 that a proposal was considered by the government relating to an underground roundabout to be built under the Isle of Man to link Liverpool , Heysham , Stranraer and Larne . The Hendy Review published in November 2021 which looked into the proposals claimed that the cost of the fixed link, in either

10791-520: Was authorised in 1815, built by Thomas Telford , and opened in 1826. Between 1886 and 1900, proposals for a link to Scotland were "seriously explored by engineers, industrialists, and Unionist politicians". In 1885, Irish Builder and Engineer said a tunnel under the Irish Sea had been discussed "for some time back". In 1890, engineer Luke Livingston Macassey outlined a Stranraer–Belfast link by tunnel, submerged "tubular bridge", or solid causeway. In 1897

10900-442: Was cut to 59, with new constituencies being formed, while the existing number of MSPs was retained at Holyrood. In the 2011 Scottish Parliament election , the boundaries of the Glasgow region were redrawn. Currently, the nine Scottish Parliament constituencies in the Glasgow electoral region are: At the 2021 Scottish Parliament election , all nine of these constituencies were won by Scottish National Party (SNP) candidates. On

11009-406: Was found in the reservoir at Milngavie, and so the new Milngavie water treatment works was built. It was opened by Queen Elizabeth in 2007, and won the 2007 Utility Industry Achievement Award, having been completed ahead of its time schedule and for £10 million below its budgeted cost. Good health requires both clean water and effective removal of sewage. The Caledonian Railway rebuilt many of

11118-505: Was in agriculture, brewing and fishing, with cured salmon and herring being exported to Europe and the Mediterranean. By the fifteenth century the urban area stretched from the area around the cathedral and university in the north down to the bridge and the banks of the Clyde in the south along High Street , Saltmarket and Bridgegate, crossing an east–west route at Glasgow Cross which became

11227-537: Was in the type of coronet over the arms. The area around Glasgow has hosted communities for millennia, with the River Clyde providing a natural location for fishing. The Romans later built outposts in the area and, to protect Roman Britannia from the Brittonic speaking ( Celtic ) Caledonians , constructed the Antonine Wall . Items from the wall, such as altars from Roman forts like Balmuildy , can be found at

11336-531: Was proposed by Wilson and Simon Hamilton , a former minister for the party in the Stormont administration . The idea has been further endorsed as a potential solution to boost the economies of Scotland and Northern Ireland after Brexit . The idea for a Scotland to Northern Ireland Bridge, sometimes branded in the press as the Celtic Crossing or Irish Sea Bridge , was revived in 2018, by Professor Alan Dunlop at

11445-447: Was purchased by the magistrates in 1641 and that bell is still on display in the People's Palace Museum, near Glasgow Green . The supporters are two salmon bearing rings, and the crest is a half length figure of Saint Mungo. He wears a bishop's mitre and liturgical vestments and has his hand raised in "the act of benediction ". The original 1866 grant placed the crest atop a helm, but this

11554-414: Was removed in subsequent grants. The current version (1996) has a gold mural crown between the shield and the crest. This form of coronet, resembling an embattled city wall, was allowed to the four area councils with city status. The arms were re-matriculated by the City of Glasgow District Council on 6 February 1975, and by the present area council on 25 March 1996. The only change made on each occasion

11663-410: Was substantially enlarged in 1891 to take in areas from both Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire where the urban area had grown beyond the old burgh boundary. In 1893, the burgh became its own county for lieutenancy and judicial purposes too, being made a county of itself . From 1975 to 1996 the city was part of Strathclyde Region , with the city's council becoming a lower-tier district council . Strathclyde

11772-603: Was the European Capital of Culture in 1990 and is notable for its architecture , culture , media , music scene , sports clubs and transport connections . It is the fifth-most-visited city in the United Kingdom. The city is also well known in the sporting world for football, particularly for the Old Firm rivalry. The name Glasgow is Brittonic in origin. The first element glas , meaning "grey-green, grey-blue" both in Brittonic , Scottish Gaelic and modern day Welsh and

11881-546: Was the next expansion being the grid-iron streets west of Buchanan Street riding up and over Blythswood Hill from 1800 onwards. The opening of the Monkland Canal and basin linking to the Forth and Clyde Canal at Port Dundas in 1795, facilitated access to the extensive iron-ore and coal mines in Lanarkshire . After extensive river engineering projects to dredge and deepen the River Clyde as far as Glasgow, shipbuilding became

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