Helensburgh Hotels and Guest Houses

Though there are many gorgeous counties in Scotland, many will argue that Argyll and Bute is home to the most lush landscapes and picturesque scenery. While this debatable, there is one shining gem that Argyll and Bute has that no other part of Scotland can claim: The lovely town of Helensburgh. Resting on the northern part of the Firth of Clyde, Helensburgh is surrounded by rolling hills and sweeping skylines. Curiously, though, Helensburgh is not as old as some of the downright ancient cities that make up the United Kingdom. In a nation where many of the towns date back to the days of Roman roads and Saxon castles, Helensburgh is a bit of a baby having been born in 1776. This may not make it one of the most antiquated cities in the country but it does give the city a very powerful twin that shares its age on the other side of the world.

At any rate, Helensburgh was founded by one Sir Ian Colquhoun who hailed from the town of Luss. Colquhoun had the foresight to install spas in the town which by all accounts was a very forward-thinking move. Within a few short years the "spa town" would become all the rage for the aristocracy of big cities like London and Birmingham and this period of history in fact helped to shape the nation as we know it. By the early 1800s nearly any town that had natural springs was famous around the country and each town that became a spa town saw its fortunes grow tremendously. Helensburgh quickly exploded in popularity and soon hotels and resorts could be found all over. The spa town craze didn't last for too long in the United Kingdom, though. Within a few years a new attraction would steal away the money of the powerful aristocracy: Seaside resort towns. This, however, is our true indication of the brilliance of Colquhoun. He saw that spa towns were about to boom but even during this boom he set about crafting the coast of Helensburgh and thus made one of the first seaside resort towns in the country long before the idea was even in vogue.

By the 1800s Helensburgh was on its way to glory. Steamboats brought in all kinds of wealthy socialites and railways allowed even people with modest means to revel in the splendor of the town. During this time, however, Scotland saw the massive growth of one of its most important cities: Glasgow. Glasgow shot to major prominence throughout the years leading up to today and its proximity to Helensburgh eventually made it so the latter was a stopping off point of sorts for the former. These days Helensburgh is known as a gateway town via railways to Glasgow but people who really know the history of Scotland know that Helensburgh is just as worthy as Glasgow in every way imaginable. Next time you step foot in Helensburgh be sure to remember that without it the Scotland we know now may have never existed.

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The Helensburgh Tourist Board gives comparable information to this page. If you require more information about Helensburgh, you may be able to obtain it from the Helensburgh Tourist Board.

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