INVERCLYDE

council area, west-central Scotland, lying entirely within the historic county of Renfrewshire. Inverclyde extends along the River Clyde and the Firth of Clyde on the north and encompasses an area of hills and valleys to the south. Its economy historically depended on docks, shipbuilding, and marine engineering at Port Glasgow, Greenock, and Gourock. These industries declined during the late 20th century, but the container port at Greenock sustained a local shipping and transport industry, and the local economy benefited from growing electronics manufacturing and service sectors. The banks of the Clyde are industrialized, but higher land to the west, where Creuch Hill rises to 1,446 feet (441 metres), is rural, with dairying and sheep farming. Greenock is the administrative centre. Area 61 square miles (158 square km). Pop. (1999 est.) 85,190.