A Castle in the Sky

Dumbarton Castle from the west, interior portcullis, looking east up the Clyde

AnElephantCant tell you how much fun he has
When he visits Dumbarton Castle
It sits high on a rock
It is quite a walk
It most certainly is worth the hassle

This volcanic plug is shaped like AnElephant
A fact he shares with no little pride
The head is the lump
Sitting high over the bum buttock rump
With panoramic views over the loch and the Clyde

To the east lies the city of Glasgow
Which you see over the Erskine Bridge
Museums art galleries
Restaurants with high calories
You find that more than your soul is enriched

Westward the Irish Sea and Atlantic
Before that the river widens out to a Firth*
With its sea lochs then Arran
With Goatfell so barren
And Bute the loveliest spot on this earth

Looking east from the head across the rump towards Glasgow, defensive position, west towards the Atlantic

To the north is the beautiful Lomond
With its Ben at the faraway end
The Leven flows down
And snakes through the town
Meeting the Clyde with a clever u-bend

The castle has seen occasional trouble
AnElephant is not having a laugh
Its key situation
Proves its worth to the nation
Under attack from the Vikings and then the Luftwaffe

The first residents did trade with the Romans
Legend says Merlin hung out at this spot
There is a prison for holding
The troops of Napoleon
And it was once home to Mary Queen of Scots

Its history is certainly quite varied
The cannon leave a poor Elephant deafened
Strategically placed
Something for each taste
And the views are like looking on heaven

*Firth – Estuary

North across Dumbarton to Ben Lomond, down the Clyde, the French Prison