industrial town, West Dunbartonshire council area, historic county of Dunbartonshire, west-central Scotland. It lies on the northern bank of the River Clyde northwest of Glasgow. The town thrived during the 19th and early 20th centuries as a shipbuilding and heavy engineering centre. It suffered heavily from German bombing during World War II, and the collapse of its shipbuilding and other heavy industries in the decades after the war caused economic hardship. A partial economic revival began toward the end of the 20th century. The shipyard responsible for the great Cunard liners, culminating with the Queen Elizabeth II (1967), now manufactures offshore oil-drilling rigs and related equipment, and Clydebank supports pharmaceutical and financial service sectors. Pop. (2004 est.) 29,610.