A Scottish town near Glasgow could become home to the UK’s longest urban zipline.
The ambitious project – still in its early stages – is part of a plan to regenerate James Watt Dock, in the Inverclyde town of Greenock. The development would fill the heritage space with restaurants, businesses and residential areas.
A 150-ft tall Titan cantilever crane, used for fitting out ships, was built in 1917 and continues to loom over the dock. The giant structure is one of only four left in Scotland.
The regeneration plan earmarks the crane for supporting a zipline, which would be the longest urban example in the UK.
The project comes as part of the conditional sale of James Watt Dock’s waterfront site to Glasgow Arts Centre Limited.
The buildings are made up of historic sugar sheds, playing a huge part in Britain's import industry during the 19th century. Greenock's ports attracted up to 400 sugar trade ships every year.
Bradley Mitchell, director of Glasgow Arts Centre Limited, said the project aims to “connect Greenock to Glasgow through culture and heritage.”
Councillor Stephen McCabe, leader of Inverclyde Council, added: “This is a significant moment not just for the historic sugar sheds and iconic Titan Crane but for the ongoing regeneration of Inverclyde.
“I’m delighted to welcome Glasgow Arts Centre Ltd as the new owner of these famous landmarks, and their proposals to redevelop the site have the potential to create an exciting new attraction to encourage even more people, near and far, to discover Inverclyde and the many great things we have to offer.”
The development will take place in three stages, with ownership of each phase only transferred following the successful completion of the previous phase. That means the development of the zipline is conditional on the first steps going ahead as planned.
Planning for the sugar sheds development is expected to be submitted to Inverclyde Council in early autumn 2025.
The dock has been the subject of other previous redevelopment proposals, such as in 2020, when local politicians called for the sugar sheds to be redeveloped into a national museum focusing on Scotland’s historical links with slavery.
The longest zipline in Britain is Hangloose in Bluewater, Wales. The “sky-wire” is 724 metres long and reaches speeds of 60mph.
Read more: The best family adventure holidays in Europe
