West Dunbartonshire (Scots: Wast Dunbairtonshire; Scottish Gaelic: Siorrachd Dhùn Breatann an Iar, pronounced [ˈʃirˠəxk ɣumˈpɾʲɛʰt̪ɪɲ ə ɲiəɾ]) is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. The area lies to the west of the City of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's commuter towns and villages. West Dunbartonshire also borders Argyll and Bute, East Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire and Stirling.The area was formed on 1 April 1996 from part of the former Strathclyde Region, namely the entire district of Clydebank, and the Dumbarton district less the Helensburgh area. In the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 that created the council area its name was Dumbarton and Clydebank; however the council, elected as a shadow authority in 1995, resolved to change the name of the area to West Dunbartonshire.The West Dunbartonshire area is essentially composed of three parts: the towns of Clydebank, Dumbarton and the Vale of Leven District. The council is administered from 16 Church Street in Dumbarton (the old Dumbarton Burgh Hall), although Clydebank is the largest town.
