I've never really thought about it....it was always 'just there' as I was growing up...but you've now made me think about it, and I've looked into it a bit more...
It's the 9th longest river in the UK and the 3rd longest in Scotland. It starts off narrow at its source, but begins to widen just southeast of Glasgow. By the time it gets to Greenock, it's near the end of the river, before it then merges into the "Firth of Clyde", so by that point it is a wider than average river.
I have attached a
link so you can see a map. The best map to view is the one titled "Tributaries of the River Clyde" - 3rd picture from the top on the right hand side. In that, you can see Greenock on the left, near the middle of the photo. Kilcreggan isn't mapped on there, but to give you an idea, it'd be directly across and slightly left, so you can see that is quite wide at that point.
The photo above the map I've directed you to, shows the River at Port Glasgow which is the adjoining town right next to Greenock - this is the point where it really widens out.
Thanks for asking so many questions - I never knew all that until this afternoon!
Brrrrrrrr.......
Aug 22 2009, 09:50 AM
It's a local newspaper, so he was probably saying it for the craic (to be funny). 
He should not have frightened poor foreigners so much… having mercy on their imagination...
he probably didn't think his comment would be read any further than Glasgow!
