the harbour and surrounding area became an area heavily blighted by industrial waste even long after some of the industries were gone. there was a waste bing known by the locals as 'the blue billy' due to the colour of the waste there. during world war ii a royal observer corps watchtower was sited here giving a wide overall view of the firth of clyde. it is also credited with the first visual sighting of rudolf hess's messerschmitt bf 110 in 1941.