Glen Line

The firm had its roots in the co-operation between the Gow and McGregor families in Glasgow in the 1850s.

Alan C Gow was a voyage broker, James McGregor organised the freight to fill the ships and by 1860 they were in partnership.

In 1867 Alan Gow had the sailing ship Estrella de Chile built to ply the route between Glasgow, Liverpool, and Chile via Cape Horn.

In 1922, the Glen Line opened its new building on the Bund in Shanghai.

The company lost two further ships to U-boat attacks in the Second World War.

A cigarette card showing the Glen Line funnel and flag colours
House Flag and Pennant of the Glen Line
The Glen Line Building at the Corner of Peking Road and the Bund, Shanghai, 1939
Glen Line building in Shanghai in 2014