The charity said its” ambitious” proposal should equal those successful attractions like the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the Titanic in Belfast and the V&A in Dundee, putting the Clyde even more on the tourist map and provide much needed employment in the local communities.

The Trust’s mission statement explains: “The great industrial achievements of the River Clyde in steam propulsion, engineering and shipbuilding are widely known not just in the UK but around the world.

“Despite this, there is no single location on the river where this world-class story can be told. The time has come to acknowledge the vision of those who established these industries, of the innovation central to their success and to the individual contribution made by hundreds of thousands of men and women over many decades who toiled through good times and bad to manufacture remarkable products and make the name Clydebuilt synonymous with excellence.

“The Ship Yard Trust has been formed to focus attention on these achievements and engage with all parties to formulate a strategy that permanently acknowledges this outstanding industrial heritage.”

Early thoughts are being collected at www.theshipyard.scot and the Trust is also seeking feedback, support and suggestions to contact@theshipyard.scot.

Gil Paterson, the chair of the Ship Yard Trust, said worldwide interest is expected to be generated.

“The Clyde’s past is a fantastic, untapped asset and coupled with what Clydeside is engaged in now and into the future, the trust wants to bring together and showcase this to the world, we can then celebrate our past and help pioneer our future,” Gil added.

Ian Mackay, board member and chartered surveyor, said: “When I visited the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao a few years ago it became apparent to me that the building had changed the fortunes of that deindustrialised post- shipbuilding town to the extent it was now the place to visit with tourism and local jobs thriving. Then I thought on the Clyde we have a much bigger shipbuilding and engineering story to tell but we’ve nowhere to tell it so why don’t we build our own as part of the reinvigoration of Clydeside.”