Granny Kempock stands on a cliff behind Kempock Street in Gourock, reached by steps from the shopping street below. The stone is a grey mica schist menhir of uncertain origin, its surface carrying initials, symbols and later graffiti, while its name and stories have made it one of the most distinctive standing stones on the Clyde.
The site is not only archaeological. It has gathered traditions about luck, marriage, sailors, weather and witchcraft, and those stories sit beside a more cautious record: a prehistoric standing stone, later markings, a possible changed location, and a place where folklore has repeatedly attached itself to the physical object.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
The name
The stone is popularly known as Granny Kempock, perhaps because its shape was thought to resemble an old woman.
History
The stone's origin is indeterminate, though the 1880 Notes about Gourock described it as a Bronze Age standing stone dating from about 2000 BC. Other suggestions in the pack treat it as an old altar to Baal or as a memorial to an ancient battle, but these are presented as traditions or proposals rather than secure facts.
Over time the stone became known as the Lang Stane of Gourock, more familiarly Granny Kempock. Reverend D. Macrae wrote in 1880 that it had for many centuries been regarded with superstitious awe and reverence, especially in connection with marriage, winds and the sea.
In 1662 Marie Lamont and other local women were burned to death in the area after allegations that she and her coven had danced around the stone on the sabbath. The accusation said they intended to curse and sink ships passing through the Clyde by casting the long-stone into the sea.
The stone also preserves later human marks. Some appear to be 17th- to 19th-century graffiti, many of them initials, while other unexplained symbols resemble modern navigation marks and may be mason's marks.
A small hole, about 2 cm across, exists at the bottom of the stone. The pack notes that if it goes all the way through, it could suggest the stone had been moved or used as an anchor stone or counterweight, and its current position has led to suggestions that it may originally have stood elsewhere.
In 1987 the children's fantasy television series Shadow of the Stone dramatized the witchcraft element of the story. Written by Catherine Lucy Czerkawska, it starred Shirley Henderson and Alan Cumming, with scenes filmed in and around Gourock.
People
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Marie Lamont
Marie Lamont was one of the local women burned to death in 1662 after allegations connected with dancing around the stone.
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Reverend D. Macrae
Reverend D. Macrae described the stone and its associated traditions in Notes about Gourock, published in 1880.
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Catherine Lucy Czerkawska
Catherine Lucy Czerkawska wrote the 1987 children's fantasy series Shadow of the Stone.
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Shirley Henderson
Shirley Henderson starred in Shadow of the Stone as a young girl spiritually connected with Marie Lamont.
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Alan Cumming
Alan Cumming appeared in Shadow of the Stone as the young girl's boyfriend.
Connections
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Kempock Street
The stone stands on a cliff behind Kempock Street, Gourock's main shopping street.
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Gourock Castle
The pack suggests the stone may possibly have formed part of a larger structure, perhaps nearby Gourock Castle, though this is not confirmed.
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River Clyde
The witchcraft allegation connected the stone with attempts to curse shipping passing through the Clyde.
In culture
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Shadow of the Stone
The 1987 children's fantasy television series Shadow of the Stone dramatized the witchcraft element of the Granny Kempock story and filmed scenes in and around Gourock.
What to look for
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Grey mica schist
The menhir is made of grey mica schist.
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Graffiti and initials
Some marks on the stone appear to be 17th- to 19th-century graffiti, with many visible initials.
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Unexplained symbols
Other markings resemble modern navigation marks and may be mason's marks, though their purpose is unclear.
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Small basal hole
A 2 cm hole at the bottom of the stone may be significant if it passes through the stone, though the pack does not confirm this.
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Iron archway and steps
A decorative iron archway sits above the passageway leading up to the stone from Kempock Street.
What is said
Folklore and tradition, recorded as what is said — not as established fact.
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Seven circuits for luck
Local superstition is said to hold that sailors before a long voyage, or couples about to be married, could gain good fortune by walking seven times around the stone.
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Sailors and the sea
Reverend D. Macrae recorded a tradition that sailors and fishermen would take sand from the shore and walk seven times around Granny Kempock while chanting to seek a safe and prosperous voyage.
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Baal altar tradition
The pack records a suggestion that the Kempock Stone marked the site of an altar to Baal in Druid times, but this is presented as tradition rather than established archaeology.
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Witchcraft allegation
In the 1662 allegations, Marie Lamont and other women were said to have danced around the stone and sought to sink shipping by casting it into the sea.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 55.9614°N · 4.8198°W
- Access
- Reached on a public path
- Terrain
- Moderate walking
Opening & admission
The pack does not mention admission; check local information before visiting.
- A flight of steps winds up to the stone from Kempock Street below.
- The stone stands on a cliff behind Kempock Street.
- A decorative iron archway marks the passageway leading up to the stone.
Nearby places
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Inverclyde
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Questions people ask
- Where is Granny Kempock Stone?
- It stands on a cliff behind Kempock Street, the main shopping street in Gourock, Inverclyde.
- What is the stone made of?
- The pack describes the megalithic stone as grey mica schist and says its origin is indeterminate.
- Why is it called Granny Kempock?
- The popular name may come from the stone's resemblance to an old woman.
- What traditions are linked to the stone?
- Traditions recorded in the pack include walking seven times around the stone for good fortune before marriage or a long voyage, plus stories about sailors, winds and the sea.
- Was Granny Kempock Stone used in television?
- The 1987 children's fantasy series Shadow of the Stone dramatized the witchcraft element of the story and filmed scenes in and around Gourock.
Sources
- Wikipedia article
- Wikidata
- Macrae, Rev. David, Notes About Gourock
- Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland
- The Shadow of The Stone
Explore more: Tomb or burial places · Prehistoric · Inverclyde
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