Gourock
Coordinates: 55°57′N 4°49′W / 55.95°N 4.82°W
| Gourock | |
| Scottish Gaelic: Guireag | |
 Gourock
Gourock shown within Inverclyde |
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| OS grid reference | NS242770 |
|---|---|
| Council area | Inverclyde |
| Lieutenancy area | Renfrewshire |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | GOUROCK |
| Postcode district | PA19 |
| Dialling code | 01475 |
| Police | Scottish |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | Inverclyde |
| Scottish Parliament | Greenock and Inverclyde |
Gourock (
listen (help·info); Scottish Gaelic: Guireag, pimple-shaped or rounded, pronounced [kuɾʲak]; GOOR-uck) is a town falling within the Inverclyde council area and formerly forming a burgh of the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It has in the past functioned as a seaside resort on the Firth of Clyde. Its principal function today, however, is as a popular residential area, extending contiguously from Greenock, with a railway terminus and ferry services across the Clyde.
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History [edit]
As far back as 1494 it is recorded that James IV sailed from the shore at Gourock to quell the rebellious Highland clans. Two hundred years later William and Mary granted a Charter in favour of Stewart of Castlemilk which raised Gourock to a Burgh of Barony. In 1784 the lands of Gourock were purchased by Duncan Darroch, a former merchant in Jamaica. He built Gourock House near the site of the castle in what the family eventually gifted to the town as Darroch Park, later renamed by the council as Gourock Park.
From a small fishing village in the traditional county of Renfrewshire, Gourock grew into a community involved in herring curing, copper mining, ropemaking, quarrying and latterly yacht-building and repairing.
When the competing railway companies extended their lines to provide fast connections to Clyde steamer services the Pierhead was built as a railway terminus. Nowadays a Clyde Marine ferry serves Kilcreggan and Helensburgh, and electric trains provide a service to Glasgow from Gourock railway station at the pierhead. The David MacBrayne Ltd headquarters is at the pier, a passenger ferry service to Dunoon is run by their Argyll Ferries subsidiary. A car ferry service is run by Western Ferries from McInroy's Point on the west side of the town to Hunter's Quay to the north of Dunoon.
Like many Scottish seaside towns, Gourock's tourist heyday was in the latter half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th. Evidence of this part of its past is gradually disappearing - The Bay Hotel and Cragburn Pavilion and The Ashton, three local landmarks, disappeared towards the end of the last century. At the same time, Gourock has continued to expand along the coastline, almost to the Cloch lighthouse which overlooks Innellan on the western shore.
Within sight of Gourock, in the early hours of Friday 21 October 1825, PS Comet (II) was run into by the steamer Ayr, some 62 persons losing their lives.
Places of interest [edit]
Gourock boasts one of the two remaining public outdoor swimming pools in Scotland. Gourock Outdoor Pool was built in 1909 and reconstructed in 1969, it was once tidal and had a sandy floor, but is now a modern, heated facility, with cleaned sea water used in the saltwater pool. The pool was closed at the end of the 2010 summer season for a major improvement project, due to be completed before the end of 2011. The existing changing accommodation has been demolished and will be replaced with a more modern leisure centre, incorporating an enlarged gymnasium and lift access from the street level down to the new changing accommodation and the upgraded pool.[1]
The megalithic Kempock Stone, popularly known as "Granny Kempock Stone", stands on a cliff behind Kempock Street, the main shopping street. The supersition was that for sailors going on a long voyage or a couple about to be married, walking seven times around the stone would ensure good fortune. A flight of steps winds up from the street past the stone to Castle Mansions and St John's Church, whose crown steeple forms a landmark dominating Gourock. Kempock Street itself has a good variety of traditional shops including baker's and greengrocer's shops.
Gourock has two sailing clubs, Royal Gourock Yacht Club and Cardwell Bay Sailing Club, founded in 1906. These clubs provide social activities for members throughout the year and play host to competitive sailing during the summer mouths with many yachtsmen being members of both.
Gourock also has a golf course, which stretches from behind Trumpethill to Levan estates.
Clan Darroch [edit]
Clan Darroch's links with Gourock began in the later half of the 18th century with Duncan Darroch, 1st of Gourock, who had returned to Scotland after making a fortune in the West Indies. There is a story that as a lad, before leaving for Jamaica, he climbed into the garden of Gourock House to get apples from the orchard, and when chased out by the gardener said he would return to buy the estate with its orchard. He acquired the Barony of Gourock from the Stewarts of Castlemilk in 1784. He was also granted arms by the Court of the Lord Lyon and designated Chief of McIireich.[2]
The present head of the Scottish clan Darroch is titled Claire Darroch-Thompson, 8th of Gourock, Lady of the Barony of Gourock, following the death of her father, the late Duncan Darroch of Gourock on 1 February 2011.[3]
Industry [edit]
Gourock's principal industry, apart from tourism and fishing, was small craft repair and chandlery. An eponymous ropework opened in the town but later moved to Port Glasgow. More recently Amazon.com opened a distribution centre at Faulds Park, an industrial estate to the south of the town.
Areas of Gourock [edit]
Ashton, Cardwell Bay, Levan, McInroy's Point, Midton, Trumpethill
Photographs of Gourock [edit]
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Sunset view from Lyle Hill
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The Waverley in front of the old Bay Hotel
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Caledonian MacBrayne ferries at the pierhead
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Greengrocer's shop in Kempock Street
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Baker's shop in Kempock Street
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Ashton Front promenade
Notable residents [edit]
- Iain Banks (1954– ), author
- Charlie Barr (1864–1911), yachtsman and three-time America's Cup winner
- George Wyllie (1921–2012), artist
References [edit]
- ^ "Inverclyde Leisure - Gourock Outdoor Swimming Pool". Retrieved 2010-12-31. "Gourock's famous outdoor pool is now closed ahead of a massive £2 million refurbishment"
- ^ "History - Darroch Family Web Site". Retrieved 2011-02-06.
- ^ "Darroch of Gourock". The Daily Telegraph (London).
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gourock |
