Gourock
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| Town | |
 Gourock Bay | |
  Gourock Location withinInverclyde | |
| Population | 10,210 (2022)[1] |
| OS grid reference | NS 24200 77000 |
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| Lieutenancy area |
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| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | GOUROCK |
| Postcode district | PA19 |
| Dialling code | 01475 |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
| 55°57′14″N4°49′02″W / 55.953763°N 4.8173176°W /55.953763; -4.8173176 | |
Gourock (/ˈɡʊərək/ ⓘGOOR-ək;Scottish Gaelic:Guireag[ˈkuɾʲak]) is a town in theInverclydecouncil area and formerly aburgh of theCounty of Renfrew in the west ofScotland. It was aseaside resort on the East shore of the upperFirth of Clyde. Its main function today is as a residential area, extending contiguously fromGreenock, with a railway terminus and ferry services across the Clyde.
The name Gourock comes from a Gaelic word for "pimple", in reference to the hill above the town.[2] As far back as 1494 it is recorded thatJames IV sailed from the shore at Gourock to quell the rebellious Highlandclans. Two hundred years laterWilliam and Mary granted a Charter in favour of Stewart ofCastlemilk which raised Gourock to aBurgh of Barony. In 1784 the lands of Gourock were purchased by Duncan Darroch, a former merchant inJamaica. 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.[3]
From a small fishing village in thetraditional county ofRenfrewshire, Gourock grew into a community involved inherring curing,coppermining, ropemaking, quarrying and latterly yacht-building and repairing. Within sight of Gourock, in the early hours of 21 October 1825,PS Comet (II) was run into by the steamerAyr, some 62 people losing their lives.[4]
When the competing railway companies extended their lines to provide fast connections toClyde steamer services thePierhead was built as a railway terminus. Nowadays a passenger ferry servesKilcreggan and electric trains provide a service toGlasgow fromGourock railway station at the pierhead. TheDavid MacBrayne Ltd headquarters is at the pier, andCalMac run a passenger ferry service toDunoon. A car ferry service is run byWestern Ferries fromMcInroy's Point on the west side of the town toHunter's Quay to the north of Dunoon.[5]
Like many Scottish seaside towns, Gourock's tourist heyday was in the latter half of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth. Evidence of this part of its past is gradually disappearing - The Bay Hotel andCragburn 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, with new estates above the medievalCastle Levan which has been restored and is in use as abed and breakfast. Further development is taking place, though a short stretch of green belt still separates the town from theCloch lighthouse which looks out over the firth toInnellan in Argyll.[6]
Gourock has one of the three 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, now completed. The existing changing accommodation was demolished and 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.[7]
Themegalithic Kempock Stone, popularly known as "Granny Kempock Stone", stands on a cliff behind Kempock Street. The superstition 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, whosecrown steeple forms a landmark dominating Gourock.[8]
Kempock Street is the main shopping street, and has a variety of shops including a small supermarket, art and gift shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs. At the north end of the street, a statue of a "Girl on a Suitcase" withbucket and spade at her side, popularly known as "Wee Annie", commemorates the town's past as a seaside resort and setting-off point. She looks out over the pier whereClyde steamers took holidaymakers "doon the watter". The statue was created by Angela Hunter as part of a public art project commissioned by Riverside Inverclyde in 2011.[9]
Gourock also has a golf course, which stretches from behind Trumpethill to Levan estates. TheMunicipal Buildings in Shore Street, which are now used as a business centre, were completed in 1924.[10]
Gourock has a large yacht club named the Royal Gourock Yacht Club. Situated on Ashton Road at the junction of Victoria Road, it was known as Gourock Sailing Club when it was founded in 1894. It became Gourock Yacht Club in 1900, and acquired Royal status in 1908.[11]
Clan Darroch's links with Gourock began in the later half of the 18th century with Duncan Darroch, 1st of Gourock, who had returned toScotland after making a fortune in theWest Indies. There is a story that as a lad, before leaving forJamaica, 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 theStewarts of Castlemilk in 1784. He was also granted arms by theCourt of the Lord Lyon and designated Chief of McIireich.[12]
The present head of theScottish 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.[13]
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Gourock's principal industry, apart from tourism and fishing, was small craft repair andchandlery. An eponymous ropework opened in the town but later moved to Port Glasgow. More recentlyAmazon.com opened a distribution centre at Faulds Park, an industrial estate to the south of the town. The Amazon building was originally occupied by Mimtec who manufactured PC products in high volumes for IBM which closed in 2023.[14]
The promenade at Ashton forms part of the Inverclyde Coastal Path.[15]
McInroy's Point is a small peninsula to the west of the town. Around 1973, a pier was constructed here to form the departure point for Western Ferries. The port has since been expanded and now incorporates two floating ramps. The port is a terminus for the service toHunters Quay, near Dunoon on theCowal peninsula, on the western shore of the upperFirth of Clyde.[5][16]
| Preceding station | Ferry | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminus | Western Ferries Ferry | Hunters Quay |
The area was the home of the Drumshantie Rifle Range in the late 19th century. It was developed in the mid-20th century as a series ofprefabs (pre-fabricated houses) which were built on part of the "Tower Hill" as a temporary response to the post-war housing shortage.[17]
Trumpethill is a residential area situated between Midton and Levan and lies to the north of Gourock Golf Club, which stretches all the way behind to the back of Levan.[18]
Gourock's famous outdoor pool is now closed ahead of a massive £2 million refurbishment
Media related toGourock at Wikimedia Commons| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mrl0O_QXtwU |
Video by Gourockguy
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