27:
19:
157:
105:. There is also a 2 cm (¾") hole at the bottom of the stone. It is not known if this hole goes all the way through the stone, but if it does, this could point to the stone having been moved at some point or used as perhaps an anchor stone or counterweight. Given the stone's current location it has been suggested that the stone's original location may have been elsewhere.
143:
It was chiefly in connection with the winds and sea that the
Kempock Stane was regarded with superstitious dread... sailors and fishermen were we... to take a basketful of sand from the shore and walk seven times round Granny Kempock, chanting a weird song to insure for themselves a safe and
72:, or a memorial to an ancient battle. Supposedly there is a superstition 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 to the stone from Kempock Street below.
139:
However that may be, The
Kempock Stane was for many centuries an object of superstitious awe and reverence... Marriages in the District were not regarded as lucky unless the wedded pair passed round the 'lang stane', and obtained in this way Granny Kempock's blessing...
101:
but it is unclear why someone would claim artistry on an irregularly shaped piece of stone with no apparent working, unless of course it originally formed part of a larger structure, perhaps nearby
221:
136:
This is the famous 'Lang Stane' of
Gourock, more familiarly spoken of as 'Granny Kempock'... It is supposed that the Kempock Stone marks the site in Druid times of an altar to Baal...
205:
97:
and most are obviously initials. Alongside some of these initials are some as yet unexplained symbols or markings which resemble modern-day navigation marks. These may be
309:
319:
324:
329:
227:
270:
211:
314:
45:(perhaps because of its resemblance to an old woman), stands on a cliff behind Kempock Street, the main shopping street in
83:
had danced around the stone on the sabbath, with the intention of cursing and sinking shipping that passed through the
115:
79:
and a group of other local women were burned to death in the local area after it was alleged that she and her
26:
102:
110:
122:
in the role of a young girl, who has some kind of spiritual connection with Marie Lamont, and
119:
334:
162:
93:
A number of markings exist on the stone. Some of these appear to be 17th- to 19th-century
98:
31:
243:
The third statistical account of
Scotland: the county of Renfrew and the county of Bute
18:
303:
170:
123:
76:
245:. Moisley, H A and Thain, A G, Somerville, A C and Stevenson, W, Glasgow, 136-7.
84:
262:
152:
38:
285:
272:
90:
A decorative iron archway sits above the passageway leading up to the stone.
94:
64:
and of indeterminate origin, but it has been suggested that it is an old
50:
248:
46:
129:
In "Notes about
Gourock", published 1880, Reverend D. Macrae writes:
61:
54:
80:
65:
25:
17:
69:
58:
126:
as her boyfriend. Scenes were filmed in and around
Gourock.
30:
Granny
Kempock Stone - detail of graffiti showing possible
133:"A Bronze Age standing stone dating from about 2000bc.
75:
There is also an association with witchcraft. In 1662
118:
dramatises the witchcraft element. The series stars
8:
210:, Edinburgh: Andrew Elliot, archived from
263:Video footage of the Granny Kempock Stone
198:Ordnance gazetteer of Scotland, Edinburgh
87:by casting the long-stone into the sea.
182:
310:Buildings and structures in Inverclyde
200:, 763, 3rd - Groome, F H (ed.) (1903 )
7:
108:A 1987 children's fantasy TV series
41:Kempock Stone, popularly known as
14:
320:Tourist attractions in Inverclyde
189:OS Ref (GB): NS240778 / Sheet: 63
325:Megalithic monuments in Scotland
223:The History of Gourock 1858-1958
155:
330:Scheduled monuments in Scotland
1:
238:, 69-70, Snoddy, T G (1950 )
232:(Inverclyde Council website)
216:(Inverclyde Council website)
204:Macrae, Rev. David (1880),
351:
116:Catherine Lucy Czerkawska
250:The Shadow of The Stone
315:Witchcraft in Scotland
146:
34:
23:
220:Milne, Colin (1958),
131:
29:
21:
236:Round about Greenock
22:Granny Kempock Stone
282: /
207:Notes About Gourock
144:prosperous voyage."
111:Shadow of the Stone
286:55.9614°N 4.8198°W
35:
24:
120:Shirley Henderson
68:to the pagan god
342:
297:
296:
294:
293:
292:
291:55.9614; -4.8198
287:
283:
280:
279:
278:
275:
231:
226:, archived from
215:
190:
187:
165:
160:
159:
158:
53:. The stone, or
350:
349:
345:
344:
343:
341:
340:
339:
300:
299:
290:
288:
284:
281:
276:
273:
271:
269:
268:
259:
230:on 16 June 2013
219:
214:on 16 June 2013
203:
194:
193:
188:
184:
179:
163:Scotland portal
161:
156:
154:
151:
12:
11:
5:
348:
346:
338:
337:
332:
327:
322:
317:
312:
302:
301:
266:
265:
258:
257:External links
255:
254:
253:
246:
239:
233:
217:
201:
192:
191:
181:
180:
178:
175:
174:
173:
167:
166:
150:
147:
103:Gourock Castle
43:Granny Kempock
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
347:
336:
333:
331:
328:
326:
323:
321:
318:
316:
313:
311:
308:
307:
305:
298:
295:
264:
261:
260:
256:
252:
251:
247:
244:
241:TSA (1962 b)
240:
237:
234:
229:
225:
224:
218:
213:
209:
208:
202:
199:
196:
195:
186:
183:
176:
172:
171:Grannie stone
169:
168:
164:
153:
148:
145:
141:
137:
134:
130:
127:
125:
121:
117:
113:
112:
106:
104:
100:
99:mason's marks
96:
91:
88:
86:
82:
78:
73:
71:
67:
63:
60:
56:
52:
48:
44:
40:
33:
32:mason's marks
28:
20:
16:
267:
249:
242:
235:
228:the original
222:
212:the original
206:
197:
185:
142:
138:
135:
132:
128:
124:Alan Cumming
109:
107:
92:
89:
77:Marie Lamont
74:
42:
36:
15:
289: /
114:written by
304:Categories
274:55°57′41″N
177:References
57:, is grey
39:megalithic
277:4°49′11″W
149:See also
95:graffiti
51:Scotland
335:Gourock
47:Gourock
62:schist
55:menhir
85:Clyde
81:coven
66:altar
70:Baal
59:mica
37:The
306::
49:,
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
