The town of Gourock achieved some prominence when it became the home base of the Caledonian Steam Packet Co.’s operations on the Clyde around 1889. Before then it was a bathing resort, much frequented by the population of Paisley from where, when the pennies were short, the inhabitants could use Shank’s pony to reach the sea shore. Descriptions of the town appear in early guides to the Clyde including Lumsden’s “Steamboat Companion” of 1820:—

“Having left Greenock, many neat villas are seen on the left along the shore; and, at a short distance, a small battery to protect the town. About 2 miles from Greenock, is the village of Gourock, resorted to, in summer, as bathing quarters; and above which stands the House of Gourock, Darroch; on the east side of the bay is a whin dyke running into the sea. Here are some mines which formerly produced copper and fluor spar, but are not now wrought.” Interestingly, the description did not change in the twenty years or so that new editions were produced.

In the “Salt-Water Gazette” published in 1835, an essay by John Guy, the Helensburgh Steam-boat porter, has heard that “that stupid body, Bauldy, the Gourock bellman,” is to be a correspondent to the paper and notes that “every child knoweth that Gourock, from time immemorial, has been frequented only by Paisley bodies—a generation never overly famed for their wealth; while Helensburgh hath ever been renowned as the summer howf of the magnates of Glasgow.”

The Paisley bodies were not altogether esteemed for their good sense and in the “Laird of Logan,” we are related the story of two Paisley men or corks and their “Obedient Wives.” “Two corks, newly sprung into affluence, were prevailed upon by their wives to allow them to pay a visit to Gourock; but only on condition that they were to employ their time well, and take plenty of the salt-water. Having accompanied their spouses to that village, and seen them properly accommodated, the two gentlemen returned to business, and did not appear again for a week, when observing a surprising apparent decrease in the volume of the ocean, owing to the recess of the tide, one remarked to the other, “Gosh Jamie, the jauds ha’e dune weel!”

An early engraving of Gourock (Banks & Co.)

Another interesting account is to be found in a little gem of a book that collected essays from the “Glasgow Constitutional” entitled “Watering Places.”

“Gourock.—June 6, 1840.

“Like most of the other beautiful watering-places on our coast, Gourock was not altogether made by steam. Long before steam-boats were in use, Gourock used to be the favourite resort of both Glasgow and Greenock folks: and, notwithstanding all the changes, and all the ups and downs it has had in the way of popularity during the summer months, we have still an old fondness for the locality. No other place is so easily got at—no other place is more rich in everything comfortable—from the delightful caller fish, yea mackerel, of a morning for breakfast, to a tumbler of Jenny Main’s cold punch in the afternoon, with splendid water from the Boar-well, and whisky from Glen Ant! And then the delightful walks, if people choose to take them.—But we must say a word to the natives in the east end of the town. It is strange how the west end everywhere conveys an idea of wealth and respectability. So it is at Gourock; but if the householders of the east end would look a little more to their own comfort, they would perhaps find it for their interest. As there are many good houses in the east end, we would seriously advise the proprietors to have them well whitewasher in the outside, clean in the inside, and, especially, to allow no permanent soil stations to occupy the front of their doors. Let them but attend to this, and we will insure the constant and speedy occupancy of all their houses. The west end lodgings are too expensive for tradesmen, but respectable people of that class, nowadays, have some feeling of cleanliness and decency as well as their more prosperous neighbours, and why should they be treated to an ash-pit before their door, when a green plot could be so readily substituted? We trust this hint will be taken as it is intended. There is immense room for improvement on the fronts of the Gourock houses in the quarter complained of,—those houses will go out of date and repute altogether if something is not done; but we will take in hand, almost in the course of a year, to alter and amend the line from the quay eastward, so as to make it just one of the prettiest spots on the whole coast. Whitewash the houses, as we have said,—make a thorough cleaning before the doors, and plant shrubbery and flowers instead—and the work is done. When that is performed there will be no houses to let, we warrant, any more than at some of the other watering places on the coast. At present, there are many families of the first merchants in Glasgow residing about Ashton, and in that direction.

“Amongst the beautifully situated houses on the shore at Gourock, we may mention those of Mrs. Crooks, (Levan House,) with the old Castle in the vicinity, forming a fine object. Next come those of Mrs. M‘Inroy, Mr. Rankine, Mr. Peter Cumming, Mr. Zollier, Mr. Bentley, and Mr. Pritchard. We have likewise the comfortable houses of Ashton—Mr. Drury has here as rare a collection of articles of vertu, paintings, and engravings, as we have before seen. And though last not least, there is the finely situated ad very neat cottage of Clydemount, Mr. Allan. From the seat at the summit of Mr. Allan’s ground a splendid spot for two or three seasons back.

“The Minister of Gourock, the Rev. Mr. M‘Leod, has endeared himself to everybody by the devoted attention he pays to his people. We heard a gentleman lately declare that he had lived for twenty-six years in Glasgow, and had never been visited by any clergyman; while, during the short period he had been in Gourock, a sick-bed in his house had been attended by this worthy man with all the devotion of a tender father and a Christian minister. Dr. Crawford is also spoken of for his skill and attention, and, we believe, with great justice.

“We would advise the Bellman to be more cautious in taking orders for “cries” from silly people who consider themselves clever. Some of his advertisements are very improper.

“The climate of Gourock, as well as that of Rothesay, is peculiarly mild; and evergreens are frequently to be seen in a splendid state of luxuriance in the depth of winter.

“Visitors to Gourock should not fail to take a look at the fine whin quarry at the back of the village. It is one of the best we have seen; and besides abundance of splendid blocks for rail-roads, hundreds of vessel loads have been carried off to causeway the streets of Glasgow, as well as those of Demerara! For the geologist there are many rarities to be got in the rocks of this quarry, and we have gathered some fine specimens of fluor spar, as we believe they call it, and other chuckies, for that prince of borers Mr. John Craig, mineralogist to the Town Council of Glasgow, when he chooses to call. The quarryman also promised very faithfully, that should he discover any frogs in a state of hybernation embedded in the whin, or even a petrified cow, that he would send it to this office for presentation to the Society for the promotion of everything—and everything else—which meets in Glasgow in September next.

“Very much has been spoken, but very little written, regarding the shameful desecration of “Granny Kempoch.” Be it known unto all strangers, that Granny is a large upright stone, evidently a Druidical remain, and that she stood erect on a fine green eminence for two thousand years, or more. In modern times none ever visited Gourock without taking a seat on the beautiful green knoll, and paying their devoirs to the old matron, on whose sides, and back, and head, and eyes, there were inscribed the initials of preceding generations, who thus endeavoured to render their names immortal! We must say that Granny has not been protected as she ought to have been, and as she would have been had she stood in any place where old recollections are venerated. She is now shut up betwixt stone walls, close by the side of a dead dyke. Granny’s pride of place and antiquity is departed. No one now pays her a visit, and if care is not taken she will very soon tumble over into the quarry below, thus proving the mutability of all things animate and inanimate—Grannies of whin as well as of clay!

“Those who visit Gourock for a day, and spend most of the morning in bed—or never go farther than M‘Inroy Point, know little of the exquisite beauties of the shore below! The walk from Gourock to Innerkip and Largs is not exceeded by any other in Britain! What splendid natural situations for villas betwixt Ashton and the point above alluded to. Here there are four or five magnificent natural crescents formed by the rock, and looking over to Loch Long, each of them fitted for the setting down of a Royal Palace! General Darroch, who is a sound Conservative, and was a companion in arms of the immortal Wellington, seems to be more of a lover of his species than of rocks and trees; and his ground is consequently fast covering with houses. What a pity that some of the “great friends of the people” are not imbued with an equal quantum of the milk of human kindness! Surely it should be more consonant to every one’s feelings to see the sea-shore studded with the mansions of our princely merchants and their families (from whence, in the stillness of a summer evening, the hymn of a mother’s devotion, or the chastened music of her young family might be heard,) than to have it covered with shrubs and trees, and birds and rabbits! It is, to be sure, just a question betwixt the finest descriptions of animate and inanimate creation; but, although great admirers of the beautiful in still life—of trees, and rocks, and ivy—we would certainly prefer “happy homes,” occupied by fathers, and mothers, and chubby children, with their virtuous, lovely, and loving daughters! Let us hope that the young heir to the house of Stewart may turn out a good Tory, and then we shall have the sore decorated as our wishes indicate. There are some fine situations for an accommodation quay in the spot alluded to.

“Proceeding downwards, the other day, from Gourock, in company with a friend, we were surprised to see before us her Majesty’s Mail for Dunoon, carried by a boy, walking along at a snail’s pace, who ever and anon laid his bag down on the road, until he went to take a drink at the nearest spring. When asked the reason for such recklessness, the post replied, “they are only penny letters,—what about it!” This is nearly as bad as the method of conveying the mail betwixt Inverary and Cairndow, where it is hurled in a wheel-barrow—the distance being ten miles! What do the conducteurs of the railway mail train betwixt Liverpool and London think of this?

“We take a bet of a dinner and claret for eight, the favourite party of George IV., the most finished gentleman of his day, that not one among twenty who visit Gourock on a Saturday, sleep half of Sunday, and return on Monday to their labour, know that within three or four miles of the spot where they are somnambulating, there is a most splendid portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte, for which £3,000 has been refused,—as also a bottle of wine, undrawn, taken from his carriage at Waterloo; with a cocked hat, perforated by a ball, worn in many of the battles fought by that wonderful man! Yet true it is and of verity.—After walking along the lovely shore we have been attempting to describe, we ultimately landed at the commodious Inn of Innerkip, (one of the prettiest villages in Scotland.) On partaking of the excellent cheer of the jolly and good-humoured landlord, Mr. Main, we passed a fine stream, filled with large trout, and proceeded through the lovely policies to Ardgowan. Here we saw the exquisite rarities alluded to, amongst other splendid works of vertu. The portrait of Bonaparte is a most astonishing piece. It was painted by Lefevre, and is noticed as follows:—“This portrait of the Emperor Napoleon, 1813, was painted for his mother, and presented to Sir Michael Shaw Stewart, at Rome, 1818.” Near the cocked hat, which is contained in a glass case, there is the following inscription:—“This hat was worn by the Emperor Napoleon during the whole campaign of 1807, in the battle of Eylau and Friedland, and at the Treaty of Tilsit. It was struck by a ball at the battle of Friedland, which induced his servant to preserve it, and leave it under the care of his uncle the keeper of the Palace of Dresden, from whom I got it—M. S. Stewart.” The bottle of wine is contained in a wicker basket. On the side of the bottle, surrounded by a device, there is the letter “N.” The wine seems to be champagne, and the bottler must have been careless or in a hurry, as there is a cork amongst the liquor. In coming along we observed that the sea spray, driven by the violent wind of Monday eight-days, had withered the hedges and other trees as if they had been burnt by fire,—and got back to the “Vine,” shortly after the sun had gone down.”

Gourock is featured in Hugh Macdonald’s 1857 masterpiece, “Days at the Coast” and the picture of the bay dates from the edition published in 1868 that contains a number of Annan photographs.

 

Gourock Bay from Days at the Coast (Annan)

“But rounding its eastern shoulder, we now enter the beautiful bay of Gourock, which, like a huge half-moon, is spread in one bold yet graceful sweep before our gaze. The tide is at the full, and the lipping billows seem absolutely desirous of kissing the tempting fringe of grass. The water is all alive with boats, and women and children are lounging in idlesse on the shore. The town, which is situated on the western haunch of the bay, has a most pleasing effect from the water, it is seen with its church and its castellated mansion, and its tower-crested hill swelling proudly beyond.

“The houses are mostly ranged along the shore, or straggling to slight elevations on the rising ground behind. In a finely wooded recess to the south, and surrounded by gardens and green lawns, is the mansion of General Darroch, the principal local proprietor and grandee par excellence of the neighbourhood. The structure, which is rather plain and unimposing, was erected about the middle of last century, near the site of the old Castle of Gourock, which was then entirely demolished. At Kempock Point, the western shoulder of the bay, is the wharf, a commodious and modern erection, which occupies the site of an older structure of the same kind which had existed from time immemorial. Here our steamer comes to a pause, and we make our way to terra firma. As usual at the watering-places, where time seems to hang heavily on the hands of the habitues, there is here a pretty numerous muster of idle spectators, to scan the new arrivals, and take cognizance of all that passes. There are, indeed, crowds of ladies, old, young, and middle-aged, with parasols and “uglies,” and round masculine hats, on the look-out for expected papas and brothers, and, haply, in some cases, for even more tender connections.”

The quay, and the little harbour it protected, is featured in the next few photographs that date from around 1870.

Gourock Harbour with fishing skifs in 1870 (Robertson)

Sailing traders and a steam yacht in Gourock Harbour in 1870 (Robertson)

Buchanan’s two-funneled Eagle at Gourock Quay in 1871 (Robertson)

Another early photograph, a carte-de-visite ascribed to Leck shows the shorefront buildings next to the harbour and dates from about the same period.  It shows the Fishmart and Railway Tavern, and closer to the road, the Omnibus Offices.

Fishmart and Railway Tavern, Gourock, around 1870 (Leck)

The Omnibus traffic of the time would have been horse drawn, like the photograph of a Gourock omnibus on the Ashton shore.

Gourock Omnibus at Ashton around 1870 (Becket, Glasgow)

The idea of a Railway Tavern at Gourock might strike one as strange.  Although the Caledonian Railway had proposed an extension of their railway from their Greenock Terminus to Gourock as early as 1865, and indeed had purchased the pier at Gourock with the intent to use it as the terminus for their steamboats, it was not until 1889 that the line was eventually completed, and the new pier erected.  Perhaps the proprietor of the Railway Tavern had jumped the gun, but it served as a reminder that the railway would eventually arrive.  A little research uncovered the following humorous story that mentions the Railway Tavern and is in keeping with the general theme on visitors to Gourock.

Jean McDougal and her cat. by H. Carrick. [Written for the “Otago Witness.”]

“Any of our readers who have come from Glasgow, or its neighbourhood, will remember well the little sea-bathing village of Gourock. Some of them, no doubt, will also remember seeing there an old Highlandman named John M‘Dougal, who let out boats on hire. John wore a very broad bonnet, and spoke very bad English. What was also very remarkable for a Scotchman, John was rather fond of whisky. He said himself that he liked a “goot tram,” but he never refused any, either good or bad. John seldom had sufficient capital to get drunk, but generally some kind friend assisted him with a glass or two, so that he managed to reel home, some time of the day, glorious. When no good soul helped him, and he had to go home sober, John went home sad. On these rare occasions his wife, Jean, would remark to a neighbour, “There’s oor Shone home sober, and awfu’ doon i’ the mouth.” But his wife, Jean, liked a “tram” as well as John did himself, only they differed in one respect—Jean mostly managed to get drunk at home. Jean said “that nae decent woman gets fu’ at a public-house; and, for my part, when I tak’ a wee drap too muckle, it is either in my ain house, or in that o’ some freen’s.”

“So, between John letting his boats and getting drunk at the Railway Tavern or at John Hall’s, and Jean managing her household affairs and getting fu’ at home, they led a strange kind of half-tipsy, wholly stupid life.

“In the summer-time, they let the under apartments of their house to visitors, themselves emigrating to the attics. True, the attics were not very comfortable; but that made little difference to John and Jean, for they spent the long days chiefly in looking after their two boats—they had only two—and at night they seldom knew or cared where they slept.

“It was said that Jean, when elevated, was inclined to Communistic opinions, and when her lodgers had some good things—that is, good creature comforts—laid in for themselves, Jean believed in having all things in common. Her social ideas sometimes carried her too far, for she took rather more than her fair share, thus tending a little towards selfishness. But we are liable to err. This gentle weakness on Jean’s part was illustrated on one occasion, which we will relate.

“One Glasgow Fair Saturday, when so many of the denizens of that great city flock to the coast to obtain a mouthful of fresh air, two youths arrived in Gourock, intending to stay there until the following Monday. To find a bed, however, was no easy matter, their fellow-citizens having filled all the available ones. At last, they got one in John M‘Dougal’s garret. The room was both small and dirty; but as a bad room is better than no room, they were glad to get it. In order to pass the Sunday as comfortable as possible, they went out and purchased some provisions, including a couple of pounds of steak and a bottle of whisky. These they deposited in a small cupboard in the room, which they carefully closed and securely buttoned.

“The next morning they wore up before the sun and out for a walk, being laudably desirous of getting as much sea-air for their money as possible. It was after ten o’clock when they returned, as hungry as young wolves, after their long walk in the pure sea breeze. They set about getting their breakfast cooked, but when they went to the cupboard, lo! there was no beefsteak there. But a happy thought struck them, Mrs M‘Dougal had it already cooked for them, although that was no part of the bargain. One of them knocked gently at her door, and timidly said:—

““Mrs M‘Dougal, did you cook the steak”

““What steak, laddie?”

““Steak that we had for breakfast, and which we left in the cupboard.”

““Na, I saw nae steak, for I wasna near the cupboard. The cat maun hae stolen it.”

““No, Mrs M‘Dougal, the cat could not steal it, for we carefully buttoned the cupboard door, and we found it so buttoned just now”

“That may be, laddie; but our cat is an awfu’ thief, and when she steals onything oot o’ the cupboard, she aye shuts tae the door, and buttons it like ony Christian. In fact, there is naething safe from her, except when under lock and key, and then only when I hide the keys.”

“The, two lads looked at each other in astonishment, for they had never heard of such a cat before; but, then, they never had been much out of Glasgow.

““Never mind,” says one of them, “let us have a glass to drink the cat’s health, and take bread and butter to breakfast.” But when they took out the bottle, behold it was empty.

““Mrs M‘Dougal, did you see anything of a bottle of whisky that was in the cupboard?”

““Na, laddie. Is your bottle awa tae?”

““No, but the whisky is.”

““Oh, then it was that horrid cat; she’s an awfu’ thief.”

““What! does your cat drink whisky?”

““Aye, laddie, like sweet milk; in fact, Shone and me canna keep a drap in the house for her. We’re maist heartbroken wi’ her.”

““Mrs M‘Dougal, I never heard of a cat drinking whisky before.”

““I dar say that; but, then, you never heard o’ our cat.”

““Did you teach her to drink whisky?”

““Well, I dar say we did. Ye see, when she was a wee thing, Shone and me always let her hae a wee taste, when we had it oorsel’s, so ,she soon got tae like it bettar than her milk. But it’s a bad thing tae learn cats tae drink whisky, and I said that tae Shone.”

““But she could not drink a whole bottle of whisky.”

““Aye, could she, laddie, twa o’ them; and yet I never saw her staggering wi’ drink yet.”

““Where is that wonderful cat, Mrs M‘Dougal?”

““There she’s. Come here pussy, and let the, gentlemen see ye.” Here she gave the cat’ a kick that sent it half-way down the stair, at the same time saying, “Go wa’, ye dirty thing; yer stinking wi’’ the whisky yet.”

“One of the youths thought he would catch Mrs M‘Dougal at this point, and said—”I will give you five shillings if you let me see that cat drink one glass of whisky.”

““Sae ye micht, laddie, give ten, and no see it; for, wad ye believe it, she’ll no taste it afore folk. She is like a gude wheen mare I ken, wha pretend they canna drink it before yer een; but, losh me, can drink it in gallons behin’ yer back.” The two lads were fairly baffled.

“There was the cat charged to its face with the crime, and could not deny it. And there stood Mrs M‘Dougal, with her bonnet and shawl on and her Bible in her hand, ready to go to the kirk, and looking as innocent as a newborn babe. Jean never, or at least rarely, missed going to the kirk, for she declared that when she stayed away things did not go so well with her the week following, nor did John let so many boats.

“So Mrs M‘Dougal went to kirk, and the two, young men, although they had paid in advance for two nights’ lodgings, were perfectly satisfied with one, took the Sunday steamer, and returned to Glasgow, thoroughly disgusted with Gourock folk and Gourock cats.”

On the the great thrills of Gourock is that it is a magnificent spot to watch the shipping in the river.  In the heyday of shipbuilding, the great liners could be seen at anchor off shore in-between their trial runs.  The City of Paris, seen here off the Ashton shore, was built by J & G Thomson in 1889 for the Inman line.  She was over ten and a half thousand tons with engines that could generate almost 2,000 hp.

City of Paris off Ashton

In the 1880s, Gourock had grown into a bustling town.  Contrast the picture by Valentine of the scene before the railway reached the town with the busy pier in the 1890s.

Gourock before the Railway (Valentine) 

Marchioness of Bute, Marchioness of Lorne, Ivanhoe, and Duchess of Rothesay at Gourock with Burns steamer Viper at the head of the quay.  The Marchioness of Breadalbane has just left the pier. (Poulton)

Marchioness of Lorne, Caledonia, and Duchess of Rothesay arriving from the coast (Ritchie, Edinburgh)

 

Madge Wildfire, Marchioness of Bute, Duchess of Hamilton and Duchess of Rothesay at Gourock. (Robertson)