Gourock pt2

The Tower Hill

After a quick search on Google. I found that there is very little that explains what the Tower Hill was once used for instead all that appears are images of the place and the actual Tower. Onone website it said that it used to be used as a former lookout and study of one of the Lairds of Gourock House. Which used to stand close by. So instead I will tell you what I heard about the place from locals whilst growing up in this town.

Lookout during the World Wars - I was once told that it was a lookout for enemy planes, U-boats and ships and due to the Tower Hill being so visible it was easy to alert others. This does seem possible though the Tower itself did exist before that so that cannot be the reason it was built. Yet on the grounds of the Tower Hill Park there is a Royal Observer Corps(ROC) post. I once came across this a few years back and always wondered what it was. Once day the padlock was broken and I opened it and looked in and saw ladders leading down into darkness. The place was covered in spider webs so I did not climb down also the fear of what I may find stopped me from doing so. I managed to find more information on this ROC post and found that it was used during World War II.

ROC Post

Gourock ROC Post

It was an entrance to a copper mine - This was a common one that I heard though the location to the mine is located on Kirn Drive which is on a completely different side of Midton. The entrance has since been walled up and most passers by would think it was just a wall.

Copper Mine Entrance

Bunker - Like the others, I have heard this one a few times. Basically it was believed that the Tower was once open so that during the bombings in World War II locals could use it. Though this does make sense, at the time the town was smaller and houses were not very close to this Tower so it would be very inconvenient.

In short, it would be cool to know what it was used as in the past but now it is a great place to go on a warm day because the view is impressive.

The Tower

View from the Tower Hill

Granny Kempock

Located just behind Kempock Street is a stone which is referred to as the Granny Kempock. It is an odd shape and its origin is unknown. It is believed that it is an old altar to the pagan god Ba'al. There is a local superstition that when sailors are going on a long voyage of a couple who are just married must walk around the stone seven times for good luck. From where the stone is located and with the fencing around it I can imagine that this would be rather difficult.

There are also stories that say it was once a witch that had turned to stone.

The Granny Kempock

The Granny Kempock plaque

Gourock pt1

Located three miles west of Greenock, Gourock is a relatively small town which in the past functioned as a seaside resort on the Firth of Clyde.

The town dates back to 1494 as it was recorded that James IV of Scotland arrived on the shores of Gourock to conquer the Highland clans that rebelled. In 1784 Gourock was bought by Duncan Darroch from the Stewarts of Castlemilk and his house called Gourock House which no longer exists was built on what is now known as the Darroch Park also known as the Darroch Woods or the Gourock Park.

As a former resident of Gourock I know the best places to visit on a day out. There are the Darroch Woods, the Tower Hill, the Promenade, the Gourock Pool and Granny Kempock.

The Darroch Woods

The Darroch woods is a popular place for locals to walk their dogs. There is a path that takes you around the park and it takes around 30 minutes to complete. When on this path you can pass the Gourock Bowling Club, tennis courts, the Bunny Park and a tomb.

The tomb belongs to the Darrochs and various members of their family are buried there.

The Darroch Tomb

One piece of advice I could give you is do not go there at night. Apparently the woods are haunted but from walking through the woods at night by myself your mind plays tricks on you also it has in the past been a popular place for underage drinking and some really odd folk.

If you are interested in learning more about the hauntings of the Darroch Woods please visit Tales of the Oak

Near the bottom of the Darroch woods is an area that is walled off. Inside this is the Bunny Park. The Bunny Park is very popular with the residents of Gourock and there is a play park for children as well as enclosures containing ducks, chickens, guinea pigs, rabbits, degus and budgerigars.

The Shetland pony in the Bunny Park

Cockerel in the Bunny Park

There is also a field that contains a donkey, a goat and a Shetland pony as well as a pigsty that contains two pigs. This park is open most days until late afternoon and dogs are welcome as long as they are kept on a leash at all times.

The next post will be on the Tower Hill and Granny Kempock.

For more images please visit the Gallery.

Tighnabruaich

Last year during one of our longer trips to the caravan we decided to drive to the nearby towns and one of the towns that we visited was Tighnabruaich as it was only a forty minute drive from the campsite.

On the way there we passed the viewpoint which due to the great weather was packed with tourists and locals so we decided to visit it on the way home when it was less crowded and the lay-by that was used as the car park would have some space for me to park my car. When we did go there we saw that the viewpoint which was rather high up (500ft) had a view of the East Kyle and the Isle of Bute which was pretty impressive.

Viewpoint by caledonianmsc

Secret Coast Scarecrows

Just as we drove past the sign welcoming you to the town we spotted this dark, humanoid figure with horns. We both got the fright of our lives as we had no idea what we just seen. The only way I can properly describe it is that it looked like the man with antlers that appears in TVs Hannibal. After the initial shock Stu recalled that when he was researching the local area he came across a few websites that mentioned the first annual Secret Coast Scarecrows. Basically during the summer there are a total of 50 Scarecrows that are on display and entrants to the competition must find all 50 scarecrows and fill out the trail sheet as they go along.
As I did not take my camera with me on this trip as we only intended to go food shopping in Tighnabruaich I had to search the Internet to find images of some of the scarecrows we seen that day.

Drunk Scarecrow from NESA

Terrifying Scarecrow at Entrance by Briars and Thorns

More images can be found at:

• www.nesa.co.uk
• Briars and Thorns Arts

Benmore Botanic Garden

Located between Dunoon and Loch Eck the Garden was once part of an extensive plant and painting collector called James Duncan land and was first Established in 1863.

The garden covers around 120 acres and boasts Giant Redwoods that stand over fifty metres high and over one hundred and fifty years old as well as over three hundred species of rhododendron and over one third of the world’s conifer species.

Victorian Fernery

Outside of the Botanic Garden is a large car park with plenty of space for coaches and cars in order to enter the garden visitors must pay a small fee at the gift shop:

• Adult £6
• Concession £5
• Under 16s free of charge

One of the amazing views

The garden is open for the majority of the year, only closing November – February. The best time to go to these gardens is on a dry day as you will be doing a lot of walking if you plan to see it all. When we went it was on an extremely warm day and even though there were plenty of trees that provided shade we still ended up sunburned. That did not ruin the day though as we managed to cover the majority of the locations on the map that you are supplied with on admittance. If you were to visit this place it would be in your best interest to stick to the map and paths as due to the size of the place it is incredibly easy to become lost. If you do happen to get lost there are plenty of maps posted throughout the garden informing you of your current location.

Stuart inside the Victorian Fernery

While we were walking around the garden we seen plenty of wildlife however they were difficult to capture on camera. We did manage to get pictures of newts and crickets.

One of the many crickets we spotted

Due to the majority of the visitors being elderly we found that a lot of the walks were empty and peaceful as they tended to stay near the entrance were the ponds and benches are located. So if you ever find yourself in this area the Benmore Botanic Garden would be worth your time.

If you want to see more images please visit the Gallery page.

Glendaruel Long Walks

In Glendaruel there is no shortage when it comes to local walks. In this section I will tell you about three long walks that are worth checking out if you plan to stay in Glendaruel for the day.

Lovers Walk

If you exit through the back entrance of the Caravan Park you will see a wooden fence and on the other side there is a wooded area. If you enter through the gate there are two walks that are located here.
The Lovers Walk is a small walk which takes around thirty minutes to complete and it is maintained by the local grounds keeper whose house is right beside the walk. As you are walking up the start of the path you can see into the grounds keeper’s garden which has a large variety of weird things inside for example the last year when I stayed at the Caravan Park I seen that he had a large plastic Gorilla sitting beside a large tree.
At the top of the hill there is a large natural pool that visitors often use during the hottest days of summer and this is called “The ladies bathing pool”

Ladies Bathing Pool

This walk is used regularly by dog walkers and families are welcome to use it just as long as they clean up any mess that they make.

Me and my dog Sid 

The park

If you have children with you and you want to take them somewhere else to play rather than staying in the Caravan Park all day. If you walk for thirty minutes west of the Caravan Park there is a children’s park which was actually funded by the National Lottery. The park is in good condition and is right beside the Col-Glen Shinty clubs field and the local school.

View of Col-Glen Shinty clubs field

There are a few picnic benches located here so families could easily spend the whole day here getting to know locals and also depending on what day it is they can watch a game of Shinty.

Lochan Chuilceachan Footpath

At the highest peak of Lovers Walk there is a dirt path that looks like it leads to a farm. If you follow that you reach a field and throughout this field are signposts that you follow in order to keep on the right path. I would not recommend this walk if you have young children as it is a 2.5km long walk and in order to complete it and walk back I would advise you to start early in the morning as it takes around 2 hours each way and wrap up because it is very cold at the top of the hill. This walk is also ideal for dogs however, it would be a good idea to keep them on a leash at all times as you pass sheep and cattle. When you reach the end of the walk you can see Glen to the Kyles of Bute and over the Glen to the windfarm at Cruach Mhor.

Sign for Lochan Chuilceachan Footpath

For more pictures please visit the Gallery.

Glendaruel Short Walks

Around the Caravan Park

Whilst staying at the Caravan Park there may be the odd day that you do not want to venture into nearby towns. Instead you may want to see what there is to do locally.
If you happen to have young children with you there it is likely that you will not be going on any hikes so one of the options that you have is to walk around the outside of the Caravan Park. There are four exists to choose from and they are:

• The main car entrance
• Through the woods beside the Camping site
• The path beside the Static Caravans
• Through the park at the back of the site

Whilst walking round the site you will come across something that looks like the remains of an old building in the image below.

Lucknow Gates

The remains of the old building are in fact the Lucknow Gates. These gates are replicas of the gates that exist in India in the city of Lucknow. The gates were built in honour of the former resident Sir Colin Campbell who was part of the Indian Rebellion in 1857.Originally these gates lead to Glendaruel House where Sir Colin Campbell also known as General Colin Campbell lived and sadly the house no longer stands as in the 1970s it was destroyed by a fire.
Along this path there are plenty of animals can be spotted and in the B&B located behind the caravan are chickens whose eggs are for sale early in the morning so if you want fresh eggs you must get up pretty early.
Before you reach the B&B there is a path mainly suited for off road vehicles but it is safe to walk on. After walking up this path for around five minutes there is an old church. There are no signs informing you of what church it is though it looks well looked after. Once we found this church we asked others at the caravan park and what we found was that it used to be a church but it has since been renovated and it is occasionally rented out to tourists. There is no way in which to verify this as after multiple Internet searches there is nothing about this old church.

Old church

In the next post I will talk about the other walks in Glendaruel. If you want to look at any more images please visit the Gallery.

Glendaruel

Located in Argyll Glendaruel is a large glen with small town called the Clachan of Glendaruel with a rather small population of just under 200. As the population is so small locals have to travel to the nearest towns such as Tighnabruaich and Dunoon for every day necessities. As Glendaruel is so out of the way it is an ideal spot for caravan and camping holidays for those who want some peace and quiet away from modern technology.

GLENDARUEL CARAVAN & CAMPING PARK

Just a five minute walk from the main town there is a Caravan and Camping park which is open from the 1st of April to the 31st of October to tourists and members who have a pitch there. The site welcomes Campers and Tourers. If you do not own a tent or you do not have your own caravan you can hire a caravan at the park or spend a few nights at the camping lodge which is a small isolated hut ideal for two people and is very popular with cyclists and motorcyclists. Also there is an on-site shop which stocks the necessities.
The park is dog friendly and child friendly with a few rules that those staying at the park must adhere to such as:

• All dogs must be kept on a leash inside the park.
• Children must not play around the caravans. Instead they must use the play park or the playfield at the side of the park.
• No noise between 11pm and 9am.
• No parking cars in spare pitches.

Our Caravan at the park

I have been going to this Caravan Park for almost five years and it is by far one of the best ones in the area as it is simple and quiet in comparison to the other parks closer to Dunoon that tend to focus too much on attracting tourists rather than maintenance.

Our tent in the camping area

In the next post I will mention the other places worth visiting in Glendaruel.

Kirkcudright

Since the early 1900s Kirkcudbright has attracted artists due to its local landscape and various attractions such as the Bay which is a natural harbour on the north coat of the Irish Sea that was once used by merchants for trading various things such as wine.
Tourists can also appreciate the landscape as well as visit various historic buildings, museums and galleries.

Water leading up to Kirkcudbright Harbour

MacLellan's Castle

MacLellan's Castle was built between the years 1581 and 1582. The castle looks quite different to most castles as from first impressions many tend to think it looks like an old town house. In one of the leaflets from Kirkcudbright it is described as having the "Features of a late medieval Scottish tower house".

Side image of MacLellan's Castle

In later years when security was less important MacLellan's Castles interior was transformed into a town house.
Today it is just a mere skeleton of what it used to be with no roof. However, is has been restored and it is safe for tourists to go inside and look at the interior and see where everything used to be located inside. When we walked around the interior we found a pigeon next with baby pigeons inside which was a suprise.
This castle is part of Visit Scotland along with many other locations. To get into the castle you need to pay a small fee.

The Stewartry Museum

Established in 1879 and first opened to the public in 1881 it was originally located on the top floor of the Kirkcudbright Town Hall and due to the ever increasing collection of items from local and natural history, a bigger premisis was needed.
Between the years 1892 and 1893 the present building was constructed and cost a total amount of £1,300 which was gathered through various fundraisers.
The museum is absolutly packed with all sorts of cool things such as old smoking pipes and pocket watches. All visitors are welcome at the museum and admission is free.

Pocket watches on display at the Stewartry Museum

Overall Kirkcudbright is a great place to spend the day as there are plenty of places to visit. Also there are loads of shops and local takeaways.
Please visit the Gallery to see more pictures.

Caerlaverock Castle

Caerlaverock Castle

Located in the South of Dumfries Scotland Caerlaverock Castle is a large castle with a moat that surrounds it on sunny days you can see fish in the moat.

It was believed to be built in the 13th century and was later abandoned in the 17th century. The castle was used as a stronghold for the Maxwell Clan who are known to have Norse ancestry dating back to the reign of David I of Scotland.

In comparison to most castles in the Dumfries area this is by far in the best condition and it is also a nice place to spend the day.

As it is quite a distance away from any towns it is advised that you travel there by car and even though it is a relatively busy place parking is not an issue as you are shown by employees where to park. If you happen to have a dog with you they are more than welcome to go inside the castle as it is mainly outdoors. In the vicinity there is a gift shop and a cafeteria that visitors can use.

Whilst walking around the moat of the castle I noticed that there is a park for children to play and also I noticed that a lot of tourists were going down a hidden path so we went to investigate and noticed that it is a nature trail that starts by leading tourists around the moat and through the woods. We found that it leads to the site of the old castle which we were not aware of its’ existence. It was found a few years ago and the area was then excavated and then studied. What is viewable of the old castle is basically flat ground with traces of walls and signs informing visitors of where everything used to be.

To view more pictures please visit the Gallery page.