Granny Kempock Collection
Postcard 1902 
The Kempock Stone dated between 2,000 – 3,000 BC 
Newly wedded couples walked around the stone for luck 
Sailors danced, sang and collected stones from the shore for safe passage. 
The hole in the side, used for ceremonies or possibly to lift the stone into position. 
Another old photograph from circa 1890. Note the high wall and Gourock Castle behind. 
A slightly distorted view! 
As Granny Kempock appears today. Note the memorial plaque. 
The hole continues to puzzle investigators! 
Memorial stone to Friedrich Zoller in German.
The Granny Kempock Stone or The Lang Stane is a Neolithic standing stone which has stood on this spot for more than 3,000 years. In ancient times it was both worshipped and used as an altar to the veneration of the God Baal.
There are many tales but possibly the most common is that it was a witch who caused storms and attracted ships onto the rocks below by waving a lantern. The influence of the Granny Kempock Stone appears in many tales in Scottish history and my book connects many of these.
Just behind the stone there is a small white marble memorial plaque to Friedrich Zoller, which is written in German and erected in about 1906. If anyone is able to offer a transcript of the whole of the memorial then I will present them with a signed copy of my book.