Granny Kempock Stone

The stone, or menhir, is grey mica schist and of indeterminate origin, but it has been suggested that it is an old altar to the pagan god Baal, 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.

These may be mason's marks 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 Gourock Castle.

A 1987 children's fantasy TV series Shadow of the Stone written by Catherine Lucy Czerkawska dramatises the witchcraft element.

The series stars Shirley Henderson in the role of a young girl, who has some kind of spiritual connection with Marie Lamont, and Alan Cumming as her boyfriend.