Gourock - town in Inverclyde, Scotland, UK

Gourock is a ferry port on Clydeside in the Central Belt of Scotland. Most visitors are only passing through, to catch ferries to Dunoon in Argyll. In 2020 Gourock had a population of 10,210.

Understand

Gourock was a fishing village, historically part of Renfrewshire. In the 18th century the "Tail of the Bank" of the Clyde became industrial between Port Glasgow and Greenock, but the wealthy merchants and shipbuilders kept Gourock and western Greenock unspoiled for their fine villas. When the railway arrived in 1889, Gourock became part of the "Costa Clyde" or "Glasgow Riveria" of holiday destinations along the coast down into Ayrshire. It still has that role, but nowadays as a springboard for reaching the Cowal and Rosneath peninsulas rather than as a resort in its own right.

Get in

By plane

From Glasgow Airport (IATA: GLA) a frequent local bus runs to Paisley Gilmour Street, which has trains to Gourock as below.

From Prestwick Airport (IATA: PIK) take the train towards Glasgow Central and change at Paisley Gilmour Street. See Prestwick page for discount rail travel to and from that airport.

By road

Follow the M8 westbound from Glasgow to its end where it becomes the A8, continue through Greenock to Gourock. From the southwest, follow the A78 along the Ayrshire coast.

By train

Trains from Glasgow Central run every 15 min via Paisley Gilmour Street, Bishopton, Port Glasgow and Greenock Central and West, taking 40-50 min to Gourock. The first train is around 06:00 and the last is towards midnight. As trains and ferries are both frequent, they're not normally held for each other. If you're running late for the last connection of the day, make your plight known to the conductor or ferry steward, and the connection might be held - you won't be the only one.

Gourock 📍 railway station is 200 yards north of the foot-passenger ferry terminal. It has a staffed ticket office and machines, and a waiting room and toilets. There is step-free access to all platforms.

By bus

McGill's Bus 901 runs from Glasgow Buchanan station via Braehead, Port Glasgow and Greenock to Gourock (80 min), continuing to McInroy's Point, Inverkip, Wemyss Bay and Largs (another 30 min). This bus runs every 30 min as far as Greenock but only continues to Gourock and Largs hourly M-Sa, and every couple of hours on Sunday.

By road

Follow the M8 westbound from Glasgow to its end where it becomes the A8, continue through Greenock to Gourock. From the southwest, follow the A78 along the Ayrshire coast.

By boat

Gourock Ferry Terminal 📍 serves foot passengers only, no booking. Until end of March 2024:

• Calmac ferries take 25 min to Dunoon on Cowal peninsula. They sail every 30 min M-Sa 06:30-22:30, hourly Sunday; the return fare is £10.20 adult, £5.10 child.
• Calmac ferries take 15 min to Kilcreggan on Rosneath peninsula. They sail M-Sa roughly hourly 07:00-18:00, no Sunday service. The return fare is £7.40 adult, £3.70 child. Calmac took over this route from SPT in 2020.

McInroy's Point 📍 is the terminal for Western Ferries. These sail every 20 min (07:00-23:40) and take 20 min to Hunters Quay at the north end of Dunoon by the mouth of Holy Loch. Fares until end of March 2023 are car plus driver £20.10 single / £37.90 return, adult passenger £5.30 / £10.20, child £2.70 / £3.90. For returns and multi-journeys it's cheaper to buy online, but you have to pay £3 for them to post your tickets by snail mail to UK addresses only. They've yet to grasp the concept of internet sales.

Cruise ships often visit nearby Greenock.

Get around

It's only a couple of miles to walk to Greenock, along the scenic Esplanade. See that page for points of interest along the way and in the town. Any bus going east from Gourock is running via Greenock.

See

• Granny Kempock 📍 is a megalith or menhir just above the main street. It's a grey mica schist: it's not known when it was placed here, and may not be in its original position. Bronze Age has been suggested but the markings on it are much more recent. Various superstitions and rituals have attached to it, for instance departing sailors and newly-weds walked seven times around it for luck. In 1662 Marie Lamont confessed to dancing round the stone and trying to throw it into the sea to sink shipping, also to changing her shape into a cat, stealing milk by an incantation over a tether made of cows' tails, and having sex with the devil when he appeared as a brown dog. She and her accomplices were burned at the stake. Marie was 16.
• Tower Hill 📍 is the breezy park overlooking town and the Firth. The stumpy tower at the summit was built in 1847 as a lookout-cum-folly - you can't go in.

Do

• Gourock Pool, Albert Road, Gourock PA19 1NQ, 55.961057°, -4.822564°, +44 1475 631561. May-Sept M-F 07:00-19:00, Sa Su 10:00-16:30. Outdoor saltwater pool heated to 29 °C: length 33.3 m, width 15 m, max depth 3.5 m. Great views over the Firth to Argyll. Free parking. Adults £4.50, child & conc £3.90 2019-12-15
• Golf: Gourock GC is a moorland course of 6512 yards, par 73.
• Gourock Highland Games are held in mid-May in Battery Park. The next are on Sunday 7 May 2023.

Buy

• There are just small convenience stores here, such as Co-op Food opposite the ferry terminal (daily 07:00-22:00). Head to Greenock for your big shop.

Eat

• Fusion at 2 Hopetoun St (opposite ferry terminal) is highly rated for its European and traditional cuisine. It's open Tu-Sa 12:00-15:00 & 17:00-23:00.
• Cafe Continental, 40 Kempock St, Gourock PA19 1ND (100 yards west of railway station), +44 1475 638693. Food served daily 09:00-21:00, bar till 00:00. Cosy pub, gets great reviews for food, beer, service and views. 2019-12-15
• Others along the same strip are My Kitchen, Gianni's Pizzeria, Bakehouse and Taj Mahal.

Drink

Along the main strip are Kempock Bar and Cleat's Bar. A little way south of the railway station are Victoria Bar, Darroch Bar and Monteith's.

Sleep

• Spinnaker Hotel, 121 Albert Rd, Gourock PA19 1BU, 55.955473°, -4.830067°, +44 1475 633107, enquiries@spinnakerhotel.co.uk. Pleasant friendly 3-star overlooking the Firth. B&B double £70 2019-12-15
• Gourock is short of accommodation as most people just pass through, try Greenock which has budget chain hotels along the main road.
• Stay in a castle at Castle Levan 📍, 300 yards west of McInroy's Point ferry terminal. It's a restored 16th C tower house, open as a B&B March-Oct, doubles from £125.

Connect

Gourock and its approach roads have 4G from all UK carriers. As of Aug 2022, 5G has not reached town.

Go next

• Above Greenock is Loch Thom, and you can walk along its aqueduct "The Cut".
• Take the ferry to Dunoon, where Benmore Gardens and Kilmun Arboretum are the main sights. You can then travel on to Inveraray, Lochgilphead, Oban or Kintyre.
• Head south along the mainland coast to Ardrossan for ferries to Arran, and to Ayr for the birthplace of Robert Burns.