Sir David Stewart obtained Gourock in 1455 when the old castle of Gourock was taken down and a mansion house built, about 40 years later in (1782), Sir John Stewart of Castlemilk sold the mansion house and estate to Duncan Darroch for a very small sum-about £5,000. The mansion house was let to Colonel Latham of Greenock in 1880. The area of the estate including the above stables and a walled garden was about 2700 acres. The Greenock Art Club was established in 1877 and it is recorded that in the first year of the club 74 members were registered and it’s interesting to note that the ratio was 54 males to 20 women, there is a very different ratio today.