Supernatural

The supernatural element does not seem to have been greatly in evidence about Cove in the late centuries. This was not the case in remote times. Stories of witch revelry seen by belated travellers were often told. A very fine boulder of grey mica, with flat level top about fifteen feet square, decorated with cup and ring marks, on the right hand side of the summit of the road going from Peaton to Rahane, was a favourite scene of these gambols. It was a notable feature until a few years ago when the County Council roadman - most callous and shameless vandal to be found anywhere - broke it up for his own purposes. Other places were the Dunans, two hills on Knockderry Farm, the high part of Shanton Glen, and Brown Knowe going from Kilcreggan towards Campsail.

By far the finest bit of legend however is connected with Knockderry. The various degrees and orders of elfdom asserted in remote times an amount of control and guidance in human affairs now unknown. The site of the present castle, owing to its easily defended position, was then accounted a very strong place. Amongst its acquisitions there was an enchanted pot, which, after serving the proper culinary uses for a day at the castle, was placed in a crevice within high water mark, and next morning was duly found at Levan. Its other houses of call were Newark (Port Glasgow), Ardmore and Ardencaple. From the latter place it returned to Knockderry performing the whole round within the week. The listless legionary watching on Dumbarton probably never suspected such an admirable co-operative arrangement in full operation under his very nose. For some unspecified reason, however, the two houses furthest up the river were, during the Roman occupation, omitted from the circuit. This useful article was finally lost sight of during one of the Norse raids.

In the middle of the nineteenth century the ruins on the site consisted of a few oblong grass-grown mounds with traces of masonry beneath. A few small coins were found, chiefly of the Stuart period, a copper one of William and Mary (initials intertwined on obverse and Scotch thistle on back) being the latest in date, in the preparation for rebuilding.