The Kissing Stane

The Kissing Stane. . This large granite stone or stane was uncovered in the 1830s when the forest below St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church was first cleared. The area was named James Square in honour of James Webster who, along with Adam Fergusson, founded the new settlement. To the early Scottish masons the rock was a type of very hard granite known as blue hardhead. Children called the boulder "Castle Stane" mounting it as they played a variety of improvised games. One of those pioneer children, James Black Perry, later wrote a poem about it:

To climb up on the "Castle Stane" , And on it brow to stand alane, , And breathe the air o' youth again , And hae my dream!, To dream o'lads and lassies gone , O’lads I leapt we free the stone, , And fought we' straining brawn , and bone, , To be supreme!

With the Square's steep slope, its initial use as the village fairgrounds was short-lived. Nevertheless, it afforded a lovely view of the river and continued to be a popular gathering spot. Around 1870 a bandstand was built near the stone and it became a favourite lingering place for young Victorian couples. According to local legend it was the one location in Fergus where public displays of affection were tolerated and soon became known as the "Kissing Stane". Many townsfolk claimed that to be kissed while seated on the stone would bring good luck., Early in the 20th century plans were made to replace the old bandstand with a new one. In preparing for this project several workers decided that it would be a good idea to blast the stone away using dynamite. Although the plan was foiled, drill holes for the dynamite can still be seen in the rock. The bandstand is long gone and the "Kissing Stane", largely forgotten, slumbers near the western edge of old James Square.