Inchcape Rock
Preserved but no longer current.
A rocky reef (also known as the Bell Rock) about 12 miles from Arbroath in the North Sea (Inch or Innis means island). It is dangerous for navigators, and therefore the abbot of Arbroath, or "Aberbrothok," fixed a bell on a float, which gave notice to sailors of its whereabouts. Southey's ballad tells how Ralph the Rover, a sea pirate, cut the bell from die float, and was wrecked on his return home on the very rock.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Inchcape Rock” mean?
A rocky reef (also known as the Bell Rock) about 12 miles from Arbroath in the North Sea (Inch or Innis means island). It is dangerous for navigators, and therefore the abbot of Arbroath, or "Aberbrothok," fixed a bell on a float, which gave notice to sailors of its whereabouts. Southey's ballad tells how Ralph the Rover, a sea pirate, cut the bell from die float, and was wrecked on his return home on the very rock.
Is “Inchcape Rock” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.