Inchgarvie
Encyclopedia
Inchgarvie is a small, uninhabited island in the Firth of Forth
. Its name comes from Innis Garbhach which is Scottish Gaelic for "rough island". Local tradition has it that the island takes its name from the young herring, or "garvies" which sheltered in large shoals around its shores - this is however folk etymology as the first element is Gaelic.
Although now uninhabited, Inchgarvie has been lived on throughout various periods of history. The first recorded time was in the late 15th century.
Like nearby Inchmickery
, its profile and colour makes it look very much like a battleship from a distance.
Inchgarvie’s fortifications pre-date the modern period. In the days when boats were the only way to cross the Firth of Forth
, the island was on the main route between North Queensferry
in Fife
and South Queensferry
in Lothian
. This made it strategically important. It was near Roman forts at Cramond
and Bo'ness
, at the end of the Antonine Wall
.
Records of Danish attacks on nearby islands, particularly Inchcolm
as well as Fife and Lothian may mean that it was used in some capacity by them. It may well also have had a Culdee
hermit like Inchcolm and Inchmickery
. Whatever the case, it has had a castle, or fortification on it, from the Middle Ages to the present day, although it is currently abandoned.
Inchgarvie was the site of a castle built by King James IV
circa 1490, presumably for defensive purposes. James licensed the owner John Dundas of Dundas
to construct the castle on 20 March 1491.
In 1497, the island was (along with Inchkeith
, a few miles away) used as an isolated refuge for victims of the 'Grandgore', (syphilis
) in Edinburgh
. The 'grandgor' was recognised in the 1497 Minutes of the Town Council of Edinborough ( Phil. Trans. XLII. 421) "This contagious sickness callit the Grandgor.". The Grandgore Act was passed in September 1497, causing Inchgarvie, as well as other islands in the Firth, such as Inchkeith
, to be made a place of Compulsory Retirement for people suffering from this disease. They were told to board a ship at Leith
and, "there to remain till God provide for their health".
On 8 March 1514 Margaret, the widow of William Dundas of Dundas, undertook to manage the completion of the fortress that James IV and her father-in-law had begun building on her island. From 23 December 1514, Charles Dennison, Captain of Inchgarvie managed and fed a large royal construction team. Margaret, Lady of Dundas gave them two boats. Two 'serpentine' guns and guns from Colstone were placed on the island after a visit by artillery experts in July 1515. Between 1519 and 1671, the island was the site of a prison within the castle, and James Garvie, in his Old and New Edinburgh, says of Inchgarvie that "In 1580, Inchkeith, with Inchgarvie, was made a place of exile for the plague-stricken by order of the Privy Council".
In 1547, after the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh
, Inchcolm and Inchkeith
were fortified by the English, and held for two years; it is possible that Inchgarvie was fortified at this period too. On 6 September 1627, the Laird of Dundas was invited to meet the Privy Council at South Queensferry and discuss building a modern fort on the island. Like Inchkeith, Inchgarvie had a quarantine hospital, and a prison. Oliver Cromwell
had this demolished.
During the reign of Charles II
as King of Scots, the island was subject to continued maintenance for defensive purposes. The island was inspected by Charles in 1651 before falling into disrepair after he was ousted by Oliver Cromwell
following the Battle of Worcester
.
In 1707 the island is known to have been rented to Archibald Primrose, 1st Earl of Rosebery
. In 1779, however, the island's fortifications were renewed once more, in response to the threat posed by John Paul Jones
, American Naval Commander, who harassed British ships from a base in the Forth. These fortifications were never used in anger.
In 1878 the foundations for Thomas Bouch
's Forth Bridge were laid on Inchgarvie (and their bricks remain)http://www.ourscotland.co.uk/forthislands/, but after the Tay Bridge Disaster
, these plans were abandoned, and the island languished until the west end of the island was extended with a pier, and used as the foundation for one of the Forth Bridge
's cantilever
s. The island, due to its proximity to the bridge, was also used as a construction office for the bridge, as well as accommodation for its workers within the re-roofed castle buildings. Some of the stone from the former castle was used to help build the caisson
s of the Forth Bridge.
during the First and Second World Wars, during which, in combination with fortifications on Inchcolm
, and gun emplacements on the mainland to the north (at North Queensferry
) and to the south (at Dalmeny
), it became a primary defence against air and submarine attacks on the Forth Rail Bridge
and the Rosyth Dockyard
. The gun emplacements were permanently manned throughout war.
It was used as a location in the 2000 film version
of Iain Banks
' book Complicity (novel) (1993), (directed by Gavin Millar
).
Inchgarvie is used in the riddle, "How many inches is the Forth?", playing on a pun on 'Inch' (Innis) an old Scottish Gaelic word for island
, and inch, the imperial measurement.
56°0′3"N 3°23′11"W
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
. Its name comes from Innis Garbhach which is Scottish Gaelic for "rough island". Local tradition has it that the island takes its name from the young herring, or "garvies" which sheltered in large shoals around its shores - this is however folk etymology as the first element is Gaelic.
Although now uninhabited, Inchgarvie has been lived on throughout various periods of history. The first recorded time was in the late 15th century.
Like nearby Inchmickery
Inchmickery
Inchmickery is a small island in the Firth of Forth in Scotland. It is about a mile north of Edinburgh.Its name comes from the Scottish Gaelic, Innis nam Bhiocaire, meaning Isle of the Vicar, implying that there may have been an old ecclesiastical or Culdee settlement here, as in nearby Inchcolm...
, its profile and colour makes it look very much like a battleship from a distance.
History
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
, the island was on the main route between North Queensferry
North Queensferry
North Queensferry is a village in Fife, Scotland, on the Firth of Forth, between the Forth Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge, and from Edinburgh. According to the 2008 population estimate, the village has a population of 1,150. It is the southernmost settlement in Fife.The Scottish Gaelic name...
in Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
and South Queensferry
South Queensferry
South Queensferry , also called Queensferry, is a former Royal Burgh in West Lothian now part of the City of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located some ten miles to the north west of the city centre, on the shore of the Firth of Forth between the Forth Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge, approximately 8...
in Lothian
Lothian
Lothian forms a traditional region of Scotland, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills....
. This made it strategically important. It was near Roman forts at Cramond
Cramond
Cramond is a seaside village now part of suburban Edinburgh, Scotland, located in the north-west corner of the city at the mouth of the River Almond where it enters the Firth of Forth....
and Bo'ness
Bo'ness
Bo'ness, properly Borrowstounness, is a coastal town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on a hillside on the south bank of the Firth of Forth within the Falkirk council area, north-west of Edinburgh and east of Falkirk. At the 2001 census, Bo'ness had a resident population of 13,961...
, at the end of the Antonine Wall
Antonine Wall
The Antonine Wall is a stone and turf fortification built by the Romans across what is now the Central Belt of Scotland, between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde. Representing the northernmost frontier barrier of the Roman Empire, it spanned approximately 39 miles and was about ten feet ...
.
Records of Danish attacks on nearby islands, particularly Inchcolm
Inchcolm
Inchcolm is an island in the Firth of Forth in Scotland. Repeatedly attacked by English raiders during the Wars of Scottish Independence, it was fortified during both World Wars to defend nearby Edinburgh...
as well as Fife and Lothian may mean that it was used in some capacity by them. It may well also have had a Culdee
Culdee
Céli Dé or Culdees were originally members of ascetic Christian monastic and eremitical communities of Ireland, Scotland and England in the Middle Ages. The term is used of St. John the Apostle, of a missioner from abroad recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters at the year 806, and of Óengus...
hermit like Inchcolm and Inchmickery
Inchmickery
Inchmickery is a small island in the Firth of Forth in Scotland. It is about a mile north of Edinburgh.Its name comes from the Scottish Gaelic, Innis nam Bhiocaire, meaning Isle of the Vicar, implying that there may have been an old ecclesiastical or Culdee settlement here, as in nearby Inchcolm...
. Whatever the case, it has had a castle, or fortification on it, from the Middle Ages to the present day, although it is currently abandoned.
Inchgarvie was the site of a castle built by King James IV
James IV of Scotland
James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
circa 1490, presumably for defensive purposes. James licensed the owner John Dundas of Dundas
Dundas Castle
Dundas Castle is a 15th century castle, with substantial 19th century additions by William Burn, near South Queensferry, to the west of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was the home of the Dundas family, and remains in private hands.-History:...
to construct the castle on 20 March 1491.
In 1497, the island was (along with Inchkeith
Inchkeith
Inchkeith is an island in the Firth of Forth, Scotland. It is part of the council area of Fife.Inchkeith has had a colourful history as a result of its proximity to Edinburgh and strategic location for use as home for a lighthouse and for military purposes defending the Firth of Forth for attack...
, a few miles away) used as an isolated refuge for victims of the 'Grandgore', (syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
) in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. The 'grandgor' was recognised in the 1497 Minutes of the Town Council of Edinborough ( Phil. Trans. XLII. 421) "This contagious sickness callit the Grandgor.". The Grandgore Act was passed in September 1497, causing Inchgarvie, as well as other islands in the Firth, such as Inchkeith
Inchkeith
Inchkeith is an island in the Firth of Forth, Scotland. It is part of the council area of Fife.Inchkeith has had a colourful history as a result of its proximity to Edinburgh and strategic location for use as home for a lighthouse and for military purposes defending the Firth of Forth for attack...
, to be made a place of Compulsory Retirement for people suffering from this disease. They were told to board a ship at Leith
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
and, "there to remain till God provide for their health".
On 8 March 1514 Margaret, the widow of William Dundas of Dundas, undertook to manage the completion of the fortress that James IV and her father-in-law had begun building on her island. From 23 December 1514, Charles Dennison, Captain of Inchgarvie managed and fed a large royal construction team. Margaret, Lady of Dundas gave them two boats. Two 'serpentine' guns and guns from Colstone were placed on the island after a visit by artillery experts in July 1515. Between 1519 and 1671, the island was the site of a prison within the castle, and James Garvie, in his Old and New Edinburgh, says of Inchgarvie that "In 1580, Inchkeith, with Inchgarvie, was made a place of exile for the plague-stricken by order of the Privy Council".
In 1547, after the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh
Battle of Pinkie Cleugh
The Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, on the banks of the River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland on 10 September 1547, was part of the War of the Rough Wooing. It was the last pitched battle between Scottish and English armies, and is seen as the first modern battle in the British Isles...
, Inchcolm and Inchkeith
Inchkeith
Inchkeith is an island in the Firth of Forth, Scotland. It is part of the council area of Fife.Inchkeith has had a colourful history as a result of its proximity to Edinburgh and strategic location for use as home for a lighthouse and for military purposes defending the Firth of Forth for attack...
were fortified by the English, and held for two years; it is possible that Inchgarvie was fortified at this period too. On 6 September 1627, the Laird of Dundas was invited to meet the Privy Council at South Queensferry and discuss building a modern fort on the island. Like Inchkeith, Inchgarvie had a quarantine hospital, and a prison. Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
had this demolished.
During the reign of Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
as King of Scots, the island was subject to continued maintenance for defensive purposes. The island was inspected by Charles in 1651 before falling into disrepair after he was ousted by Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
following the Battle of Worcester
Battle of Worcester
The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 at Worcester, England and was the final battle of the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians defeated the Royalist, predominantly Scottish, forces of King Charles II...
.
In 1707 the island is known to have been rented to Archibald Primrose, 1st Earl of Rosebery
Archibald Primrose, 1st Earl of Rosebery
Archibald Primrose, 1st Earl of Rosebery was a Scottish politician.Son of Sir Archibald Primrose, Lord Carrington, he was a Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland for Edinburgh county from 1695....
. In 1779, however, the island's fortifications were renewed once more, in response to the threat posed by John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones was a Scottish sailor and the United States' first well-known naval fighter in the American Revolutionary War. Although he made enemies among America's political elites, his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation which persists to...
, American Naval Commander, who harassed British ships from a base in the Forth. These fortifications were never used in anger.
In 1878 the foundations for Thomas Bouch
Thomas Bouch
Sir Thomas Bouch was a British railway engineer in Victorian Britain.He was born in Thursby, near Carlisle, Cumberland, England and lived in Edinburgh. He helped develop the caisson and the roll-on/roll-off train ferry. He worked initially for the North British Railway and helped design parts of...
's Forth Bridge were laid on Inchgarvie (and their bricks remain)http://www.ourscotland.co.uk/forthislands/, but after the Tay Bridge Disaster
Tay Bridge disaster
The Tay Bridge disaster occurred on 28 December 1879, when the first Tay Rail Bridge, which crossed the Firth of Tay between Dundee and Wormit in Scotland, collapsed during a violent storm while a train was passing over it. The bridge was designed by the noted railway engineer Sir Thomas Bouch,...
, these plans were abandoned, and the island languished until the west end of the island was extended with a pier, and used as the foundation for one of the Forth Bridge
Forth Bridge (railway)
The Forth Bridge is a cantilever railway bridge over the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland, to the east of the Forth Road Bridge, and 14 kilometres west of central Edinburgh. It was opened on 4 March 1890, and spans a total length of...
's cantilever
Cantilever
A cantilever is a beam anchored at only one end. The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and shear stress. Cantilever construction allows for overhanging structures without external bracing. Cantilevers can also be constructed with trusses or slabs.This is in...
s. The island, due to its proximity to the bridge, was also used as a construction office for the bridge, as well as accommodation for its workers within the re-roofed castle buildings. Some of the stone from the former castle was used to help build the caisson
Caisson (engineering)
In geotechnical engineering, a caisson is a retaining, watertight structure used, for example, to work on the foundations of a bridge pier, for the construction of a concrete dam, or for the repair of ships. These are constructed such that the water can be pumped out, keeping the working...
s of the Forth Bridge.
Wartime operations
The island became of renewed importance to the security of the Firth of ForthFirth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
during the First and Second World Wars, during which, in combination with fortifications on Inchcolm
Inchcolm
Inchcolm is an island in the Firth of Forth in Scotland. Repeatedly attacked by English raiders during the Wars of Scottish Independence, it was fortified during both World Wars to defend nearby Edinburgh...
, and gun emplacements on the mainland to the north (at North Queensferry
North Queensferry
North Queensferry is a village in Fife, Scotland, on the Firth of Forth, between the Forth Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge, and from Edinburgh. According to the 2008 population estimate, the village has a population of 1,150. It is the southernmost settlement in Fife.The Scottish Gaelic name...
) and to the south (at Dalmeny
Dalmeny
Dalmeny is a suburban village and civil parish in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located on the south side of the Firth of Forth, east-southeast of South Queensferry and west-northwest of central Edinburgh; it falls under the local governance of the City of Edinburgh Council.The name Dalmeny is...
), it became a primary defence against air and submarine attacks on the Forth Rail Bridge
Forth Bridge (railway)
The Forth Bridge is a cantilever railway bridge over the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland, to the east of the Forth Road Bridge, and 14 kilometres west of central Edinburgh. It was opened on 4 March 1890, and spans a total length of...
and the Rosyth Dockyard
Rosyth Dockyard
Rosyth Dockyard is a large naval dockyard on the Firth of Forth at Rosyth, Fife, Scotland, owned by Babcock Marine, which primarily undertakes refitting of Royal Navy surface vessels.-History:...
. The gun emplacements were permanently manned throughout war.
It was used as a location in the 2000 film version
Complicity (film)
Complicity is a 2000 film based on the novel Complicity by Iain Banks. The screenplay was written by Bryan Elsley. It was directed by Gavin Millar...
of Iain Banks
Iain Banks
Iain Banks is a Scottish writer. He writes mainstream fiction under the name Iain Banks, and science fiction as Iain M. Banks, including the initial of his adopted middle name Menzies...
' book Complicity (novel) (1993), (directed by Gavin Millar
Gavin Millar
Gavin Millar is a Scottish film director, critic and television presenter.Millar's early career was as a film critic, most notably for The Listener from 1970 to 1984. He also contributed to Sight and Sound and The London Review of Books. With the film director Karel Reisz, he co-authored The...
).
Inchgarvie is used in the riddle, "How many inches is the Forth?", playing on a pun on 'Inch' (Innis) an old Scottish Gaelic word for island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
, and inch, the imperial measurement.
External links
- The Daily Telegraph - Where seabirds go Forth (an article on islands in the Firth of Forth)
- Online (scanned) version of Old and New Edinburgh
56°0′3"N 3°23′11"W