Login | Register
Accessibility

Font Size

100% 150% 200%

Background Colour

Default Contrast
Close Reset

Forth Defences, Outer, Inchkeith, Fire Command Post And Port War Signal Station

  • Details
  • Collections
  • Images

Naval Signal Station (First World War), Naval Signal Station (Second World War), Observation Post (First World War), Observation Post (Second World War)

Site Name Forth Defences, Outer, Inchkeith, Fire Command Post And Port War Signal Station

Classification Naval Signal Station (First World War), Naval Signal Station (Second World War), Observation Post (First World War), Observation Post (Second World War)

Alternative Name(s) Forth Defences

Canmore ID 271439

Site Number NT28SE 5.12

NGR NT 29332 82802

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/271439

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Bluesky International Limited 2025. Public Sector Viewing Terms

Toggle Aerial | View on large map
  • Correction

Digital Images

Oblique aerial view centred on the central defences, taken from the ENE.
Oblique aerial view centred on the central defences, taken from the ENE.General view of Signal Station fromSSE.Oblique aerial view centred on the central defences, taken from the SE.Oblique aerial view centred the central defences, taken from the SE.General view of lighthouse and keepers cottage with Port War Station, taken from the WNW.Detail of brick built ground floor and harled upper viewing platforms of the Inchkeith Port War Signal Station and Fire Command post on Inchkeith from NW.View of a section of 16th century wall surviving rubble infill from SE.General view of the rear of the cottages from the water catchment area with the Port War Station in the background, from the ESE.Oblique aerial view centred on the central and northern defences, taken from the SE.Oblique aerial view centred on S and Mid defences, taken from the SW.Detail of brick ground floor (earlier ?) from NW.Interior, ground floor room with wooden lined walls and fireplace.Scanned image of Luftwaffe vertical air photograph of Inchkeith. Oblique aerial view centred on Inchkeith South and mid defences with New Lighthouse in background taken from the SE.Oblique aerial view centred on the mid and S defences, taken from the NE.Oblique aerial view centred on the central defences, taken from the W.View of possible surviving section of 16th century wall below the Port War Signal Station from the SW.Oblique aerial view centred on the central defences, taken from the E.View of cottages with gatepiers and Port War Station in the background, taken from the SSW.Oblique aerial view centred on Mid and S defences, taken from the E.Oblique aerial view centred on the central defences, taken from the E.Oblique aerial view centred on Inchkeith central defences and New Lighthouse, taken from the NNW.Oblique aerial view centred on the central defences and part of the northern defences, taken from the NW.View of anti aircraft emplacement with the Coastguard cottages, water catchment aera and Port War Station in the background, taken from the SSE.General view of Port War Signal Station from SE.

Administrative Areas

  • Council Fife
  • Parish Kinghorn
  • Former Region Fife
  • Former District Kirkcaldy
  • Former County Fife

World War One Audit of Surviving Remains (4 November 2013)

World War One Audit of Surviving Remains

The Port War Signal Station lay on Inchkeith in both First and Second World Wars. The PWSS was responsible for control of access to the estuary and would have warned the gun batteries upriver of what ships were approaching.

Information from HS/RCAHMS World War One Audit Project (GJB) 4 November 2013.

Further Details

Archaeology Notes

NT28SE 5.12 29332 82802

A brick and concrete building in several parts is situated on a rock outcrop immediately S of the lighthouse.

The structure consists of several buildings in one group, all with viewing paltofrms. External steel ladders survive on the S elevation with many of the steel framed windows still in situ.

J Guy 1993,; NMRS MS 810/3, 42

The Port War Station is situated on or near the highest pont of the Island (c.50m OD) about 79m SSE of the Lighthouse (NT28SE 6.00). The station is a three storey tower of brick (ground floor) and concrete with viewing platforms. accessed by external metal stairs. The building has been built within the boundary of the 16th century fortification (NT28SE 1.00), the walls of which survive on the S and E lower slopes.

The mainly brick ground floor building measures 16m by 5.8m overall with upper storeys wider. The ground floor building where the remnants of wooden lining and floor with a fireplace were noted in one room along with what may have been a wooden telephone box. Further rooms were seen to the SE. Entrance to the ground floor was from the courtyard to the W.

The upper storeys were not entered as the stairs were in a dangerous condition.

The building is annotated as 'Signal Station on both the Ordnance Survey pre First World War plan and the WO plan (RCAHMS MS 879/83). The plans depict the signal station as an area very similar to that of the ground floor brick building, but without the upper storeys, suggesting that this is an earlier structure.

Visited by RCAHMS (DE, AL), 25 February, 4th and 5th March 2009

Further Details

Activities

Project (March 2013 - September 2013)

A project to characterise the quantity and quality of the Scottish resource of known surviving remains of the First World War. Carried out in partnership between Historic Scotland and RCAHMS.

Further Details

References

MyCanmore Image Contributions


Contribute an Image

MyCanmore Text Contributions


Contribute Text