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Inch Garvie

Artillery Fortification (17th Century)

Site Name Inch Garvie

Classification Artillery Fortification (17th Century)

Alternative Name(s) Inchgarvie; Firth Of Forth

Canmore ID 50636

Site Number NT17NW 9

NGR NT 1357 7956

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/50636

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Digital Images

Firth of Forth, general view, showing Queensferry and Forth Rail Bridge.  Oblique aerial photograph taken facing north.
Firth of Forth, general view, showing Queensferry and Forth Rail Bridge.  Oblique aerial photograph taken facing north.Oblique aerial view of one of the spans of the Forth Rail Bridge with Inch Garvie in the foreground, looking WSW.Oblique aerial view of The Forth Bridge and Inch Garvie centred on the rail bridge and the remains of a castle, battery, coast battery and artillery fortifications, taken from the WSW.Oblique aerial view of The Forth Bridge and Inch Garvie centred on the rail bridge and the remains of a castle, battery, coast battery and artillery fortifications, taken from the ESE.Oblique aerial view of The Forth Bridge and Inch Garvie centred on the rail bridge and the remains of a castle, battery, coast battery and artillery fortifications, taken from the ENE.Inch Garvie, NT17NW 9, Ordnance Survey index card, RectoOblique aerial view of the Forth Railway Bridge and Inch Garvie island, looking to the SE.Oblique aerial view of The Forth Bridge and Inch Garvie centred on the rail bridge and the remains of a castle, battery, coast battery and artillery fortifications, taken from the NE.Oblique aerial view centred on Inchgarvie, taken from the SW.Oblique aerial view centred on the W end of Inchgarvie, taken from the S.Oblique aerial view of the Forth Railway Bridge and Inch Garvie island, looking to the SSE.Forth Bridge Dalmeny, West Lothian, Scotland. Oblique aerial photograph taken facing North/East. Forth Rail Bridge and Inch Garvie, Firth of Forth.  Oblique aerial photograph taken facing east.  This image has been produced from a print.Oblique aerial view of The Forth Bridge and Inch Garvie centred on the rail bridge and the remains of a castle, battery, coast battery and artillery fortifications, taken from the SSE.Oblique aerial view of The Forth Bridge and Inch Garvie centred on the rail bridge and the remains of a castle, battery, coast battery and artillery fortifications, taken in 1998.Oblique aerial view of The Forth Bridge and Inch Garvie centred on the rail bridge and the remains of a castle, battery, coast battery and artillery fortifications, taken from the SW.Oblique aerial view of The Forth Bridge and Inch Garvie centred on the rail bridge and the remains of a castle, battery, coast battery and artillery fortifications, taken from the SE.Oblique aerial view of The Forth Bridge and Inch Garvie centred on the rail bridge and the remains of a castle, battery, coast battery and artillery fortifications, taken from the SE.Oblique aerial view of the Forth Railway Bridge and Inch Garvie island, looking to the WSW.Forth Rail Bridge and North Queensferry, Firth of Forth.  Oblique aerial photograph taken facing north.  This image has been produced from a print.Oblique aerial view of The Forth Bridge and Inch Garvie centred on the rail bridge and the remains of a castle, battery, coast battery and artillery fortifications, taken from the E.Firth of Forth, general view, showing Forth Rail Bridge and North Queensferry.  Oblique aerial photograph taken facing south.Oblique aerial view of one of the spans of the Forth Rail Bridge with Inch Garvie in the foreground, looking WSW.Forth Rail Bridge and Inchcolm, Firth of Forth.  Oblique aerial photograph taken facing east.  This image has been produced from a print.Scanned image of oblique aerial view of The Forth Bridge and Inch Garvie centred on the rail bridge and the remains of a castle, battery, coast battery and artillery fortifications, taken from the SSE.Oblique aerial view centred on Inchgarvie, taken from the SSW.Firth of Forth, general view, showing Forth Rail Bridge and North Queensferry.  Oblique aerial photograph taken facing south.Oblique aerial view of The Forth Bridge and Inch Garvie centred on the rail bridge and the remains of a castle, battery, coast battery and artillery fortifications, taken from the SSE.Oblique aerial view of The Forth Bridge and Inch Garvie centred on the rail bridge and the remains of a castle, battery, coast battery and artillery fortifications, taken from the ENE.Forth Rail Bridge and Inch Garvie, Firth of Forth.  Oblique aerial photograph taken facing south-west.Forth Rail Bridge and Inverkeithing Bay, Firth of Forth.  Oblique aerial photograph taken facing north.  This image has been produced from a print.Forth Rail Bridge and North Queensferry, Firth of Forth.  Oblique aerial photograph taken facing north.  This image has been produced from a print.Oblique aerial view of The Forth Bridge and Inch Garvie centred on the rail bridge and the remains of a castle, battery, coast battery and artillery fortifications, taken from the SSE.Oblique aerial view of The Forth Bridge and Inch Garvie centred on the rail bridge and the remains of a castle, battery, coast battery and artillery fortifications, taken from the ENE.Oblique aerial view of The Forth Bridge and Inch Garvie centred on the rail bridge and the remains of a castle, battery, coast battery and artillery fortifications, taken from the NW.Inch Garvie, NT17NW 9, Ordnance Survey index card, page number 1, Recto

Administrative Areas

  • Council Edinburgh, City Of
  • Parish Dalmeny
  • Former Region Lothian
  • Former District City Of Edinburgh
  • Former County West Lothian

Archaeology Notes

NT17NW 9 1357 7956

(NT 1357 7956) Fort (NR) (rems of)

OS 6" map (1968).

See also NT17NW 10 and NT17NW 13.

Inchgarvie, an important strategic point, was strongly defended by the Royalists against Cromwell in 1650-1. It had as many guns mounted on it, and men set to work them, as its castle could hold. (See also NT17NW 10 and NT17NW 13 ). In conjunction with the Royalist fort described on NT18SW 36, it was fairly effective in preventing Cromwell's supplies passing up the Forth, but was forced to surrender to Cromwell in person on 24 July 1651, probably because of a lack of fresh water (W S Douglas 1898).

The remains consist of a low, roughly built wall with embrasures and of an oval figure; the wall is about 4 1/2 ft high and about a yard in width, constructed of rough, small stones and mortar.

Name Book 1854.

The remains of this fort are in poor condition, modern brickwork having been introduced into the structure, possibly when the island was fortified during the last two wars. The average height of the walls is 4.5m.

Visited by OS (JD) 9 March 1955.

Inchgarvie was defended by the Royalists against Cromwell in the Civil War. It had many guns mounted on it. The remains of a fort were described as being in poor condition in 1955 with modern brickwork having been incorporated into the structure during the past two World Wars. The average height of the walls was 4.5m. Dickson 1899 Inchgarvie, pp 3- 31

Site recorded by GUARD during the Coastal Assessment Survey for Historic Scotland, 'The Firth of Forth from Dunbar to the Coast of Fife' 1996.

Scheduled (with NT17NW 10 and NT17NW 13) as Inch Garvie, Firth of Forth, defensive installations.

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 19 August 1996.

Architecture Notes

EXTERNAL REFERENCE:

National Library of Scotland

'Master Masons I p....o '

References

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