Inchgarvie

Inchgarvie
Inchgarvie Island, showing position and size relative to the Forth Bridge.
Inchgarvie Island, showing position and size relative to the Forth Bridge.
Location
Inchgarvie is located in Scotland
Inchgarvie
Inchgarvie
Inchgarvie shown within Scotland
OS grid referenceNT138795
Coordinates56°02′N 3°14′W / 56.03°N 3.23°W / 56.03; -3.23
Physical geography
Island groupFirth of Forth
Area0.83 hectares (89,340 sq ft)
Highest elevation19 metres (62 ft)
Administration
Council areaCity of Edinburgh
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Lymphad
Inchgarvie beneath the Forth Bridge during the latter's maintenance.

Inchgarvie or Inch Garvie[1] is a small, uninhabited island in the Firth of Forth. On the rocks around the island sit four caissons that make up the foundations of the Forth Bridge.

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. Although now uninhabited, Inchgarvie has been inhabited 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 like a small warship from a distance. It was armed with coast defence guns from 1901 until 1906, and again from 1908 until the 1930s.

  1. ^ "Inch Garvie". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 7 February 2019.