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The Forth Bridge and its vicinity—Island of Inchgarvie— North Queensferry
and its peninsula—Rosyth Castle— The town of Inverkeithing—Its history and
objects of interest.
THE passage of the Firth of
Forth at Queensferry, already well known, is likely, ere long, to attain a
much greater and more diffused celebrity in connection with the wonderful
railway bridge now in process of construction at this point across the
estuary. It may be premature, as yet, to speculate either on the results of
this undertaking when completed, or the general appearance which the
structure will present in connecting the shore of the Lothians with that of
Fife; but there seems little reason to doubt that it will display one of the
most extraordinary and stupendous monuments ever achieved by human ingenuity
and industry. Concentrating, as it does, the application of so much skill,
energy, and perseverance, there appears little risk in predicting that it is
destined to figure as one of the wonders of the world.
In the following work—which
is intended to serve as a pictorial and historical delineation of, as well
as a practical guide to, the districts lying along the north shore of the
Forth between North Queensferry and String, and inland as far as the Ochils—any
extended description of an uncompleted structure like the Forth Bridge will
doubtless scarcely be expected. Yet, as it is destined to form in future one
of the main accesses to this region, and even now looms forth to the eye of
the traveller as a gigantic skeleton, it may not be deemed inexpedient that,
in conducting my reader to the Fife shore, I should present him with a
slight sketch of the history of the vast structure which, in all its
interesting though unfinished details, must present itself so markedly to
hmi as he steams across to North Queensferry from Port Edgar.
The adventurous spirit of
engineering science which had been called forth so prominently in the
achievements of Biindley and Smeaton in the second half of the last, and of
Telford :n the early part of the present century, had initiated a career of
triumphs over natural difficulties and obstructions which exhibited, as the
first-fruits of its energy, the Bridgewater Canal, the Eddystone Lighthouse,
and the bridge over the Menai Straits. James Watt m developing the powers of
the steam-engine, and the elder Stephenson in applying these to locomotives
on railways, had effected a still mightier stride in this direction; whilst
the younger Stephenson and the two Brunels, father and son, also contributed
no less effectual aid. It was an age for mighty schemes—some of them,
doubtless, more or less chimerical, but all, in their very extravagance,
bearing evidence of the adventurous spirit that was abroad. It was the same
spirit of adventure— now employed in more prosaic and practical
undertakings— which in former times had animated British explorers and
navigators in discovering new lands and forming new settlements in distant
regions of the globe.
The breadth of the channel
between North and South Queensferry is, roundly stated, about a mile and a
half, and the island of Inchgarvie is situated nearly midway between these
places. In consequence of the great narrowing of the Forth at this point—to
less than a half of its breadth between Culross and Borrowstounness—it is to
be expected that the current in the main channel of the estuary will both be
much stronger and flow in a much deeper bed than is to be found at any point
above or below. There is, accordingly, on the north side of the island of
Inchgarvie, an exceedingly deep channel, which reaches a depth of at least
210 feet, or 35 fathoms, with a breadth of about r6oo feet. On the south
side of the island there is a depth of 180 feet, or 30 fathoms, which,
however, diminishes considerably as we proceed to South Queensferry. Between
the island and the North Ferry, the same great depth of water almost
uniformly continues—a depth which is greater than in almost any other part
of the Forth, and even than in many places of the German Ocean.
With such a vast distance to
be spanned between Inchgarvie and the Fife shore, it will readily be
conceived that the idea of connecting the Queensferries presents, at first
sight, the appearance of being roo chimerical to be entertained. In the
earlier years of the present century, however, the project had been mooted
of effecting this purpose by a suspension-bridge of two spans, the middle
support of which should be on the island of Inchgarvie. It was abandoned as
an impossible scheme; as was also another idea which, some jears previously,
had been broached — that of constructing a tunnel beneath the bed of the
Forth. Years passed on, and for a long time Queensferry seemed not only
destined to be undistinguished as a theatre of mechanical and scientific
ingenuity, but likewise fated to remain less in accord with the spirit of
the age than other places in Great Britain. The great railway lines of
communication between the north and the south of Scotland, instead of having
their traffic carried across the Forth at this point—the natural and most
convenient passage—were transferred to the stormy, and occasionally
impassable, ferry between Granton and Burntisland; and the direct route to
the north, by Dunfermline and Kinross, was abandoned for the circuitous one
by Lady-bank Junction, through the eastern district of Fife. It is only
within the last few years that Dunfermline and Edinburgh have become
directly connected by railway.
About twenty years ago the
project was again started of constructing a bridge across the Forth; and to
obviate the difficulties presented by the depth of the channel and strength
of the current between Inchgarvie and North Queensferry, it was resolved to
erect it at a point higher up- -nearly between the castles of Rosyth and
Blackness —where the general breadth of the estuary is certainly much
greater, but the depth as well as strength of current of the "fairway," or
principal channel, is much less. Monetary rather than physical
considerations led to this scheme being abandoned after some eloquent
expositions and panegyrics on the subject had been made in the public
journals.
The apparently successful
completion of the railway bridge across the Tay seems to have revived the
idea of a similar one across the Forth ; and accordingly, the preparing of a
design of this description was intrusted to Sir Thomas Bouch, the engineer
of the Tay Bridge. This commission he fulfilled by devising for the passage
of the Forth at Queensferry a
railway suspension-bridge, of which the middle pier or piers were to reach
the height of 596 feet, and those at the extremities 5S4. To guard against
any extraordinary pressure of winds and tempests, a resistance was provided
to a pressure of 10 lb. on the square foot, and this was supposed to form a
sufficiently ample security for any emergency. The anticipation thus
entertained, however, was rudely dissipated by the terrible disaster which
befell the Tay Bridge on the evening of Sunday, 28th of December 1879. The
overthrow of the structure, and of a railway train passing over it, with an
accompanying loss of human life, demonstrated the necessity of a more
effectual provision being made against unwonted tempests and cataclysms than
had previously been deemed necessary. Sir Thomas himself did not long
survive the overthrow of his work, and the whole of the circumstances
connected with it led to the conviction that the Forth Bridge, if it were to
be proceeded with at all, must be constructed on entirely different lines,
and with much more effectual safeguards. Another scheme was accordingly set
on foot, and the present structure, which now seems calculated to obviate
all chances of a similar catastrophe, is the result.
The designs for this work
were prepared by Mr John Fowler and Mr B. Baker, civil engineers, and
approved of by the Board of Trade on 9th December 1881. The contractors for
the work are Sir Thomas Tancred, C.E., London, and Messrs W. Arrol & Co.,
Dalmarnock Ironworks, Glasgow. The cost was fixed at ^1,600,000, and the
work was originally expected to be concluded by the end of 1887.
The present bridge is a
girder-bridge, and comprises two long spans of 1700 feet each, over the deep
channels lying respectively on the north and south sides of the island of
Inchgarvie. There are also two subsidiary spans of 675 feet each—one on the
north and the other on the south side of the two great spans; whilst a
series of piers, with openings between each of 150 feet, commencing at the
Ferry Ilill on the north, and ending at the top of the Ha's Brae on the
south shore, complete the structure.
In spanning the deep channels
on either side of Inchgarvie, a system ot " cantilevers " or projecting
supports has been employed. These are three in number— one 011 the island
itself, and one on the north and south side respectively. Each cantilever
rests on four cylindrical pieces of masonry, which again repose on a bed of
concrete, which has been deposited in an excavation made in the solid rock
or hard boulder-clay. Each holds forth an arm, 650 feet in length, from the
right and left respectively of the centre; and each cantilever rises to a
height of 350 feet above its supporting piers. A series of hori.zontal
girders are carried between the cantilevers and the shores of the Forth on
the viaduct piers to the north and south. These girders were placed on the
top of the viaduct piers, whilst the latter had only an elevation of 20 feet
above low-water mark, and have been gradually raised as the stonework
beneath is built up to the further height of 130 feet. Each of the viaduct
piers will thus have a total height above low-water of 150 feet. Besides a
massive abutment at each shore, and the three cantilevers, each resting on
its group of four piers, there are sixteen viaduct piers—six on the north
and ten on the south side of the island of Inchgarvie. In these sixteen
piers are included two great subsidiary cantilever piers—one on the north
side on land, and the other on the south side in shallow water—each of which
forms the junction respectively of the north and south cantilevers with the
viaduct.
Since its commencement the
work has been carried on both day and night by the aid of relays of
labourers; and to enable this to be accomplished with greater facility, the
electric light has been employed for illuminating both the workshops at
South Queensferry and the works on the bridge itself. The number of workmen
employed is upwards of 1000, and the cost of the plant is roughly estimated
at £100,000.
The Forth Bridge is upwards
of a mile in length, and as regards that of the two great spans (about a
third of a mile for each), is four times the size of any bridge hitherto
constructed. There are four classes of materials employed—steel, granite,
whinstone, and Portland cement. With regard to the first of them, special
considerations of durability and resistance to pressure have led to its
employment instead of that of cast-iron, which formed the leading material
in Sir Thomas Bouch's design. The superstructure of the bridge, including
the girders, cantilevers, and struts, are entirely composed of
wrought-steel, which has also been manufactured and adjusted at the
workshops on the spot. It is estimated that 50,000 tons of steel will have
been used in the course of the operations. The under side of the girders at
the cantilever piers is arched, and their depth will amount to 340 feet at
the piers, gradually diminishing towards the centre, where it is about 50
feet. This minimum depth of 50 feet is continued for about a length of 500
feet; so that, in the centre of the two great spans, there is a clear
elevation of 150 feet above high-water level—thus enabling the loftiest
three-master to pass beneath without striking. The resistance of the whole
structure, though loaded with a couple of trains weighing 900 tons each, is
calculated to withstand a pressure of 56 lb. to the square foot—an enormous
amount, and nearly six times greater than that which Sir Thomas Bouch deemed
it necessary to provide against in his design of the Forth Bridge.
The journey by railway from
Edinburgh to South Queensferry, by Ratho and Kirkliston, is pleasant enough,
but is both much more circuitous and much less beaut ful than that by road
over the Dean and Cramond Bridges, and down the Ha's Brae. The route between
Edinburgh and Cramond Brig has been characterised as about the finest bit of
turnpike road in the three kingdoms, whilst the view of the Forth and its
shores above and below Queensferry is one of the grandest prospects that can
anywhere be obtained. To some extent, indeed, this can still be enjoyed from
the train between the stations of South Queensferry and the steamboat pier
at Port Edgar; but it falls much short of the coup (Peril that presents
itself to the traveller by coach, as he descends the hill to the inn at
Newhalls—better known by its time-honoured appellation of the "Ha's," as
immortalised in the opening chapters of 'The Antiquary.' It is shorn indeed,
now, of much of the importance which it enjoyed as the halting-place, in the
coaching days, for travellers between the south and north; but it
nevertheless continues to remain, both through its proximity to the Forth
Bridge and as a pleasant resort of excursionists from Edinburgh, a very
comfortable and well-patronised hostelry.
The view in descending the
Ha's Brae takes in the whole estuary of the Forth, from Grangemouth and
Kincardine to Inchkeith. At the upper extremity to the west the picture is
bounded by the Kilsyth and Campsie hills, with the low grounds of the carses
of Falkirk and Stirling lying between them and the Forth. Farther round to
the north-west appears the mighty Ben Lomond, with his group of attendant
hills; whilst the horizon on the north is bordered from earth to sky by the
beautiful and picturesque chain of the Ochils, extending in varied and
verdant beauty from the neighbourhood of Stirling to that of Kinross and the
lower shores of the Tay. Between them and the Forth, to the north-west of
the spectator, stretches a beautifully undulating country, which in many
places, and more especially adjoining the water, will vie in richness with
the most finely cultivated districts in England. The wooded braes of Culross
Bay arc easily discernible in clear weather, and nearer at hand appears the
regal town of Dunfermline, with its towers and steeples covering the
southern side of a sunny slope. The square grey tower of Rosyth on its
penuisula is seen close to the water's edge; and below t is the Ferry Hill,
projecting into and greatly narrowing the Firth of Forth, with the village
of North Queensferry reposing at the foot of the rocky eminence. The great
pool or roadstead above the Ferry, with St Margaret's Hope at its north-east
extremity—so well known as the haven of distressed mariners—widens out
placidly on the left, almost like a landlocked lake, on the southern shore
of which appear in succession the Kinncil Ironworks, the busy and thriving
if not particularly attractive town of Borrowstounness, the picturesque
village of Carriden, the castle of Blackness, and the beautifully wooded
grounds of Hopetoun. Then close at hand is the burgh of South Queensferry,
whilst midway between it and its sister on the north shore is the island of
Inchgarvie —once indeed, with its fortalice, a picturesque-looking rock, but
now almost completely obscured and buried underneath the works of the Forth
Bridge, which form a prominent object immediately below the spectator, on
the right. Away down in the same direction are, on the southern shore, the
finely wooded grounds of Dalmeny Park and Barnbougle; and on the north, the
entrance to Inverkeitlnng harbour, with the picturesque domain of
Donibristle extending beyond and eastwards down the Firth. Here, too.
directly opposite to the last-mentioned place, and nestling in a nook of the
estuary, is the far-famed island of Inchcolm, with its ecclesiastical
traditions, and its quaint-looking grey tower rising up from its rocks and
old conventual buildings. Beyond extends the ever-expanding bosom of the
Firth, with Inchkeith in the middle and the Fife and Lothian shores on
either hand. Altogether, from this coign of vantage, the traveller may here
contemplate, n a general view, a great part of the district to which he will
shortly be introduced in greater detail.
In crossing the Firth from
Port Edgar to North Queensferry, the attention of the traveller will
naturally be attracted both to the buildings of the Forth Bridge, wh;ch he
sees on his right, and also to the little rocky islet of Inchgarvie, which
is situated in mid-channel, and has been largely utilised, both as a
resting-place for the great centre cantilever, and also for a suite of
offices and workshops in connection with the structure. So great a change
has been effected here as completely to have metamorphosed the island,
which, with .ts little fortress perched on it, seemed in former days to rise
like a Patmos in the m»dst of the waters. It now resounds with the din and
turmoil of act.ve labour; whilst the whole place, covered as t is with
erections and appliances of various kinds, seems to be consigned to the fate
generally meted out to all natural objects that either stand in the way of,
or can be ut Used for, the requirements of practical science. Hardly now
would the Malva arborea vtarina, which, as Sir Robert Sibbald informs us,
used formerly to have its special habitat on Inchgarvie, be found in the
recesses of its rocks. The plant, in fact, has for a long time disappeared
from the island; and it is related that Dr Graham, the predecessor of the
late Dr Balfour in the Botanical Chair in the Edinburgh University, made an
expedition here on one occasion with the express object of securing a
specimen. He procured a boat, landed on the island, and, to his utter
dismay, discovered a goat in the act of munching the very last plant that
still remained!
The earliest notice we have
of Inchgarvie is contained in a charter granted by James IV. in 1491 to John
Dundas of that Ilk, in which, under consideration of the great damage done
to the shores of Scottish estuaries by marauding bands of pirates from
England and other countries, his Majesty grants to the Laird of Dundas, in
property, the island of Inchgarvie, with the power of erecting thereon such
fortifications as might appear necessary for the purpose of defending the
coasts of the Forth at the strait of the Queensfeny. A fortress of some
kind, in consequence of this warrant, seems to have been erected, as, more
than half a century afterwards, we find its capture recorded by the Earl of
Hertford, during his expedition into Scotland in 1544.
There is, or was till
recently, at the west extremity of Inchgarvie, an ancient fort or redoubt,
which may have formed part of the buildings erected by the Laird of Dundas
in the end of the fifteenth century, and taken by the English fleet during
Hertford's expedition in 1544. During the preparations against Cromwell's
invasion in 1650—preparations destined to prove so nugatory—the Scottish
Parliament issued orders on 21st June for the fortification and victualling
of Inchgarvie, " and that 20 musketers and a commander be put therin, that
the Provest of Edinburghe furnishe the said garrison with coles out of Duik
Hamilton's coleheughe, and he to be payed for them."
1 do not know whether it was
in connection with the above order of the Scottish Parliament for fortifying
Inchgarvie, or its occupation at a subsequent period by the troops of
Cromwell, that we find the royal burgh of Culross much exercised by a
requisition made 011 it for a supply of bedding for the use of the garrison.
More likely .t was on account of the latter's army that it had to make this
contribution, as recorded >n the Town Council minutes. A similar requisition
to apparently a much greater extent was made about the same time on the
people of Culross, to furnish feather-beds, blankets, and other appliances
to a detachment of the Protector's soldiers who had been sent to occupy the
fortress of Castle Campbell at Dollar. The fortification which crowns the
summit and eastern extremity of Inchgarvie is probably of ancient origin,
but assumed its present appearance and dimensions in consequence of the
build-mgs erected here at the time of Paul Jones's expedition, and also
subsequently in the beginning of the present century, when it was fitted up
and remodelled as one of the defences of the Forth.
The railway piers on each
side of the Forth are situated a little farther up than those which were
used in the coaching days, and the passage across is effected by the
steamers in little over ten minutes. The whole journey by train from
Edinburgh to Dunfermline occupies about an hour and a half, and were the
route by the direct line of the old coach-road, the distance might almost be
traversed in an hour. The railway from the north pier s carried by tunnel
through the Ferry Hill, then turns eastwards by Inverkeithing, where there
is a station, and after that in a north westerly direction, without any
stoppage, to Comely Park Station, Dunfermline. Shortly after leaving
Inverkeithing it crosses the field of the celebrated battle which bears that
name, in the valley which lies to the north of Castlelandhill, and to the
south of Pitreavie House. An account will be found subsequently of the town
of Dunfermline and adjoining district.
North Queensferry {Hotel:
Albert is a pleasant and picturesque-looking village, lying at the foot of
the Ferry Hill, where the latter terminates its long projection into the
Forth, and thus causes a narrowing of the estuary. It is six miles from
Dunfermline by road, and is much resorted to by visitors in the summer-time.
On the hill behind, Cromwell's troops were encamped in 1651, when they were
conveyed across the Forth previous to the battle of Inverkeithing. The
promontory at its north-east extremity is termed "Cruickness," and forms the
southwest corner of Inverkeithing harbour. Between this and North
Queensferry is a pleasant walk, leading along the little lonely recess of
Port Laing, whose silver sands and clear waters afford excellent opportunity
for sea-bathing. The locality at Cruickness is also known by the name of the
" Lazaretto," from its having been at one time a quarantine station, which,
however, ceased to be used as such nearly sixty years ago, and the buildings
in connection with it were sold. A curious circumstance in relation to this
neighbourhood is, that it used formerly to be infested with adders, which
are still occasionally to be met with about Port Laing, though their number
is now greatly diminished. I believe these reptiles are still to be found in
Moss Morran, near Crossgates, to the east of Dunfermline, and possibly also
in one or two other places of a similar description; but generally speaking,
they are quite unknown in the cultivated districts on the shores of the
Forth.
The village of North
Queensferry, with the district lying immediately behind it, belongs civilly
to the parish of Dunfermline; and a former minister of that town, who used
to rusticate every summer for six weeks at the pleasant little waterng-place,
used to boast that he enjoyed this sojourn within the limits of his own
parish. The island of Inchgarvie, however, and the rock called Bimar, are in
the parish of Inverkeithing. The superior of the ground at Queensferry is
the Marquis of Tweed-dale, as representative of the Earls of Dunfermline,
the ancient lords of the regality, and from him the village is feued. It
must at all times have been, from its situation, a ferry station; but the
earliest historical notice that we have regarding it is in connection with
Queen Margaret, sister of Edgar Atheling, and wife of Malcolm Canmore. Along
with her mother and sisters and brother, she had been driven by stress of
weather into the Firth of Forth, on the occasion of their flight from
England and the power of "William the Conqueror. Their vessel came to anchor
in the little bay at the north-west corner of the Ferry Hill, which has
derived, along with the adjoining roadstead, the appellation of St
Margaret's Hope, whilst the passage itself has been denominated " the
Queen's ferry." Buchanan terms it Margarita Portus. The Ferry was formerly
under the custody of the Abbots of Dunfermline, who were entitled to every
fourth penny of passage-money, on the understanding of then- maintaining a
supply of boats; and over and above this, they were entitled to every
fortieth penny, as an impost leviable by them for the erection and repair of
the choir of Dunfermline Abbey. After the Reformation the management passed
into the hands of the neighbouring proprietors, such as Henderson of Fordel,
Stewart of Rosyth, Dundas of Dundas, and others. But it was ultimately, and
has been for many years, under the direction of a board of parliamentary
trustees. It used to be said that the currents at Queensferry were so
peculiar that none but boatmen who had been accustomed to them from boyhood
could be intrusted with their navigation. An unpleasant demonstration of
this was experienced in the beginning of the present century by the Ferry
trustees, when they dismissed the old boatmen, but were obliged to reinstate
them in consequence of the impossibility of finding others competent to
supply their places.
Besides Inchgarvie, but
nearer to the shore, there are in connection with North Queensferry the
singular rock of Bimar, on which a stone pillar or beacon is stationed; the
rocks known as the Long Craig, opposite Craig Dhu House; and those of
Craigmarmor, in St Margaret's Hope. A bank indeed, or reef of rocks, runs
the whole way up the north shore of the Firth from Long Craig Island,
crossing Culross Bay in the Craigmore and Craigengarth rocks, and
terminating at Longannet Point, about a mile below Kincardine-on-Forth. The
space between this line and the shore is, for the most part, nearly dry at
low water.
The north abutment of the
Forth Bridge rests at a point at the south-east extremity of the village,
which is generally known as "The Battery," and so called from the
fortifications which were erected here at the time when Paul Jones's
manoeuvres were alarming the denizens of Fife and the Lothians. There is
also a pier here, employed in certain states of the tide for the transit of
goods and passengers to the opposite shore. Immediately adjoining, and
inland, are extensive whinstone quarries, for which the Ferry Hill has long
been famous. Pennant, in his tour through Scotland more than a hundred years
ago, speaks of the "granite" quarries at Queensferry, and the immense export
from them to London and other places of paving-stones. The most important of
these quarries, however, is situated on the road to Dunfermline, close to
the old Ferry toll-house. The blocks which are wrought and squared here are
celebrated over the length and breadth of the United Kingdom for their
admirable qualities as paving-stones, and their form an extensive article of
export. They have been largely used also in the construction of the Forth
Bridge.
The only monument of
antiquity of whidq the village can boast s the gable of an ancient chapel,
with its little burying-ground, which is completely surrounded with houses,
and almost totally concealed from ordinary observation. Few, indeed, are
aware of its existence beyond those living in the immediate neighbourhood.
This chapel was originally founded by Robert the Bruce, and attached by him
as au appanage to the Abbey of Dunfermline. It was destroyed by Cromwell's
troops in 1651.
The old road from North
Queensferry to Dunfermline led right over the h;il from behind the village,
and for those who like a grand view and do not object to a stiff climb, :t
has many recommendations. But it is quite impracticable for carriages, or at
least these would accomplish the journey much faster by taking the ordinary
turnpike road round the west shoulder of the Ferry Hill, and then at the old
toll-house turning eastwards to Inverkeithing, the distance of which from
the Ferry is about two miles. The inner recess of St Margaret's Hope, along
which the road passes, seems in ancient times to have served both as a
harbour and point of departure for the opposite side; and there is every
probability that it was here the unfortunate Queen Mary crossed the Forth,
after her escape from Loch Leven, on her way to Lord Seton's castle of
Niddry, in West Lothian. Here, too, the vessel containing Edgar Atheling and
his sister Margaret, must have anchored when a tempest drove them mto the
Forth; and here they were visited by King Malcolm Canmore, who shortly
afterwards conducted Margaret to Dunfermline as his bride. Probably this
recess, so sheltered and convenient, is the original and real Queensferry.
Looking westwards from this
point up the Firth, the eye rests on the square tower of Rosyth Castle, on
its peninsula projecting into the sea, about a mile distant. The early
history of this building, like that of many of these old castles, cannot be
ascertained; but along with the adjoining lands and barony of Rosyth, it
belonged till about the end of the seventeenth century to a family of the
name of Stewart, which traced its descent lineally from James Stewart of
Durisdeer, in Dumfriesshire, brother of Walter Stewart, son-in-law to King
Robert the Bruce, and father of Robert II. It subsequently passed for a time
into the hands of the Earl of Rosebery, and afterwards was purchased by the
Earl of Hopetoun, in the possession of whose descendant it still remains.
The original purchaser of the barony seems to have been Sir David Stewart of
Durisdeer, who afterwards took his designation from Rosyth, and was the
patron and friend of Walter Bowmaker or Bower, Abbot of Inchcolm in the
fifteenth century, and author of the continuation of Fordun's History or '
Scotichronicon.' The Stewarts of Rosyth seem always to have been ardent
Royalists, and to have borne no goodwill to the Presbyterian cause. A
complaint is recorded in the ' Book of the Universal Kirk of Scotland,'
under the year 1577, as made by the Rev. David Ferguson, the well-known
minister of Dunfermline, against the young Laird of Rosyth, that, contrary
to the law, he had caused his father or other predecessor to be interred
within the church of Dunfermline. In the middle of the next century we find
the then proprietor suffering severely for his Royalist proclivities by
imprisonment, and an order issued to have his woods of "Hnirschaw" cut down
to repair the habitations in the parishes of Muckhart and Dollar, which had
been destroyed by Montrose's soldiers on the march through to Kilysth.
Rosyth Castle is entirely in
ruins, and consists of a broad square tower of three storeys and
battlements. It contains on the first floor a handsome and ample hall,
having on the east and west sides respectively two large windows fitted with
elegant cross muliions of much more recent construction than the rest of the
building, inasmuch as they have marked on them "F.S." and " M.N.," with the
date 1639. On the left-hand side of the entrance to the tower is a stone on
which the following inscription might at one time be read:—
"in dew tym draw this cord the
pei, to clink,
qvhais mf.ry voce varnis to meat and drink."
The words are now almost
illegible, but I can testify to their having been many years ago more easy
to decipher. Outside of the tower to the south and west arc the remains of
other btn'Mings which have formed part of the castle. Over the gateway
entering from the north is a mouldered coat-of-arms surmounted by a crown,
with the letters and date "M.R. 1561." It is quite possible that these were
put up on the occasion of a visit paid by Queen Mary to the Stewarts of
Rosyth, who were members of her own family.
The castle stands on a green
knoll pro'ecting into the sea, and almost directly opposite to it on the
shore is an ancient pigeon-house, with a vaulted roof evidently coeval with
the castle, and reminding one of what is frequently quoted as a
characteristic of a Fife laird: "A wee pickle rent, a gey pickle debt, and a
doocot."
The " Loanhead of Rosyth
"—that is to say, the junction of the Ferry road with the lane leading down
to the castle—is said to have been the scene of the murder in 1530 of Sir
James Inglis, Abbot of Culross, by John Blackadder, Laird of Tulliallan. The
latter had conceived a grudge against Inglis for granting a lease of some
lands over his head to one of the Erskines of Balgownie; and he
consequently, with some retainers, lay in wait for the abbot, attacked and
slew him. He was condemned and beheaded for the crime in Edinburgh shortly
afterwards, as was also one of the monks of Culross, who had been concerned
with him in the atrocity.
Turning away now from the
prospect of Rosyth Castle, we shall continue along the highroad, and keeping
the railway, which has just emerged from the Ferry Hill tunnel, on our
right, and also skirting on the same side the shore of Inverkeithing Bay or
harbour, we shall arrive after a walk of about a mile at the ancient burgh
of that name.
Inverkeithing {Hotel: The
Royal) is one of that group of little burgh towns which stud the north shore
of the Forth from Crail to Culross, and exhibit for the most part
unequivocal traces of having decayed from the grandeur and importance which
they enjoyed as the emporia of trade and commerce previous to the union of
the kingdoms. One or two of them, such as Kirkcaldy and Burntisland, have
kept pace with the general prosperity of the country; but with the most of
them the days of their glory are gone, never to return. There are still
hopes, however, for Inverkeithing, partly from the improvement which the
completion of the Forth Bridge may bring about, partly from the possible
revival of one or two trades, such as shipbuilding and iron-founding, which
till recently were conducted with considerable success ,n this place. At
present the only works in full operation are a ropework, a brickfield, a
tannery, and a sawmill. The Borland distillery—a depressing-looking ruin —
stands on the banks of the Keithmg, and a similar impress on is made by the
appearance of the more recently closed foundry and shipbuilding-yard.
The town of Inverkeithing has
rather a quaint and picturesque aspect when] approached from the cast; but
on entering it from the direction either of Queensferry or Dunfermiine, the
traveller is not likely to be greatly attracted by its appearance. It
occupies a sort of terrace on a rising ground sloping down to the sea, and
consists mainly of one broad street, having a sort of parallelogram or
square in the centre, with a steep descent at the east or older end of the
town, leading down near the church by the tolbooth and municipal buildings
to the bridge over the Keithing and the road to Aberdour. The stream just
named is of no importance, and, as the appellation of the town denotes,
falls here into Inverkeithing Bay, which, landlocked as it is, with a narrow
entrance between two projecting points, would form one of the finest natural
harbours in the world had it a sufficiency of depth of water. But at
ebb-tide it <s left almost entirely dry.
Inverkeithing in the ancient
days of the Scottish monarchy was a place of great importance. It obtained a
charter in the end of the twelfth century from William the Lion, erecting,
or rather confirming a previous charter of erection of the town into a royal
burgh.
A subsequent charter of
confirmation was granted by James VI. in 1598. The Exchequer Rolls testify
to its importance as a commercial emporium, and the customs levied at the
port of Inverkeithing formed a valuable item in the revenues of the Scottish
Crown. It seems also to have been a favourite port of embarkation and
transit, and on one occasion we find the burgh authorities reimbursed by the
Exchequer for the expenses to which they had been subjected by the Princess
Elizabeth, daughter of James I. of Scotland, landing at and passing through
the town in 1429. At another time a charge is entered among the expenses of
the Crown for the outlay attending the transmission from Dunfermline to
Stirling Castle via, Inverkeithing of the chemise or sark of St Margaret, as
a guard to Mary of Gueldres, queen of James II., against any dangers which
might be impending over her Majesty on the occasion of the birth of the
Prince Royal, afterwards James III. The garment in question seems again to
have been sent for at the birth of James V. It had evidently enjoyed an
exalted reputation as a prophylactic in such emergencies, and was probably
one of the most cherished treasures in the reliquary of Dunfermline.
The lands adjoining
Inverkeithing, including Spencer-field, the Dales, &c., belonged formerly to
the Moubrays of Barnbougle, who were afterwards succeeded in the latter
estate by the Primrose or Rosebery family. The Hendersons of Fordel had also
great influence ;n Inverkeithing, and acted as its provosts for several
generations. Old houses are still shown in the town as the residences of the
Fordel and Dalmeny families.
It is said that Annabella
Drummond, queen of Robert III., died in Inverkeithing in 1403, and the
mansion which she occupied on the south side of the great square is still
pointed out and known as the "Palace " or "Rotmells Inns." Though within the
town of Inverkeithing, it holds of the Crown alone, and is exempted from
burgh services. Tl;e building is now divided into three tenements, in the
westmost of which a room is shown in which Queen Annabella is said to have
died. The ceilings of the basement storey are vaulted, and there seems to
have been a passage, also vaulted, leading through from the street to the
garden. In the latter, beneath a bleaching-green in the south-east corner,
are three vaulted chambers, two of them entered by a descending flight of
steps; and from one of them, which is entered by a pointed archway, and has
a small arched window adjoining, an interior vault opens, though the
entrance is almost choked up with rubbish. One of these vaults is said to
have been a chapel, but they are all more likely to have been storehouses or
cellars beneath either the Dominican or Franciscan monastery, both of which
existed at Inverkeithing. The so-called chapel is spoken of as St Mary's
Chapel, and above the vaults on the bleaching-green can be traced the
remains of buildings, evidently those of the monastery.
The church of Inverkeithing
is a modern building, an older edifice having been destroyed by fire in
1825; but the tower, which escaped that fate, is very ancient. At present,
and for a long time past, an upper chamber in the tower, opening from the
gallery of the church, has been used as a session - house; but this
inconvenient arrangement is expected shortly to be remedied by the erection
of another building on the south side of the church. Beside the pulpit
stands an ancient stone font, one of the few specimens of the kind in
Scotland which have come down from pre-Reformation times. It stood
originally in the porch of the church, but was removed at the instance of
the present minister, Mr Robertson, to the position which it now occupies.
It is said to have been presented to the church of Inverkeithing by Queen
Annabella, whose son, moreover, the unfortunate Duke of Rothesay, is said to
have received in it baptism. The Royal and Drummond arms combined are
quartered on the font.
Inverkeithing contains
several interesting old buildings in addition to those already described.
Opposite to the church is a house with a projecting turret, which formerly
belonged to the Hendersons of Fordel. In one of the apartments the royal
arms are carved above the chimney, and it is alleged that James II. slept
there on one occasion. This house and the one adjoining it on the west had
at one time been united. The tenement is not held by burgage tenure, but of
the Marquis of Tweeddale, there being some similarity in that respect with
the " Palace," which does not hold of the burgh but of the Crown. The town
hall, situated in the street leading down from the High Street to the
railway bridge, bears the date of 1770, but the projecting turret attached
is certainly much older. The cross stands in the middle of the street,
directly opposite to the town hall. On the right-hand side also of the same
street, about half-way down, stands an old mansion known as Rosebery House,
from having formerly been the town residence of the Rosebery family.
There is now included in the
parish of Inverkeithing •that of Rosyth, which was formerly distinct, but
was united to the former in 1636, the incumbent of Inverkeithing being taken
bound to preach every third Sunday in the church of Rosyth. This last has
almost entirely disappeared, though its remains, standing in its little
graveyard, may still be seen on the seashore adjoining the village of
Limeklns, about two miles to the west of Rosyth Castle.
in the history of the Church
of Scotland Inverkeithing has gained an equivocal reputation as the scene in
the middle of the last century of the forced induction of Mr Richardson as
minister of the parish. For declining to take part in proceedings which they
deemed to be wrong and unscviptural, certain clergymen, members of the
Dunfermline Presbytery, were summoned to the bar of the General Assembly,
and one of their number, Mr Gillespie, the minister of Carnock, who had been
specially prominent in his opposition, was made an example of in terrorem,
and deposed from his charge. The result was the formation of the Dissenting
community known as the Relief Church, which about forty years ago formed a
coalition with the Burgher and Antiburgher Seceders; and the combination
resulting therefrom has since been known as the United Presbyterian Church.
I shall have something more to say on this head when I come to speak of Mr
Gillespie's parish of Carnock.
Inverkeithing is noteworthy
as the birthplace, in 1735, of the celebrated Russian admiral, Samuel Greig,
afterwards ennobled as Samuel Carlovich Greig, who not only acted as
Commodore of the Russian fleet during the war with Turkey in 1769, and
effected much towards the annexation of the Crimea, but was also the
designer of the fortifications of Cronstadt, which eighty-five years
afterwards proved too hard a nut for Admiral Sir Charles Napier to crack.
Greig's father was a merchant captain or skipper, as well as a substantial
shipowner in Inverkeithing; and the son, after going to sea in the merchant
servce, passed from "f into the Royal Navy, in which he rose to the rank of
lieutenant. In 17O3, in consequence of an application having been made by
Russia to Britain for the loan of some officers to help her in the
remodelling of her naval armaments, Greig was one of those selected to
fulfil this behest. He entered the Russian navy, in which he served with the
highest reputation, became an immense favourite with the Empress Catherine,
and when he died in 1788, shortly after the battle of Hogeland with the
Swedish fleet, he was honoured with a gorgeous State funeral. He is said to
have been an admirable man in private life; and when, loaded with honours
and at the height of his fame, he paid a visit to his old mother at
Inverkeithing, she had the satisfaction of hearing from him that he had
neither forgotten a father's instructions nor a mother's prayers. He married
a Miss Charteris of Burntisland, and had two sons, one of whom, Sir Alexis
Greig, commanded the Russian fleet in the Black Sea for more than twenty
years; whilst the other, Samuel Greig, was also connected with the Russian
navy, but settled latterly as Russian consul in London : he was the first
husband of the celebrated Mrs Mary Somerville (nee Fairfax), so renowned as
a natural philosopher, and who —her mother having been a Charteris—was a
kinswoman of Admiral Greig's wife.
Gordon, in his 'Itinerarium
Septentrionale,' in referring to battles reported to have been fought
between the Scots and the Danes at Culross and at Inverkeithing, says: "At
the last of these places there stands an obelisk, 10 feet abov e the surface
of the earth, which, as tradition goes, was erected as a monument of that
same defeat of the Danes. On this stone are engraven in low relievo several
hieroglyphics which I copied on the spot." He accordingly gives, in one of
the plates which illustrate his book, a delineation of the stone, on which
figures of men and horses seem to be represented. But it is not a little
curious that neither is there such a monument in existence now in the parish
of Inverkeithing, nor can any information be procured of its having been so
at any former time. There can be no reason to charge Gordon with having made
any false statement, though it has been surmised that he must have meant St
Margaret's Stone n the parish of Dunfermline, and 2½ miles south from that
town. But no figures or inscriptions are (now at least) visible on this
memorial. |
