INCHKEITH, an island of the Frith of Forth, which derives its name from the Gaelic word Innis, an island, and Kri:/,, the title of a noble family of Scotland, to whom with other lands this island was gifted about the year 1010, by Malcolm II. for eminent services rendered by that family against the Danes at the battle of Barry in Angus shire. The island afterwards came into the possession of the lords of Glamis in the reign of Robert II. along with the barony of Kinghorn, as part of the dowry of one of the King's daughters. From this period it appears to have passed through several hands, and came lately by inheritance into the possession of the noble family of B tic clen ch.
In the reign of King James the IV. a certain disease bad then been newly introduced into Scotland ; in all pro bability from France. It first appeared about the year 1499, when it was thought to be so contagious, that the following order of the Privy Council was issued to the Magistrates of Edinburgh, viz. " That all manner of per sons, being within the freedom of this burgh, who are in fected of the said contagious plague called the Grandgore, devoid, rid, and pass forth of this town and compeer upon the sands of Leith at 10 hours before noon, and there shall have and find boats ready in the harbour, ordered to them by the officers of this burgh, readily furnished with victuals to have them to the Inch, (island of Inchkeith,) and there to remain till God provide for their health. And all other persons who take upon themselves to heal the said contagious infirmity, and take the care thereof, that they devoid and pass with them, so that none of those persons who take the cure upon 'hem, use the same with in this burgh." The penalty of Contravention, either by the diseased or their physicians, was burning on the cheek.
Such had afterwards been the deserted and sequestered situation of this island, that James IV. in the course of his inquiries into the origin of language, caused a singu lar sort of experiment to be made, by delivering two in fants to the charge of a dumb woman, with whom they were sent to Inchkeith as the scene of their solitary con finement, till the children should reach a certain age. It would, at this day, have been somewhat interesting to have known the result of this experiment ; but owing to the death of the king, and the troubles of the times, it seems to have been entirely lost sight of, and all that we now learn regarding it is from Lindsay of Pitscottie, who, in speaking of the children, observes, " Some say they spake good Hebrew! but as to myself, (he added, with proper caution,) I know not, but by report."
During the period of the Reformation in Scotland, the Lords of the Congregation having applied to the English for assistance against the queen dowager, Mary of Guise, Edward VI. sent them a navy in 1549, consisting of 29 ships. The first object of this force was to have secured the port of Leith ; but failing in this, they landed and took possession of Inchkeith. After rearing a temporary fort upon it, four companies of English, and one of Ita lians, were left for its defence, under the command of one Cotterel ; who was soon afterwards attacked, and, after a very brave and gallant defence, was dislodged by the French auxiliary troops, then defending the town and cita del of Leith, under M. Desse, who, seeing the importance of this island as a military station, from its commanding position, at a narrow part of the Frith of Forth, he saw its utility both as a cover to Leith, and a place of retreat in case of any sudden disaster. Desse had no sooner made himself master of the island, than the temporary works of the English were thrown down, when a regular fortifica tion was erected, by order of the Regent, under the sanc tion of her daughter Mary and the Dauphin of France, her husband. This fort consisted of several strong bas tions, laid out for the defence of the place, with a strong, wall of circumvallation, varying in height from a few feet to upwards of 20 feet, according to the situation of the ground. The principal parts of this work, were executed in square or aisler masonry, and from the inaccessible na ture of the island, either as to landing places or roads, it must in those days have been considered an operation of no small magnitude and expence. It seems also to have been regarded by the Scottish Parliament as a place of so much importance, and one which might be turned to so much account against the country by an enemy, that the works were only allowed to remain in a perfect state for a few years, when, by an act of that legislative body, the whole of the fortification, and the greater part of the walls, were thrown down, excepting the eastern wall, and part of the southern wall, which still remains. The royal arms of Scotland is also preserved in one of the walls, with the initial letters M. R. and the date 1556.