Ten apartments. That’s what Inchgarvie House became. Before the year 2000 it was altered. It was divided into ten apartments listed alphabetically. But Inchgarvie House has a much longer and more intriguing history. It stands on the site of Springfield. Springfield is an older building shown on the first edition Ordnance Survey map. Even older a Roman watch tower once stood there.
Imagine the Dundas family. In the 15th century King James IV gave them land. Inchgarvie Island was part of that land. They had the right to build a castle there. A castle on Inchgarvie Island. That’s quite a gift from a king.
The old lodge house is at the drive’s entrance. Before the bridge development it had beautiful gardens. Much of its land was lost to the bridge development. The bridge development started in 2011. It was a big project. They needed part of Inchgarvie House’s garden. They needed it for the main crossing abutment. The abutment is the structure connecting the bridge to the land.
Archaeological excavations uncovered something amazing. They found Mesolithic period deposits. This was during routine excavations. The excavations took place before work began on the new bridge. Think about it. This means that people lived near Inchgarvie House more than 10000 years ago. They found the remnants of a sunken floor structure. It was a Stone Age timber structure. Experts believe it may have been a winter retreat after the last ice age.
Inchgarvie House wasn’t always a peaceful residence. In October 1950 two men broke in. The owner was away. They ransacked the house. They stole several items. The police recovered all the stolen items. Some were found in one of the men’s houses.
Inchgarvie House has seen centuries of change. From a Roman watchtower to a grand villa to apartments. It’s a testament to the enduring spirit of this location. It’s a piece of history standing strong in Edinburgh. A reminder of the layers of time that have passed through this site. It’s a home with a story. And you are standing before it. Its story. A rich story. It lives on in Inchgarvie House.