Discover Queensferry: Forth Bridge, history and hotels

Queensferry offers several themes to consider when planning a trip: the engineering history of the Forth Bridge, Queensferry Museum and local traditions, as well as paths and activities by the water. If you are looking for a hotel for your stay, you can first decide which of these interests is the main focus of your trip.

Forth Bridge and railway history

The Forth Bridge opened on 4 March 1890 and has been in continuous operation ever since. It is a 2.5-kilometre-long, painted steel cantilever truss bridge for railway traffic. The bridge crosses the Firth of Forth and connects the counties of Edinburgh and Fife. It is considered one of the most ambitious engineering achievements of the 19th century and Scotland’s most distinctive industrial monument.

Its opening date, continuous operation and construction give the structure a distinctive historical and technical significance. For travellers interested in engineering, the focus is not only on crossing the bridge: its role as a railway link and its status as an industrial monument are also part of its history. The Briggers Memorial commemorates the men and boys who lost their lives during the construction of the Forth Bridge.

Museum, memorials and traditions

Queensferry Museum presents the history and traditions of historic Queensferry. It offers views of the bridges as well as telescopes for observing local wildlife. The museum brings together local history, views of the bridges and nature watching.

Public art and community memorials also add to the local themes. Guardian of the Bridges is a public art installation based on designs and mosaics by pupils from Queensferry. Hawthorn Bank Walled Garden is a community garden and is home to a 13-metre-long sea glass mosaic depicting the front view of South Queensferry.

One distinctive local tradition is the Burryman: during Ferry Fair Week, a man from the local community, decorated with burrs, walks through the village. Ferry Fair Week takes place in South Queensferry every August. Those interested in customs and community life will find a different way into local history here than through the bridge and the memorial.

Paths, transport and activities by the water

The Forth Bridges Trail is approximately five miles long and passes through South Queensferry and North Queensferry. On the trail, you can cross the bridges on foot, by bicycle or by train. The route length and the stated ways of crossing provide different points of reference for planning: you can consider the trail as a route or decide how you would like to cross the bridges.

Dalmeny railway station is on the East Coast Mainline. From there, steps and paths through the countryside lead to Hawes Promenade in about a 15-minute walk. This is an approximate walking time; conditions on the steps and paths may change. Hawes Pier is just below the Forth Rail Bridge. Regular boat trips depart from Hawes Pier and Port Edgar Marina.

Port Edgar Marina is a lively centre for watersports. Taster sessions and guided excursions are available there, including stand-up paddleboarding, windsurfing, keelboat sailing, canoeing and sea kayaking. The range therefore includes several ways to get out on the water, from taster sessions to guided excursions.

The landscape at Port Edgar also has its own appeal: the mudflats are part of the Firth of Forth SSSI and provide a habitat for wading birds. Together with the telescopes for observing local wildlife at Queensferry Museum, this offers a nature theme distinct from the railway history and watersports activities.

Discover more destinations: Ratho, Currie, Leith, Newbridge.

For the main travel overview: Edinburgh.