South Queensferry

South Queensferry is a small town 10 miles west and upriver of Edinburgh in central Scotland. Historically it was the south pier of the Queen's Ferry, established almost 1000 years ago by St Margaret wife of King Malcolm III, to ensure regular transport from Edinburgh across the Forth to Dunfermline (then the capital) and to the pilgrimage town of St Andrews. The railway bridge opened in 1890, while the car ferry remained in service until 1964 when the Forth road bridge opened. So nowadays most traffic bypasses the town, which has become a commuter suburb for Edinburgh. The main reasons to visit are to stroll through the old town and across the Forth Bridge, and to visit the ruined abbey on Inchcolm Island.

Most visitors' first sight of South Queensferry is of the bridges spanning the Firth of Forth between Fife and West Lothian. You'll see them as you come in to land at Edinburgh Airport.

• Forth Bridge. This is the cantilever railway bridge, completed in 1890, carrying the East Coast Mainline railway from London to Aberdeen. It's of very sturdy construction, as in 1879 the winter winds had tragically brought down the Tay rail bridge. That bridge's designer was sacked from the Forth project, and the design allowance for wind strength raised 5-fold. Painting the Forth Bridge was long a by-word for a never-ending task, but in 2011 they finally finished, as modern paints were much longer lasting. In 2015 the bridge was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. It's not worth crossing by train just for the view, as trains rattle across in a couple of minutes.
• Forth Road Bridge. Opened in 1964, this suspension bridge carried the A90 until replaced in 2017 by the new bridge. It now carries only public transport, making it the world's most elaborate, expensive bus lane. There's a footpath and cycleway on either side: exit onto A904 Ferry Muir Rd and follow signs for Visitor Centre, free parking. Normally pedestrians and cyclists use the east walkway, with the west used for maintenance vehicles. Occasionally use is switched, when they need to carry out maintenance on the east side. Use the steps and underpass either end to cross between walkways. No tolls.
• Queensferry Crossing. This cable-stay road bridge, opened in Aug 2017, carries the M90. There's no walkway or cyclepath, so it's best viewed from the old bridge. No tolls.

The old town of South Queensferry stretches along the seafront of the Firth of Forth. Its east end lies beneath the railway bridge, with a slipway and the historic Hawes Inn (see "Sleep"). Here in an early scene from Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Kidnapped, young David Balfour is tricked aboard a ship, knocked out and carried away, to cheat him out of his inheritance. The slipway was formerly the ferry jetty: it's still used for boat-trips to Inchcolm Island (see "Do"), and for landing tenders from cruise liners. The street is wide at this point, and is the main car & coach parking lot.

The best views out to sea are from this eastern part. Tankers, Royal Navy warships and big cruise liners are often seen here. The small fortified island forming the base for one of the rail bridge cantilevers is Inchgarvie: you can't visit.

The road then narrows into the cobbled High Street, where some houses date from the 15th century.

• Queensferry Museum, 53 High St, EH30 9HP, +44 131 331 5545. Th-Sa & M 10:00-17:00, Su 12:00-17:00. Small exhibition of the history of town, ferry and bridges
• St Mary's Episcopal Church, Hopetoun Rd EH30 9RA (Google map wrongly gives street name as Farquhar Terrace. Built in the mid-15th C as a Priory for the Carmelite Friars, but falling into disuse until restored in 1889 when it became an Episcopal Church. The stumpy tower was once three storeys high. The rest of the Carmelite monastery buildings here have entirely disappeared.

South Queensferry is bordered by four stately homes:

• Hopetoun House, South Queensferry EH30 9RW (2 miles west of town, ignore Satnav EH30 9SL. Daily April-Sept 10:30-18:00. Magnificent Georgian mansion house, built in 1701 but greatly extended in the 18th C by the Adams. With landscaped gardens looking out over the Firth, great display of daffodils in spring. Adult £10.50, child £5.50, conc £9.50.
• Dalmeny House, South Queensferry EH30 9TQ (Follow signs off B924, the old ferry road. Ignore Satnav., +44 131 331 1888. June & July Su-W by guided tour at 14:15 & 15:30. 19th C ersatz-Tudor / Gothic pile, with Regency interiors and landscaped gardens. Open in summer only for guided tours, or by arrangement for groups. You can see the exterior from the public footpath along the coast. Adult £10, child £6.50, conc £9.
• Dundas Castle, EH30 9SP (Take B800 south, follow signs into private drive, +44 131 319 2039. No tours. With its original 15th C keep, but mostly in 19th C retro-Tudor / Gothic style, this Castle is a venue for private or corporate events, with luxury accommodation.
• House of the Binns: see Linlithgow. The house is closed but you can enjoy the grounds.

Forth Bridge. This is the cantilever railway bridge, completed in 1890, carrying the East Coast Mainline railway from London to Aberdeen. It's of very sturdy construction, as in 1879 the winter winds had tragically brought down the Tay rail bridge. That bridge's designer was sacked from the Forth project, and the design allowance for wind strength raised 5-fold. Painting the Forth Bridge was long a by-word for a never-ending task, but in 2011 they finally finished, as modern paints were much longer lasting. In 2015 the bridge was added to the [[UNESCO World Heritage List]]. It's not worth crossing by train just for the view, as trains rattle across in a couple of minutes.

Forth Road Bridge. Opened in 1964, this suspension bridge carried the A90 until replaced in 2017 by the new bridge. It now carries only public transport, making it the world's most elaborate, expensive bus lane. There's a footpath and cycleway on either side: exit onto A904 Ferry Muir Rd and follow signs for Visitor Centre, free parking. Normally pedestrians and cyclists use the east walkway, with the west used for maintenance vehicles. Occasionally use is switched, when they need to carry out maintenance on the east side. Use the steps and underpass either end to cross between walkways. No tolls.

Queensferry Crossing. This cable-stay road bridge, opened in Aug 2017, carries the M90. There's no walkway or cyclepath, so it's best viewed from the old bridge. No tolls.

Queensferry Museum, 53 High St, EH30 9HP, +44 131 331 5545. Th-Sa & M 10:00-17:00, Su 12:00-17:00. Small exhibition of the history of town, ferry and bridges

St Mary's Episcopal Church, Hopetoun Rd EH30 9RA (Google map wrongly gives street name as Farquhar Terrace. Built in the mid-15th C as a Priory for the Carmelite Friars, but falling into disuse until restored in 1889 when it became an Episcopal Church. The stumpy tower was once three storeys high. The rest of the Carmelite monastery buildings here have entirely disappeared.

Hopetoun House, South Queensferry EH30 9RW (2 miles west of town, ignore Satnav EH30 9SL. Daily April-Sept 10:30-18:00. Magnificent Georgian mansion house, built in 1701 but greatly extended in the 18th C by the Adams. With landscaped gardens looking out over the Firth, great display of daffodils in spring. Adult £10.50, child £5.50, conc £9.50.

Dalmeny House, South Queensferry EH30 9TQ (Follow signs off B924, the old ferry road. Ignore Satnav., +44 131 331 1888. June & July Su-W by guided tour at 14:15 & 15:30. 19th C ersatz-Tudor / Gothic pile, with Regency interiors and landscaped gardens. Open in summer only for guided tours, or by arrangement for groups. You can see the exterior from the public footpath along the coast. Adult £10, child £6.50, conc £9.

Dundas Castle, EH30 9SP (Take B800 south, follow signs into private drive, +44 131 319 2039. No tours. With its original 15th C keep, but mostly in 19th C retro-Tudor / Gothic style, this Castle is a venue for private or corporate events, with luxury accommodation.

House of the Binns: see [[Linlithgow]]. The house is closed but you can enjoy the grounds.

• Walk the John Muir Trail along the shore. East of town, the path starts near the slipway & Hawes Inn, follow Longcraig Rd. Good views out across the Firth, the bridges are soon lost to view as you turn the headland towards Dalmeny. The path leads over the lawns of Dalmeny House, admire but please respect private property. Near Cramond, find Eagle Rock on the shore, a Roman carving of circa 200 AD. Beyond this you fetch up against the muddy tidal creek of the River Almond: there's no bridge, and the ferry (a little rowboat) ceased in 2001. Its replacement is continually debated, but for now, you either have to re-trace your steps, or divert a mile or two inland to the A90 bridge.
• Visit Inchcolm Island, lying to the northeast in the Forth estuary . The main draw is the Augustinian abbey, a well-preserved miniature Iona. There are also wartime fortifications, and wildlife - watch for seals. Regular boat trips in summer from the slipway, operators include Maid of the Forth and Forthtours.
• Port Edgar Marina and Sailing School, Shore Road, +44 131 331-3330. Daily 09:00-16:30. Dinghy saliing, Kayaking/canoeing, powerboating. Hire and tuition available at this council-run facility. Berthing facilities available for visiting yachts.
• The Loony Dook. A traditional New Year's Day swim in the "refreshing" waters of the Firth of Forth. "Dook" is a lowland Scots word meaning dunk. If you're feeling fuzzy-headed after the Hogmanay festivities this will certainly clear it.
• The Ferry Fair. Annual festival held in August in which the entire community participates enthusiastically. Perhaps the strangest aspect is the Burry Man procession, where a local man is covered from head to toe in burrs (the sticky hooked fruit of the burdock) and then leads a procession throughout the town's streets. As his odd garb restricts the Burry Man's movements the procession is a slow one taking several hours, so he is accompanied by 2 assistants who fortify him with nips of whisky through a straw.

Walk the John Muir Trail along the shore. East of town, the path starts near the slipway & Hawes Inn, follow Longcraig Rd. Good views out across the Firth, the bridges are soon lost to view as you turn the headland towards Dalmeny. The path leads over the lawns of Dalmeny House, admire but please respect private property. Near Cramond, find Eagle Rock on the shore, a Roman carving of circa 200 AD. Beyond this you fetch up against the muddy tidal creek of the River Almond: there's no bridge, and the ferry (a little rowboat) ceased in 2001. Its replacement is continually debated, but for now, you either have to re-trace your steps, or divert a mile or two inland to the A90 bridge.

Port Edgar Marina and Sailing School, Shore Road, +44 131 331-3330. Daily 09:00-16:30. Dinghy saliing, Kayaking/canoeing, powerboating. Hire and tuition available at this council-run facility. Berthing facilities available for visiting yachts.

The Loony Dook. A traditional New Year's Day swim in the "refreshing" waters of the Firth of Forth. "Dook" is a lowland Scots word meaning dunk. If you're feeling fuzzy-headed after the Hogmanay festivities this will certainly clear it.

The Ferry Fair. Annual festival held in August in which the entire community participates enthusiastically. Perhaps the strangest aspect is the Burry Man procession, where a local man is covered from head to toe in burrs (the sticky hooked fruit of the burdock) and then leads a procession throughout the town's streets. As his odd garb restricts the Burry Man's movements the procession is a slow one taking several hours, so he is accompanied by 2 assistants who fortify him with nips of whisky through a straw.

• Orocco Pier, 17 High Street EH30 9PP, +44 870 118 1664. Food 07:00-22:00. Restaurant, bar and boutique hotel, right on the waterfront in the centre of South Queensferry. Three levels of outside decking for those sunny days, with great views of the Firth of Forth and the bridges.
• The Boathouse, 22 High Street EH30 9PP, +44 131 331 5429. Daily 12:00-21:00. Seafood restaurant with views overlooking the sea.

Orocco Pier, 17 High Street EH30 9PP, +44 870 118 1664. Food 07:00-22:00. Restaurant, bar and boutique hotel, right on the waterfront in the centre of South Queensferry. Three levels of outside decking for those sunny days, with great views of the Firth of Forth and the bridges.

The Boathouse, 22 High Street EH30 9PP, +44 131 331 5429. Daily 12:00-21:00. Seafood restaurant with views overlooking the sea.

• The Ferry Tap, 36 High Street EH30 9HN, +44 131 331 2000. Daily 11:00-00:00, Th-Sa to 01:00. Character-laden old pub with good real ales and pub grub. Nautical memorabilia and occasional live music. Pint & burger (no sides) deal for around £6 is always offered.

The Ferry Tap, 36 High Street EH30 9HN, +44 131 331 2000. Daily 11:00-00:00, Th-Sa to 01:00. Character-laden old pub with good real ales and pub grub. Nautical memorabilia and occasional live music. Pint & burger (no sides) deal for around £6 is always offered.

South Queensferry is part of Edinburgh's commuter belt and has good mobile / wifi signal.

South Queensferry Library, 9 Shore Road, +44 131 529-5576. M W 13:00-20:00, Tu Th F 10:00-17:00, Sa 09:00-17:00. Has PCs with free internet access.

South Queensferry Library, 9 Shore Road, +44 131 529-5576. M W 13:00-20:00, Tu Th F 10:00-17:00, Sa 09:00-17:00. Has PCs with free internet access.

• Most visitors to South Queensferry come from Edinburgh on a day-trip; it's easy to do the reverse.
• Cross the bridge to Fife. Just after crossing is North Queensferry, where the main attraction is Deep Sea World. The Fife coast to the east has wooded coastal walks, but for the most attractive section of coast you have to get beyond industrial Kirkcaldy and Leven. Here you come into the "East Neuk", a series of small fishing villages; then the coast turns north to St Andrews.
• Branching off M90 north of the bridge, see historic Dunfermline, or turn west along the coast to charming Culross.
• A short drive or bike-ride west on A904 brings you to House of the Binns, a 17th C mansion. Turn off to the coast for Blackness Castle, a 15th C fort looking like a stone ship about to sail; continue on the main road to Linlithgow with its palace; in Bo'ness the main attraction is the old working railway.
• South Queensferry has a good coast, with views and wildlife, but not a beach - it's too muddy this far up river. Decent beaches that you can build sandcastles on are much further east, around Gullane, North Berwick and Dunbar.
• Glasgow, Stirling, Perth and Dundee are all within an hour or so by train or car.