Inchcolm Abbey lies on the Island of Inchcolm in the River Forth between Aberdour in Fife and Edinburgh. The abbey is a Historic Scotland attraction.
Access to the island is by ferry from South Queensferry which is about 30 minutes by car from Edinburgh.. The ferry takes about 40 minutes to reach the island and then if you have paid for access to the abbey you can spend 2 hours on the island and wait for the next ferry to take you back to Queensferry.
We were extremely lucky with the weather, the estuary was completely calm and the sun was shining.
There is a small gift shop and toilets on the island but there is no where to buy food so remember to take a picnic.
The abbey is well preserved and you can climb to the top of the tower but the steps are narrow and steep. The climb is well worth it with a magnificent view of the island and the Forth estuary.
There are several World War II gun emplacements on the island and it is possible to wander freely over most of the island. However if you are there in sea bird breeding season you may get dive-bombed so maybe wise to take some wet wipes with you.
There are plenty of picnic tables and seats so if you are not energetic you can just sit and admire the magnificent views.
