We spent the night before our visit to the MS Koningsdam in the Premier Inn, South Queensferry. The hotel is next to the final approach to the Forth Road Bridge, this allowed me the opportunity to walk on the bridge to take some early morning photographs towards the Forth Bridge. The early morning mist covering the tops of the bridges gave them an eerie atmosphere.Thankfully, the mist cleared as we walked down to the ship.
Like so many people, having crossed the road bridge, South Queensferry is a town that we bypass and this is a pity. The main street is charming with the Jubilee Tower, commemorating Queen Victoria’s Jubilee. Not the Queen, however, that gave the town its name. That was Queen Margaret and dates back to 1093.
Beyond the tower, as you head east towards Hawes Pier there are steps that take you up to the West Terrace, which has one of the many eating establishments in the town. Whilst we didn’t dine in the town and therefore can’t recommend a specific establishment, “The Ravenous Beastie” certainly wins the prize for the best named eatery in town.
There are various vantage points in the town to view the bridges, as well as the Fife coastline. The more energetic of us could take the train from Edinburgh over the iconic Forth Bridge to North Queensferry and walk back over the road bridge. At the end on the footpath there is an access road to your left that takes you down into the town. Follow the main road into town to Hawes Pier, where there is a footpath back up to Dalmeny station, for the return journey to Edinburgh. As you can see from the photographs the bridges are significantly higher than sea level and, as you have to make the climb twice on the circular walk, is not for the faint hearted. However, the views from the road bridge toward the iconic Forth Bridge, and also the new crossing under construction make the walk worthwhile.
If you are travelling by car you can park on the east side of the bridge and access the walkway from there. Just 10 miles from Edinburgh city centre it is worth taking the opportunity to visit if you get the chance.
