South Queensferry

South Queensferry is a town on the south bank of the Firth of Forth in West Lothian, 10 miles west of Edinburgh. Historically it was the ferry port for crossing to Fife, then in modern times it acquired three bridges. It's nowadays a commuter town for Edinburgh and in 2020 had a population of 10,400.

Understand

 * "Right in the midst of the narrows lies an islet with some ruins; on the south shore they have built a pier for the service of the Ferry; and at the end of the pier, on the other side of the road, and backed against a pretty garden of holly-trees and hawthorns, I could see the building which they called the Hawes Inn."
 * - Kidnapped, Robert Louis Stevenson 1886

The Firth is pinched at this point and has long been a crossing point. The first documented regular service was the Queen's Ferry, established almost 1000 years ago by St Margaret, wife of King Malcolm III, to ensure regular transport from Edinburgh to Dunfermline (then the capital) and to the pilgrimage town of St Andrews. The iconic railway bridge opened in 1890, to grace the lids of a myriad tins of Scottish shortbread. The car ferry remained in service until 1964 when the Forth road bridge opened. By the 21st century this was showing its age, and the replacement road bridge Queensferry Crossing opened in 2017. So nowadays most traffic bypasses high above the town, which has become a commuter suburb. The main reasons to visit are to stroll through the old town and admire the bridges, and to visit the ruined abbey on Inchcolm Island.

By train
has four Scotrail trains an hour from Edinburgh Waverley via Haymarket, taking 15 min. These continue over the Forth Bridge to North Queensferry, Inverkeithing, Dunfermline, Cowdenbeath and Glenrothes. Change at Inverkeithing for trains along the Fife coast from Kirkcaldy, Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness. From Glasgow, Newcastle and elsewhere in England, change at Edinburgh or Haymarket.

Dalmeny station is up the hill half a mile (800 m) southeast of town centre. It has a staffed ticket office in rush hour, otherwise buy from the machines. There are toilets and a waiting room, and ramp access to both platforms.

By bus
From Edinburgh take Lothian Bus 43 from St Andrews Square (stop YD) via West End, Blackhall and Barnton junction. These run every 20 min, taking 45 min. Lothian Bus 63 wanders from South Queensferry along a leisurely tour of the city's western edges and you'd only use it to reach Heriot Watt University at Riccarton.

Buses from Edinburgh and the airport into Fife stop at the south end of the Forth Road Bridge above South Queensferry. This stop is convenient for the top end of town near the retail park, and for connections from the north without backtracking via Edinburgh, but it's a 20-minute walk from the historic centre. Services include:
 * Stagecoach Bus 747 from Edinburgh Airport, continuing north to Ferrytoll Park & Ride, Inverkeithing, and Halbeath for buses across Fife.
 * Stagecoach buses 53 to Dalgety Bay and 55 to Dunfermline.

Bus 7 runs hourly from Livingston, taking an hour via Uphall, Broxburn, Winchburgh and Kirkliston.

By car
From Edinburgh, follow A90 west then branch off onto B924, the old road to the ferry.

Avoiding Edinburgh, from M9 join M90 and exit at the A90 interchange, immediately turning off onto A904. The M90 junctions were re-numbered when the new bridge opened and the motorway was extended: these may not show on older maps. From Stirling and the west, shortcut by leaving M9 at Jcn 2 and follow A904 east into town.

By plane
South Queensferry is 3 miles from Edinburgh Airport. Bus 747 from the airport (Stand G) to Fife stops on the Forth Road Bridge, every 20 min daily. Otherwise travel via Edinburgh Haymarket.

By bike
From Edinburgh, National Cycle Route 1 follows disused railway tracks out of the city across golf courses onto A90 Queensferry Road. Branch off onto B924 the old ferry road. Nearing town, the route forks left towards Dalmeny station to join the Forth Road Bridge, but keep right down the hill to come into town centre. It's about 10 miles (16 km) in all. A longer but leafier route from east or west is to follow the Union Canal towpath, leaving it at Winchburgh to come into town along the B roads.

Get around
Reaching the stately homes listed below will need a car, bike or taxi. Everything else is a short walk.

See

 * The bridges are most visitors' first sight of South Queensferry - you'll see them as you come in to land at Edinburgh Airport.


 * Old town of South Queensferry stretches along the waterfront. Its east end lies beneath the railway bridge, with a slipway and the historic Hawes Inn (see "Sleep"). Here in 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 used to be 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 and coach parking lot. The best views out to sea are from this eastern part, with tankers, Royal Navy warships and big cruise liners in the offing. The small fortified island forming the base for one of the rail bridge cantilevers is Inchgarvie: you can't visit. Going west the road narrows into the cobbled High Street, where some houses date from the 15th century.
 * Vennel Cemetery behind Ferry Tap has elaborate old gravestones. It belonged to the adjacent old parish church, built 1633, which is now a private house.
 * Old town of South Queensferry stretches along the waterfront. Its east end lies beneath the railway bridge, with a slipway and the historic Hawes Inn (see "Sleep"). Here in 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 used to be 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 and coach parking lot. The best views out to sea are from this eastern part, with tankers, Royal Navy warships and big cruise liners in the offing. The small fortified island forming the base for one of the rail bridge cantilevers is Inchgarvie: you can't visit. Going west the road narrows into the cobbled High Street, where some houses date from the 15th century.
 * Vennel Cemetery behind Ferry Tap has elaborate old gravestones. It belonged to the adjacent old parish church, built 1633, which is now a private house.
 * Vennel Cemetery behind Ferry Tap has elaborate old gravestones. It belonged to the adjacent old parish church, built 1633, which is now a private house.
 * Vennel Cemetery behind Ferry Tap has elaborate old gravestones. It belonged to the adjacent old parish church, built 1633, which is now a private house.

Further out

 * House of the Binns: see Linlithgow. The house is closed but you can enjoy the grounds.
 * lies 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 sail in summer from the slipway, operators include Maid of the Forth and Forthtours.
 * House of the Binns: see Linlithgow. The house is closed but you can enjoy the grounds.
 * lies 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 sail in summer from the slipway, operators include Maid of the Forth and Forthtours.
 * lies 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 sail in summer from the slipway, operators include Maid of the Forth and Forthtours.

Do

 * Walk the John Muir Trail along the shore. East of town, the path starts near 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.
 * Golf: Dundas Parks GC at Dundas Castle is 9 holes. Niddrie Castle GC is south of M9 towards Broxburn.
 * The Loony Dook is a traditional New Year's Day swim in the bracing waters of the Firth of Forth, from the jetty below the Boat House. It's sometimes an "official" part of Edinburgh Hogmanay, with charity fundraising. That hasn't happened since covid, but people plunged in anyhow.
 * Ferry Fair is a community festival held in August. Its strangest aspect is the "Burry Man", a local man covered from head to toe in burrs (the sticky hooked fruit of the burdock) who leads a procession through town. As his odd garb restricts his movements the procession dawdles over several hours, so two assistants periodically ply him with sips of whisky through a straw.
 * Ferry Fair is a community festival held in August. Its strangest aspect is the "Burry Man", a local man covered from head to toe in burrs (the sticky hooked fruit of the burdock) who leads a procession through town. As his odd garb restricts his movements the procession dawdles over several hours, so two assistants periodically ply him with sips of whisky through a straw.

Buy

 * Tesco is the main supermarket, in the retail park by the A904 / bridge junction. It's open M-Sa 6AM-11PM, Su 8AM-8PM has a filling station.

Eat

 * Queens Spice at 1 High St is an Indian open M 4-11:30PM, Th-Sa 5-10PM, Su 1-5PM.
 * Thirty Knots next to the Railbridge is open Th-M noon-midnight.
 * Thirty Knots next to the Railbridge is open Th-M noon-midnight.
 * Thirty Knots next to the Railbridge is open Th-M noon-midnight.

Drink

 * Inchcolm Inn is west end of town at 24 Hopetoun Rd, open W-Su.

Connect
As of Aug 2022, South Queensferry and its approach roads have 4G from O2 and Vodafone, and 5G from EE and Three.

Go next

 * 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 is mostly industrial and commuterland until you get beyond Kirkcaldy to the picturesque East Neuk fishing villages.
 * Branching off M90 north of the bridge, see historic Dunfermline, or turn west along the coast to charming 17th-century Culross.
 * A short drive or bike-ride west on A904 brings you to House of the Binns, a 17th-century mansion. Turn off to the coast for Blackness Castle, a 15th-century 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 heritage steam railway.
 * South Queensferry beaches are muddy. 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.