Forth Rail Bridge

South Queensferry (Gaelic: Cas Chaolais) is at the north-western edge of Edinburgh. The town is named after St. Margaret, the 11th century Queen of Scotland who instigated the ferry service across the Firth of Forth which ran until the completion of the Forth Road Bridge in 1964.

Get in

By train

Regular train and bus services connect South Queensferry with Edinburgh city centre. Scotrail train services run from Waverley (2 services per hour) and Haymarket (4 services per hour) stations to Dalmeny station which is a short (10min) walk from the town centre.

By bus

• First Bus service no. 43 operates from Waterloo Place via Princes Street with 4 services per hour.

• Stagecoach Fife service no. 747 operates from Edinburgh Airport to Inverkeithing with a stop at the south end of the Forth Road Bridge serving South Queensferry. Services 53 (Edinburgh - Dalgety Bay), 55 (Edinburgh - Dunfermline), and X50 (Leith - Dunfermline/Dalgety Bay) also stop at the south end of the bridge.

By car

South Queensferry is located next to the main A90 Edinburgh-Perth road and M9 Edinburgh - Stirling motorway. The A904 is the main road from Linlithgow and the west.

By plane

South Queensferry is only 3 miles/5 km from Edinburgh International Airport (EDI ^IATA) (see Edinburgh for more details).

By bike

From Edinburgh you can follow National Cycle Route No. 1 for about 17km.

See

• The first sight that most visitors to South Queensferry have is of the bridges that cross the Firth of Forth between South Queensferry and North Queensferry
  • 1 The Forth Bridge. Completed in 1890. It forms part of the East Coast Mainline railway from London to Aberdeen. In 2015 it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. 
  • 2 The Forth Road Bridge. Completed in 1964 and opened by Queen Elizabeth II. 
  • 3 The Queensferry Crossing. A new road bridge under construction and expected to be complete in 2016. A small exhibition is open on summer Saturdays. 
• 4 St Mary's Episcopal Church (Priory Church). Dating from 1441. 
• The Hawes Inn (see Sleep), made famous by Robert Louis Stevenson's novel 'Kidnapped'.
• Historic High Street, includes houses dating from the 15th Century.
• South Queensferry is bordered by three stately homes.
  • 5 Dalmeny House, EH30 9TQ (to the East; a great walk along the coast on the John Muir Way passes by Dalmeny House), ☏ +44 131 331 1888. Open in summer only for guided tours, or on request for groups. £10. 
  • 6 Dundas Castle, EH30 9SP (to the South), ☏ +44 131 319 2039. Used as venue for private or corporate events. 
  • 7 Hopetoun House (to the West). 

Do

• Port Edgar Marina and Sailing School, Shore Road, ☏ +44 131 331-3330. 9AM - 4:30PM, 7 days. 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 Years 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. 

Eat

• 1 Orocco Pier, 17 The High Street, ☏ +44 870 118 166, info@oroccopier.co.uk. Food:7AM-10PM. Bar: 9AM-1PM. 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. 
• 2 The Boathouse, 19b High Street. With views overlooking the sea, this is a place to go to impress a special someone. With a luxurious decor but without any pretences, The Boathouse delivers tasty delights with seafood featuring prominently on the menu. 
• 3 Bella Vista, Seals Craig Hotel, Edinburgh Road. Attentive staff cater to your needs at this charming Italian restaurant. 

Drink

• 1 The Ferry Tap, 36 High Street, ☏ +44 131 331-2000. 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. 
• 2 Moorings Pub, 24-26 Hopetoun Road, ☏ +44 131 331-2555. With a heated outdoor area, Moorings is the place to relax and enjoy a drink in both summer and winter. They serve roast dinners every Sunday from 1 - 4PM. 

Sleep

• 1 Hawes Inn, 7 Newhalls Road (Pretty much under the Rail bridge, at the eastern end of the seafront), ☏ +44 845 11 26 001. Check-in: 3PM-11PM, check-out: midday. Historic Inn, where the 19th Century novelist Robert Louis Stevenson is said to have stayed whenever he was journeying to and from the north of the country. The inn is mentioned in his celebrated novel Kidnapped. £65-£90 per room. 
• 2 Dakota Forth Bridge, ☏ +44 131 319 3690, enquiries@dakotaforthbridge.co.uk. One of the first of an emerging chain by the man behind the Malmaison and Hotel du Vin groups. Has already gathered numerous plaudits. Rooms from £99. 

Connect

Internet

• 1 South Queensferry Library, 9 Shore Road, ☏ +44 131 529-5576, fax: +44 131 529-5578, southqueensferry.library@edinburgh.gov.uk. Mon and Weds 1PM-8PM; Tues, Thu & Fri 10AM-5PM; Sat 9AM-5PM. PCs with free internet access.. 

Go next

• East to Edinburgh, the nearest place of interest is Cramond on the western edge of the city
• Cross one of the bridges to Fife. Just after crossing is Rosyth, but it is worth carry on to historic Dunfermline, or go west along the coast to charming Culross.
• West to Bo'ness or to the palace in Linlithgow.