The Forth Bridge offers a scenic crossing of the Firth of Forth with photo opportunities and a history that dates to the late Victorian era. It's located just under 9 miles west of the Edinburgh city centre and was constructed between 1882 and 1890 by the future King Edward VII. To this day, it remains among the longest cantilever bridges in the world, spanning 2,467 metres long.
The Forth Bridge is a railway bridge owned and maintained by Network Rail. In the 1990s, it was upgraded and restored, a process costing £40 million. In the early 2000s, a £130 million painting project began and was completed in 2011. The bridge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site noted as 'an extraordinary and impressive milestone in bridge design'.
Forth Bridge in Edinburgh - one of the highlights of 11 Things to Do in Edinburgh on a Small Budget (Read all about Edinburgh here)
Features and highlights of the Forth Bridge
The form and structure of the Forth Bridge are virtually unaltered, making it one of the few authentic Victorian-era cantilever bridges still in existence today. It's listed as a Category A building of special historic or architectural interest. The bridge has also been featured in many television programmes and movies, from 'The 39 Steps' to 'Carry On Regardless', and it was the focus of the first episode of 'Britain's Greatest Bridges'.
The Forth Bridge was the site of the millennium celebration countdown clock in 1998, and novelist Iain Banks used a fictionalised version of the bridge as the primary set-piece in his book 'The Bridge'. The bridge is featured as one of the challenges in the Turing Test, and it's one of the locations drivers can traverse in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, albeit in a renamed format. The Forth Bridge sees passenger, freight and high-speed trains traverse its length daily.
The history of the Forth Bridge
Before the Forth Bridge, ferries were necessary to cross the Firth. Beginning in 1806, proposals began for alternate means, from tunnels to 3-span suspension bridges. None worked out. The final design, a classic cantilever construction, was submitted by engineers Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker in 1881.
The bridge was the first major structure in the United Kingdom to be constructed entirely of steel, in an era when most structures, including the Eiffel Tower, were using wrought iron. Construction took place from 1882 to 1889 with the formal opening in 1890. From there on, the journey from London to Aberdeen was cut by a few hours. The bridge was the site of the first German air attack on Britain in World War II. It still stands today, much the same as its original construction.
Good to know about the Forth Bridge
The Forth Bridge is sometimes colloquially referred to as the Forth Rail Bridge. This is to distinguish it from the Forth Road Bridge, which is a car, cycling, and pedestrian thoroughfare that acts as a sister bridge to this one. Over 200 trains cross the bridge every day, ferrying around 3 million passengers every year. You can catch panoramic views of the river as you cross.
The North Queensferry and Dalmeny railway stations service the bridge at either end, and ScotRail provides passenger service across the bridge with daily scheduling. You can contact them for specific daily schedules. Each rail service has its own rules for safety and sanitation as well as for baggage, so it's a good idea to contact individual railways for travel information. Also, most railways offer disability accessibility accommodation, but you'll need to contact your service for details.
Forth Bridge in Edinburgh
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