The Old and the New

- October 03, 2016

On Saturday we headed to Inchcolm island to visit the Abbey and the WWII ruins. However the trip on the Maid of the Forth started from Hawes Pier in South Queensferry, which is in the shadow of the magnificent Forth Rail Bridge, which towers 110 metres (361ft) over the mooring. The route of the Maid of the Forth out to Inchcolm is under the bridge so you can get some unrivalled views of the 126 year old structure.

The Forth Rail Bridge is a cantilever bridge spanning the Firth of Forth from South and North Queensferry to the east of Edinburgh. The bridge is considered an iconic structure and a symbol of Scotland, and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2015.

Designed by the English engineers Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker construction of the bridge began in 1882 and it was opened on 4 March 1890 by the Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VII on the death of his mother Queen Victoria in 1901. The bridge has a total length of 8,094 feet (2,467 m) and it was the longest single cantilever bridge span in the world for 27-years when the Quebec Bridge in Canada was completed in 1917.

There are three bridges spanning the Forth at this point, with the Forth Road Bridge alongside the Rail Bridge. Opened in 1964 this bridge did away with the need to take a ferry to make the crossing but recently defects in the structure has led to closures and the need for a new bridge to be constructed. The new road bridge is still in construction and is due to be opened next year.

On the return trip the Maid of the Forth passed under all three bridges before returning to Hawes Pier.