On Sunday, Bob took us on a drive around the northern outskirts of Edinburgh. Our destination was the village of Queensferry and its famous Forth Rail Bridge. We also got to see Katie’s old flat and the port of Leith and other sights along the Firth of Forth. Bob is a very informative guide because he has lived in Edinburgh for over six years and is very interested in its history and progress. I’ve been flooding him with questions about things I am curious about every time he comes over, and I’m learning a lot about the Scots culture from both Bob and Katie.
I saw the rail bridge from the sky as my plane was descending into the Edinburgh airport. It was so impressive from the sky, I asked Katie about it when she picked me up to take me to her flat. It was built during the Victorian period out of over 50,000 tons of steel in a cantilever design that was lauded for its strength. According to historians, the bridge served as a symbol of the achievement of Scottish engineering. An interesting fact is that the bridge takes so long to paint that as soon it is finished, it is ready for a new coat at the other end.
The rail bridge, and also the Forth Road Bridge, connects South Queensferry to North Queensferry on the shore of Fife. We didn’t go across to the other side because traffic was very heavy, but I really liked the little village of South Queensferry. It was very quaint, with stone cottages and cobblestone streets lined with pubs and tiny shops. If I am able, I would like to go back for the day to explore it more and have lunch at Hawes Inn, a pub featured in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped.
5 comments:
South Queensferry rocks. It's sweet! There's something called 'loon' day? look in wikipedia...it's a celebration (around Jan or Feb) that only happens in South Queensferry
It looks breath taking...Wish I could be there to see it in person. I am so glad you guys had a nice warm day .
Loony Dook - it was in the brochure I picked up at Morrison's. People march down High Street and then jump in the icy river on New Year's Day. Definitely not for me!!
Tina, we wish you were here, too! We had a major A-B gossip reminisce last night. It was scandalous ;)
Yes! Anytime you can come over, I'll add to my collection of guests in front of the Forth Rail Bridge :-) One day I'll do a collage!
I could have used an AB gossip fest! It has been ages since I have even spoke of the place.
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