The Forth Bridge

The Forth Bridge was opened on 4 March 1890 by the Prince of Wales (who became King Edward VII). By way of marking the occasion, he hammered in the last rivet, which was duly gold plated.

Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker designed the bridge which was the first major structure in Britain to be constructed of steel. By comparison, its contemporary the Eiffel Tower was built of wrought iron.

At the time of its building, the Forth Bridge had the longest single cantilever bridge span in the world, at 2,528.7 metres (8,296 ft). It's now been overtaken by just one bridge, the Quebec Bridge in 1917. The use of a cantilever in bridge design was not a new idea, but the scale of Baker's undertaking had never been seen before.

The bridge is one of the most iconic sites in Scotland and is one of the most reproduced images and it became a UNESCO World Heritage site in July 2015.

There are plenty of places in North Queensferry and the surrounding areas to view the bridge and take photographs.

Visit The Forth Bridge