The Firth of Forth

Accommodations in Edinburgh were scarce—and expensive—when I made plans for this trip. Turns out it's a “bank holiday” weekend, and on top of that there's a marathon in the city tomorrow.

I opted to stay in nearby South Queensferry, along the Firth of Forth.

I'd captured some photos of the famous bridges on Friday evening; now that I had my bearings, I decided to get a different perspective—from the deck of the Forth Road Bridge.

After the rain, the air was cool; I regretted not bringing a jacket. If it weren't so chilly, I would walk all the way across the span (to North Queensferry). If only I had a bicycle ...

Ah, well ... walk faster, stay warm.

I crossed to Fife on the west side of the bridge, with an unobstructed view of the Queensferry Crossing (under construction).

I thought I would walk back on the east side, with unobstructed views of the historic Forth Bridge, but the walkway on that side was closed. When it was constructed in the late 19th century, it was the longest cantilever bridge in the world. Still in full service, it also has the distinction of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The younger Forth Road Bridge, a suspension design, has not fared so well. The deck of the bridge hangs from what look like a pair of giant cables. They're really housings that encase the bundle of actual cables, some of which are snapping inside—weakened by corrosion over the past 50-odd years.

The solution is to build yet a third bridge, the cable-stayed Queensferry Crossing, which is due to open later this year. In the eyes of modern beholders, it's a graceful design. Yet, I imagine the same was said of the other two bridges, when they first spanned the Forth.

The time approaches for me to take my leave of Scotland, to return home to the world of work.