A slight, northern detour from my usual wanderings down the River Thames, I decided this year to fulfil part three of the Edinburgh fantasy and instead jaunt off to South Queensferry, the home of the Forth Bridge and the much less impressive (and structurally deficient) Forth Road Bridge.
Of course, I was under the illusion that South Queensferry was a stone's throw from the centre of Edinburgh. How wrong I was. And this is the sticking point. I had decided to walk to the Forth Bridge. I discovered that Edinburgh is not as small as it makes itself out to be...also, while the Forth is pretty easy to get to, South Queensferry isn't.
But I am a stupid person. Instead of jumping in a taxi or heading towards the nearest bus stop, I decided to press on by foot. Armed with a 'tourist map' of Edinburgh, I used what knowledge I had of the city and realised that I had to head off in a North Westerly direction to get to the bridges. And it was a long way to walk.
The walk itself passed through some really pretty parts of Edinburgh as I in a zigzag motion in the rain, navigated my way to South Queensferry. And it was at this point that my resolve hardened. I was going to reach the Forth no matter what. And I had a show to catch at 5.30pm. As always I set put late, but if I was going to make it, I had to continue. After all, this was only a day rip to Edinburgh and I may never get to see this again.
In the end I followed Cycle Route 1 to get to Queensferry. And man, was this the long way round to get there. With the usual British Climate in full swing as well, it was not the pleasantest of walks. Hours I trudged through suburb and fields until, round the corner, I caught a glimpse of a familiar structure...
It was just after 3pm, and I had to get back to Central Edinburgh by 5.30pm. Spurred on, I went for it. Pig headed and determined to get to see this marvel across the Forth. Incidentally, if I actually got to Queensferry, then it would mark the furthest north that I have ever been on this globe. Onwards and northwards!
The bridge loomed closer ad the time ticked away. The rain came and went and still no sign of the town. Suddenly a sign...
And it was round a corner, through some trees and finally, I heard the rumble of a train. I looked up and saw my final destination!
Now, this is geeky, but magnificent. To be honest, I am happy to admit that I am a complete geek for making this to be one of my Edinburgh fantasies. But wen you stand beside this bridge and gaze upon it, I defy you not to be astounded by its size and its beauty (even with all the scaffolding). After over a hundred years, this structure still stands strong, a testament to superb engineering. And this bridge is still in use, regularly carrying trains over the Forth, and is probably set to do so well after I pass away.
As I mentioned, Queensferry has marked the furthest north that I have travelled on the Earth. Edinburgh may not be that far north in the grand scheme of the world (Latitude: 55° 57' 0 N, Longitude: 3° 12' 0 W) but it is a point for me. As I begun the long journey south into the city, I took one last look back at this grandest of destinations...
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