Forth Bridge, Railway bridge in Edinburgh, Scotland
The Forth Bridge is a cantilever railway bridge over the Firth of Forth between South Queensferry and North Queensferry in Scotland, with a total length of 2,467 metres. Its three four-tower cantilever structures, built of steel trusses, stand 110 metres tall and rest on granite piers, with the central tower founded on the island of Inchgarvie.
Construction started in 1882 following the collapse of the Tay Bridge, with engineers John Fowler and Benjamin Baker developing a new cantilever design. The Prince of Wales opened the crossing on March 4, 1890, after more than seven years of work.
The saying "painting the Forth Bridge" means a job that never ends, though the bridge's own paint crew once worked continuously from one end to the other. The red-orange steelwork is a landmark seen from South Queensferry and North Queensferry, and the bridge was voted Scotland's greatest man-made wonder in 2016.
Between 150 and 200 trains cross the route daily between Edinburgh and Fife, while visitors can enjoy the view from South Queensferry or North Queensferry. On clear days, both shore villages offer good photo opportunities, especially during morning and evening light.
UNESCO granted the structure World Heritage status in 2015, recognizing its groundbreaking 19th-century engineering achievement. More than 50,000 tons of steel were used during construction, an unprecedented amount for a single structure at the time.
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