South Queensferry makes a great half day trip from Edinburgh. Trains from Edinburgh Waverly to Dalmeny (the main train station in South Queensferry) run every 30 minutes and take only 20 minutes to arrive. If you’re not sure whether South Queensferry is worth a half day trip from Edinburgh (well it can be a day trip as well), check out some of my first impressions of South Queensferry below.

South Queensferry Half Day Trip from Edinburgh

Old houses on the High Street of South Queensferry

High Street in South Queensferry is where you can find iconic architecture reminiscent of the town’s old days. High Street runs along the coastline and features some highly-rated restaurants with an impressive sea view, such as The Boat House and Samphire Seafood. There are some lovely coffee shops along High Street as well (Once upon a Time is a nice place). Other popular attractions on High Street include the Queensferry Museum and the Jubilee Clock Tower.

South Queensferry Old Town

South Queensferry High Street

High Street South Queensferry

Jubilee Clock Tower South Queensferry

Amazing view of Forth Bridge from Ferry Glen

The Forth Bridge (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Forth Road Bridge are considered as not only icons of South Queensferry but also major landmarks in Scotland. The construction of Forth Bridge dated back to the 1880s and lasted for 8 years. Nowadays, it is estimated that an average of 200 train journeys pass by Forth Bridge daily. You can view Forth Bridge and Forth Road Bridge from a number of locations, such as from the Hawes Pier, from the High Street, or even from one of the hills further away from the coast.

A perfect location to view Forth Bridge and Forth Road Bridge is in Ferry Glen. Ferry Glen is a large woodland situated between High Street and Dalmeny train station. There is a tucked-away viewing point in Ferry Glen, from which the whole view of Forth Bridge, Forth Road Bridge, the sea and the old town of South Queensferry will surely satisfy your eyes. You need to climb up one of the stairs in Ferry Glen and walk down a narrow lane to access this viewing point.

South Queensferry Forth Bridge

View of Forth Road Bridge South Queensferry from Ferry Glen

 A lovely walk along the Hawes Pier in South Queensferry

Hawes Pier South Queensferry

Beautiful garden houses in South Queensferry

Walking around South Queensferry is a quite pleasing sightseeing experience itself. I’ve noticed that surrounding South Queensferry are many Victorian houses with beautiful gardens, creating a lovely scenery overall.

Lovely garden houses in South Queensferry

Beautiful houses with gardens around South Queensferry

Sum up: My half day trip from Edinburgh to South Queensferry

So, my half day trip from Edinburgh to South Queensferry (approx. 4 hours) was satisfactory enough! If you have more time to spare for a day trip from Edinburgh, there are certainly other interesting things to do in South Queensferry as well. Consider for example taking a fun Forth Boat Tour, visiting the magnificent Hopetoun House or seeing the stunning Inchcolm Abbey.

South Queensferry itself does not really stand out compared to other options for a half day trip from Edinburgh, such as St Andrews or Stirling. But still, if you want to escape the hustles and bustles of Edinburgh for a short while, South Queensferry surely makes a nice break.

South Queensferry half day trip from Edinburgh

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South Queensferry Half Day Trip from Edinburgh