If you’re looking for a peaceful half day trip from Edinburgh, South Queensferry is the place to be! Trains from Edinburgh Waverly to Dalmeny (the main train station in South Queensferry) run every half an hour and take only 20 minutes to arrive, making South Queensferry an ideal destination to temporarily get away from the bustling capital of Scotland.

Still 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

South Queensferry’s High Street 

High Street runs along the coastline and features highly-rated restaurants, pleasant coffee shops, cool souvenir shops as well as other attractions such as the Queensferry Museum and the Jubilee Clock Tower. You can also just walk along High Street and take photos with those colourful houses.

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 Bridges, including Forth Bridge (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Queensferry Crossing and Forth Road Bridge are considered not only as distinctive landmarks of South Queensferry but also as modern symbols of 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 trains 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 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 Ferry Glen, which is a large woodland situated between High Street and Dalmeny train station. There is a tucked-away viewing point at Ferry Glen, from which the whole view of Forth Bridge, Forth Road Bridge, the Firth of Forth and the old town of South Queensferry will surely satisfy your eyes. You need to climb up one of the stairs at Ferry Glen and then 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 around Hawes Pier in South Queensferry

Hawes Pier South Queensferry

Taking a stroll around Hawes Pier allows you to fully enjoy the peaceful scenery of this area. There are also some day cruises available for those who are keen on heading out to the sea for a closer view of the beautiful Forth Bridges.

Beautiful gardens in South Queensferry

Walking around South Queensferry is itself a quite pleasing sightseeing experience, especially when there are many Victorian houses with beautiful gardens for visitors like me to admire.

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 a tranquil and pleasing experience! If you have more time to spare, 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.

For a half day trip from Edinburgh, South Queensferry does not really stand out compared to some other options. However, if you want to escape the hustles and bustles of Edinburgh for a short while, South Queensferry should definitely be one of the destinations on your list!

South Queensferry half day trip from Edinburgh

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South Queensferry Half Day Trip from Edinburgh