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 favourite things to do in South Queensferry below.
Things to do in South Queensferry | Half day trip from Edinburgh
Explore South Queensferry’s High Street Â
This is my top thing to do in South Queensferry. 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 of those colorful houses.
Enjoy an 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 distinctive landmarks of South Queensferry but also as modern symbols of Scotland.
The construction of the 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.
Best place to see The Forth Bridges
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.
Take a leisurely stroll around Hawes Pier in 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.
Discover beautiful gardens in South Queensferry
This is truly one of my favourite things to do 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.
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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Check out my other blog posts about Scotland:
6 Reasons I don’t like Edinburgh
16 Breathtaking Photos of my Scottish Highland Tour from Inverness
Perfect article as I’m heading to Scotland in 2 weeks! 🙂
Wow! Looks like a very pretty area! I haven’t been there when I went to Scotland – and it’s a shame! I love how colorful it looks!
This look like an great trip to take.
What a pretty looking town. I like that you have been able to capture the beauty of a place that may not be all that exciting. That’s a difficult thing to do and you’ve done it well.
This sounds lovely, I’ve not been to that part of Scotland before. May have to give it a look when we’re back in the UK.
Thank you for the tips for the perfect location to take awesome photos of Forth Bridge! I’ve saved them for later use!!!
I think I could easily spend a full day wandering around and taking photos…. as long as it’s not raining ha ha!!
South Queensferry is so cute! I stopped here with my mum on the way from St Andrews – we spent the night here before I had to drop her off at the airport. I loved the view onto the railway bridge, but also all the sweet houses along the high street. You picked a great place to visit 🙂
The place looks very nice. I love bridges and the little houses look lovely. I can imagine wandering around there…
This place is darling! Wish I had thought to go from Edinburgh when I was there!
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South Queensferry looks like a great day trip! I will have to add it to my list for when I eventually make it over that way!
South Queensferry is such a pretty little place. I’ve only been a handfull of times but it’s always a good day. Your pictures are lovely 🙂
This looks like a lovely place! I love bridges so especially in awe of Forth Bridge. Definitely want to visit more of Scotland.
Wow, what an unusual day trip! I know the area but didn’t think many tourists would do this. It’s great you wanted to see a real little town. Glad you liked it.
That looks like a lovely day trip 🙂 I think it’s always nice to get out of the big city and explore a little further. This seems like a good place to start!
Ah, so quaint! I love it, what a unique little day trip 🙂
I haven’t done much research on Scotland yet, so this post is definitely food for thought. South Queensferry looks like a relaxed town.
South Queensferry just looks so pretty 🙂 I lived in England for years and never made it to Scotland, I really regret it! I’d love to go –
I would love to do this trip sometimes, even if it’s a half day, looks like you cramed a lot in and those houses/your stroll look beautiful.
I lived in Edinburgh many years ago and visited South Queensferry, such a lovely place. Definitely recommended if you are visiting Edinburgh!
What a fun day! I absolutely loved the view of the bridge from Ferry Glen!
I’ve been to Edinburgh on a weekend trip, so didn’t have time to explore the outskirts of Edinburgh! This place looks stunning! The old town has a typical old world charm and high street is so colorful! I didn’t know of Fourth Bridge, indeed an impressive construction.
This is like a fairy town. I love the colors of it and your pics bring out a nice serene feeling that this town seems to have. Well done with those. Thanks for sharing these with us.
This is why we love Europe. Towns like Queensferry are very well preserved—cobblestone streets, brick houses, old buildings—-all against a backdrop of nature. This is a perfect example of a walkable/bikeable place.
I’m visiting Edinburgh next month and didn’t know about South Queensbury and the Forth Bridge. As the Forth Bridge is a UNESCO site I’ll definitely take the train up here and take a picture of it from the viewpoint you recommended.
I have got to agree the views are absolutely stunning. Particularly the bridge. I had not heard of queensferry before. But owing to your post, now it is in my bucket list of places to visit in and around Edinburgh when I happen to visit there.
Those houses are utterly adorable! I so wish I lived here. It looks like an amazing spot to visit even if it’s just for half a day. Was the food here worth the train ride?
I love exploring destinations like this; when you get to see a glimpse of how the locals live. Those houses are beautiful and so are the gardens. I could spend all day just wandering the streets and taking photos! You did a good job with capturing the essence of this small village with your photos.
Those gardens looks so quaint! I’ve been watching a lot of TV from the UK and I’m obsessed with places like South Queensferry! Ack! This is making me want to look at airfare now!
What lovely houses! Seems that they have been painted on boards by the road. England is indeed a beautiful place.
The views of South Queensferry remind me of an old kids Tv show that used to be aired over here called Balamory! All of the colourful houses and the sea and docks look just like the show! It’s based on an island in Scotland actually, so maybe the inspiration isn’t far from here!
I really do want to visit Scotland so badly!! I’ve lived in Wales for my whole life (almost a quarter of a century!!!!) and haven’t been yet. When I do I’ll definitely add South Queensferry to my list of places to see!
Very well written. However instead of a half day or even a day trip I would love to spend at least 2 days here. There is so much to do here. Especially walk along the Hawes Pier in South Queensferry sounds the most appealing to me. I feel walking is the most immerse mode of travel.
South Queensferry seems like such a charming coastal city. Those bridges alone are worth the visit! I’ve never seen any like them in the States. Thanks for the tip on where to get the best view!
Love the gardens! Edinburg is on our list, but really have no idea when we would go! Hopefully next year in our world trip!
What you have in a photo called Hawes Pier is not Hawes PIer. Hawes Pier is on the east side of Queensferry, almost under the rail bridge. Your photo shows just South Queensferry harbour, and trips do not go from here.
Thank you for pointing this out. I’ve changed the caption as per your suggestion.