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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
South Queensferry
Go for half a day from Edinburgh: bridges, old High Street, Inchcolm boat in summer. Sleep here only if you want a quiet base near the airport.
South Queensferry is a small town on the Firth of Forth, 10 miles west of Edinburgh, where three bridges cross the water: the 1890 railway bridge, the 1964 road bridge and the 2017 Queensferry Crossing. The old town is a short waterfront street; most visitors come for a few hours, and the town works as a calm base only if you have a car or use the train at Dalmeny.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (short days, wind and rain)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- GBP
- Money
- Currency is the pound sterling (GBP, £). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; some places are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget £45–70 excl. bed · Mid £70–120 excl. bed · High £120+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EE, Vodafone (merged with Three in 2025) and O2 run the networks; prepaid SIMs sell in supermarkets, phone shops and airport vending machines, no registration needed.
- Emergency
- NHS non-urgent 111 · Police non-urgent 101
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Three-pin Type G only; European, US and Australian plugs need an adapter. Bathrooms have two-pin shaver sockets only.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–12.5% if no service charge is on the bill; check before adding more.; Pub or bar: Not expected; 'and one for yourself' offers the bartender a drink.; Taxi: Round up or 10%.; Hotel porter: £1–2 per bag.; Tour guide: £5–10 per person for a day tour; free walking tours expect £10–15.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Free refills are common; restaurants will bring tap water if you ask.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are scarce and some charge 50p–£1 or are card-only. Stations, museums, department stores and pubs (if you buy a drink) are the fallback.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | £3–4.50 |
| Pub main course | £12–20 |
| Pint of beer | £5–6.50 |
| Fish and chips | £12–18 |
| Bus Edinburgh to South Queensferry | £2–3 |
| Train Dalmeny to Edinburgh Waverley | £3.50–5 |
| Hopetoun House entry | Adult £10.50, child £5.50, conc £9.50 |
| Dalmeny House guided tour | Adult £10, child £6.50, conc £9 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- EDI · Edinburgh Airport
- About 3 miles away; Stagecoach bus 747 stops on the Forth Road Bridge above town, every 20 min daily
Typical fares
- Bus 43 Edinburgh St Andrew Square → South Queensferry
- about 45 min, £2–3
- Train Edinburgh Waverley → Dalmeny
- 15 min, four an hour, £3.50–5
- Taxi South Queensferry → Edinburgh Airport
- about 15 min, £20–30
Get around
The old town is walkable in 15 minutes end to end. Dalmeny station is 800 m uphill southeast; buses from Edinburgh stop in town or on the Forth Road Bridge, a 20-minute walk from the historic centre. Hopetoun House, Dalmeny House and Dundas Castle need a car, bike or taxi.
See and do
Known for
- Forth Bridge (UNESCO)
- Forth Road Bridge and Queensferry Crossing
- Old High Street and Hawes Inn
- Inchcolm Island abbey (summer boats)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh | ScotRail from Dalmeny, four trains an hour, 15 min; or Lothian bus 43 from the centre, 45 min | About 30–60 min |
| North Queensferry and Dunfermline | Train from Dalmeny over the Forth Bridge, then change at Inverkeithing | About 30–50 min |
| Inchcolm Island | Summer boat from the town slipway (Maid of the Forth and others) | Half day |
| Linlithgow | Train from Dalmeny via Edinburgh or Inverkeithing, or drive via A904/M9 | About 45–60 min |
| North Berwick | Train from Dalmeny via Edinburgh Waverley | About 1 h 30 min |
Sleep
- Old town waterfront (High Street, Newhalls Road)
- Walk to the bridges, pubs and the Inchcolm slipway; few rooms, book ahead.
- Ferrymuir / A904 retail park
- Chain hotels with parking and quick A90/M90 access; 15–20 min walk to the old town.
- Dalmeny station side
- Quiet, 800 m uphill from the centre; best if you arrive by train from Edinburgh.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Excuse me / Sorry |
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Please | Please |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the toilet? | Where is the toilet? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake at first meeting; 'hi' and first names quickly; avoid: Cheek kisses with strangers
- Conversation: Weather is a safe opener; understatement and self-deprecating humour; avoid: Asking about salary or class
- Queues: Join at the back; avoid: Pushing onto buses or trains before others get off
- Apologies: 'Sorry' is said constantly, even when not at fault; avoid: Taking it as an admission of blame
- Pubs: Buy rounds in a group; wait at the bar without waving money; avoid: Clicking fingers at staff
- Nations: Call Scots Scottish and Welsh Welsh; avoid: Calling the whole UK 'England'
Scams and watch-outs
- The Forth Road Bridge walkway is normally the east side; access can switch for maintenance, so follow signs at the steps and underpass.
- Queensferry Crossing has no walkway or cycle path: view it from the waterfront.
- Queensferry Museum is closed; check before planning around it.
- Hopetoun House and Dalmeny House open in season only (Dalmeny by guided tour, June–July).
- Inchcolm Island boats run in summer only; check sailing times and weather on the day.
- Cruise ships tender ashore at Hawes Pier; the High Street is a short uphill walk.
A quiet, low-crime town; the real risks are wind and slippery cobbles on the waterfront, tide and weather on the Forth, and unlit paths along the shore after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for South Queensferry yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Forth Bridge (UNESCO)
- Forth Road Bridge and Queensferry Crossing
- Old High Street and Hawes Inn
- Inchcolm Island abbey (summer boats)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- VisitScotland — Edinburgh and the Lothians: www.visitscotland.com/places-to-go/edinburgh-and-lothians
- ScotRail: www.scotrail.co.uk/
- Lothian Buses: www.lothianbuses.co.uk/
- Edinburgh Airport: www.edinburghairport.com/
- Forth Bridges visitor information: www.forth-bridges.co.uk/
- Hopetoun House: www.hopetounhouse.com/
- Wikivoyage: South Queensferry, revision 5264888 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5264888
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
South Queensferry
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in town; the US consulate-general is in Edinburgh, and most other countries keep embassies in London (check addresses).
English is the everyday language; a few Scots words appear on signs.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/south-queensferry). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.