The Queensferry Crossing

"The Queen's Ferry": The rich farmlands of Fife and the old Scottish capital of Dunfermline required access southward and the Inchgarvie narrows was a natural point at which to site a ferry. The crossing is named after Queen Margaret of Scotland who was Malcolm Canmore's consort. Prior to the 16th Century the crossing was controlled by the monks of Dunfermline.

The mouth of the Forth between Dunbar and Anstruther is 18 miles wide however to avoid a sea crossing entailed a diversionary route inland of about 150 miles. The importance of a crossing soon became evident.

The priceless personal possessions of King Charles I were lost with his baggage ferry in a storm on Wednesday the 10th of July 1633 while sailing across the Firth of Forth from Burntisland to Leith.

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Control of the crossing passed in the 17th Century by the Scottish feudal system to individuals. They did not operate the ferries themselves but took rent from ferrymen. The passage was very important as was indicated by the number of parliamentary statutes in its name. In 1745 the ferries were burnt by loyalists to frustrate the "Jacobite " cause. The crossing however was notorious and much criticised by late 18th Century travellers. The crossing being at the whim and mercy of both weather and ferrymen, not to mention the odd pirate adventurer such as Paul Jones who harried the Forth in 1779. The advancement of the nation over the centuries had not been matched by any improvement in the facilities at the crossing despite considerable growth in both freight and passenger traffic. The small sail boats were not sufficient.

In the early 19th Century it was recognised by Parliament that action was required. In 1809 an Act "nationalised" the ferry crossing under a Board of Trustees.

At this time several notions had been expressed by businessmen as to the possibility of providing a fixed link crossing the river. In 1805 a bridge was proposed. Then in 1806 John Grieve of Edinburgh proclaimed that at Queensferry it would be a possibility to cross the river by a tunnel. In 1818 John Anderson proposed a Chain Bridge. Neither scheme generated sufficient support. About this time the daily crossing figures would average 230 with a peak of about 450 passengers.