Forth Rail Bridge towards North Queensferry

Leading lines of the Forth Rail Bridge, looking towards North Queensferry, Firth of Forth, Scotland.

As part of my award in Landscape Photographer of the Year, I was treated to an exclusive all access visit to the Forth Rail Bridge. After a a visit to the top during the day I decided to view the forth road and rail bridges from the ground during the blue hour, I was really lucky to get a calm evening for some nice reflections!

About the Forth Bridges

Scotland’s three Forth Bridges stand side by side spanning the Firth of Forth, each bridge is unique, representing the best in engineering and design over the centuries.

Completed in early 1890, the iconic Cantilever design of the Forth Rail Bridge is recognised throughout the world as the first major steel structure. The bridge still holds the world record for the world’s longest cantilever bridge and represents a key point in the history of the modern railway. After the years had begun to take their toll on the structure, a full-scale restoration project to return the bridge to its original construction condition was completed in 2012. In July 2015, UNESCO inscribed the Forth Bridge as the sixth World Heritage site in Scotland.

The Forth Road Bridge is an impressive suspension bridge that spans the Forth 1006m between the two towers. Upon completion the bridge was the fourth longest in the world. From end to end the bridge is over 2.5 km long, constructed from an incredible 39,000 tonnes of steel and 125,000 cubic metres of concrete.

The final bridge, the Queensferry Crossing, is the longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world, spanning an incredible 1.7 miles. The innovative design of the cross spanning cables provides the extra strength and support which allows the towers and the deck to be more slender and elegant.

You can find more about the Forth Bridges here.