Due to essential maintenance the WEST Footpath/Cycleway is CLOSED except during weekends . please use the EAST Footpath/Cycleway.
There are roadworks in both directions.
Access Restrictions
Forth Road Bridge North Tower
Trail stopEast Walkway North Tower
what3words///squirts.spite.enlarge
GPS 56.005997,-3.403573
West Walkway North Tower
what3words///interval.headline.munch
GPS 56.005997,-3.404056
The iconic tower nearest to North Queensferry.
Love Locks and Lucky Pennies
The Forth Road Bridge is a one-of-a-kind visitor experience, offering fabulous views of the Forth Bridge.
The Forth Bridge opened in 1890 and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015.
Standing 100m above the water, it is a feat of engineering. It is constructed of 53,000 tonnes of steel and 6.5 million rivets, each of which had to be driven in by hand. Can you imagine working suspended above the water in icy winds without any of the safety gear we have today?
The huge scale of The Forth Bridge meant that painting it became an everyday expression to describe a never-ending task. Nowadays, special glass-flake epoxy paint is applied. Completed in 2011, it is predicted to last 25 years. Despite advances in technology, each of the 6.5 million rivets must still be painted by hand! The famous Forth Bridge Red colour was specially formulated to emulate the original red oxide colour when the bridge first opened.
As you walk along the bridge, look out for the colourful love locks at the North and South Towers. These were attached in 2015 to raise funds for the RNLI and there are some nice inscriptions to read. Going back further, it was considered to be good luck to throw a penny out of the carriage window when travelling across the Forth Bridge. At low tide, the pennies could be found on the beaches. This provided hours of entertainment for local children!
Take in the Views
From here, you can enjoy views over North Queensferry, Fife, the iconic Forth Bridge and the new Queensferry Crossing which opened in 2017.
Beyond, on a clear day, you can enjoy wider views of Fife and sometimes, even across to Berwick Law near Dunbar.
Look out for seals, porpoises and dolphins, terns, cormorants and even puffins.
Where Next on the Trail?
Depending on which route you are walking, the next stops are:
Going North
North Queensferry and FifeFrom here you can stop off at the Doubletree Hilton (on your left) for a coffee and views, catch a bus into Fife (or Edinburgh), go up the steps on the east side to the North Queensferry Community Complex and Railway Station, or go down the steps into the village of North Queensferry to see the Light Tower, Pierhead Museum, Deep Sea World, St James Chapel and the Forth Bridge Heritage Centre. You can also join several cycle routes.
The nearest public toilets are in Battery Road Car Park.
Going South
The South TowerEnjoy epic views as you continue towards the South Tower.
At the southern end of the bridge, you'll find a coffee kiosk, public toilets, a viewing platform and, coming soon, telescopes.
See all Trail Stops
Forth Bridges Trail Maps
For North & South QueensferryYou can also use ///what3words to guide you to the trail signs. The ///what3words reference is given on each trail stop page.