Forth Bridges Viewpoint

Three bridges from three centuries. Get the camera out for a selfie against the view; up towards Stirling, across to Fife or down river to the capital and the open sea.

The Forth Bridge

The Forth Bridge is a Scottish icon that is recognised the world over as the most famous of multiple cantilever designs, using a substructure of caissons.

A single cantilever is a structure that is only anchored at one of its ends. The unanchored end projects horizontally and helps to support the bridge. Cantilever structures rely on the balance of forces and this indicates the complexity of the Forth Bridge cantilevers.

This photo shows how Benjamin Baker, the designer of the Forth Bridge, demonstrated a cantilever system. Pictured in the middle is Kaichi Watanabe, a Japanese engineer and student of Fowler and Baker who visited the UK to learn Western engineering techniques.

The Forth Road Bridge

The Forth Road Bridge is one of the world’s most significant long-span suspension bridges.

A long-span bridge is a structure that spans more than 120 metres.

A suspension bridge has two main parts: the superstructure and the substructure. The superstructure is the road, towers, and suspension cables. The substructure is the caissons (the foundations that support the towers) and the anchorages for the cables at the end of the bridge.

The suspension cables are strong yet flexible – sometimes you can feel the bridge moving slightly in the wind. It feels a little odd but it’s perfectly safe!

The Queensferry Crossing

The 1.7 miles (2.7km) structure is the longest 3-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world. It is also by far the largest to feature cables which cross mid-span.

Cable-stayed bridges have one or more towers from which cables support the bridge deck. The cables run directly from the towers to the deck which creates a distinctive fan pattern. When lit up at night, this can look like angel’s wings and some local people call them the Angels of the Forth.

A public vote was held to confirm the name of the new crossing. The shortlisted names were Caledonia Bridge, Firth of Forth Crossing, Queensferry Crossing, Saltire Crossing and St Margaret's Crossing. Queensferry Crossing won, attracting over a third of all votes cast.