Mrs T is from Scotland, Corstorphine, so we go to Scotland with some level of regularity. On the right-hand side of Scotland there is a bit of water, the Firth of Forth, that you need to get over if you want to explore that side. For ages, getting over this bit of water was problematic. Luckily, those enterprising Victorians made great efforts to fix the problem. Their fix is called the Forth Bridge.
Since the Victorians sorted the issue for their favourite mode of transport, trains, subsequent generations have rolled out additional fixes: the Forth Road Bridge and, more recently, the Queensferry Crossing. The road bridge opened in 1964 and the toll was removed in 2008. The Queensferry Crossing opened to traffic in August 2017, and the Queen formally opened it on 4 September 2017, 53 years after she opened the Forth Road Bridge.
The road bridge was closed for repairs and, when it reopened, it was designated a public transport corridor. The Forth Bridge is for trains, the Forth Road Bridge is for public transport, pedestrians and cyclists, and the Queensferry Crossing is for all other traffic. Anyway, this is about the Forth Bridge.
Barnardo's, in partnership with Network Rail, Balfour Beatty and The Briggers, runs an event called Your View at the Forth Bridge. It is Barnardo's Scotland's biggest single fundraiser. Have a look here if you fancy it.
The experience started, for us anyway, on Saturday 20 September with a four-hour drive up the M61, M6, M74, M8 and M90, culminating in a shot over the Queensferry Crossing.
On the way up, I was a bit concerned that the weather would not be great, but thankfully, when we made our customary stop at Gretna Green, the rain eased off, so we remained dry during our toilet and walkabout stop. Mrs T drove there, I drove home. We went in Mrs T's car. Fin was camping with Explorers, so it was Mrs T, Mitch and I on the trip.
It started raining again pretty much as soon as we got back in the car. It is another 100 miles from Gretna to the bridge, and when we got to Motherwell, the rain eased off. Happy days. Back to the story.
When you arrive at the bridge, you park up and head into the registration cabin. There is a friendly team waiting for you when you arrive. Once you are signed in, a lady from The Briggers, the history group who have done amazing research into the construction of the bridge, gives a presentation about the bridge, including a joining-in section of heating and hammering rivets.
Forth Bridge facts
- 2,467m long
- 110m high
- 48.2m from water to rail level
- 53,000 tonnes of steel
- 6.5 to 8 million rivets
- 240,000 litres of Forth Bridge Red paint
The old idiom about painting the Forth Bridge is no longer true. They finished painting it in 2011, and it will not need doing again until 2036 thanks to some new specialist paint.
Once you have enjoyed the presentation, it is into the safety briefing where you get your hi-viz and hard hat. Then it is a short walk to the Alimak hoist for the 2.5 minute trip to the top. The hoist is pretty cosy when there are 15 of you on board.
When you pop out at the top of the North cantilever, the view is spectacular. You get the road bridge, the Queensferry Crossing, North Queensferry harbour, and the water stretching inland with mountains in the distance. The platform is a scaffold that spans the two towers of the North cantilever.
There are two large platforms with a walkway between them. There are contrasting blue planks underfoot, stacked three high at the edges, and a scaffold handrail all the way round. The two platforms provide splendid views in both directions, inland and up and down the water.
On the second platform there is a raised section where the photographer takes your picture with the bridge and Inchgarvie island in the background. Best of all, the picture is included in the experience.
When you are up at the top, you are free to wander about taking pictures, video calling your family and friends, enjoying the view and so on. The guides are in the background to answer questions or to provide reassurance if you are wobbly on your feet. Our guides on the day were scaffolders, so they had insider info about how they put the platforms in.
It is awesome that you can just wander about taking in the views. There are no off-limit areas, no "do not touch" signs and no restrictions. It is brill. The scaffold is attached to the bridge, so it does move a little in the wind and when trains pass over the bridge, but nothing too naughty. The weather was calm, with the wind you would expect up high and occasional light gusts, nothing to worry about though. The sunset slot was sold out, but we were on the 1730 one, so when we were up there, the sunset was just starting.
While we were up there, four or five trains passed under us. The bridge does move a little as the train comes off the viaduct and onto the bridge. It all adds to the fun while you're up there.
Photos do not do the experience justice. The views are breathtaking, being up there feels special, and the introductory presentation before you head up begins to give you a sense of the effort that went into construction, which makes being up there even more special. Obligatory selfie.
You get about 30 minutes up top. Before you know it, your time is up and it is back into the hoist for the 2.5 minute trip back down to ground level. When you get back to the bottom you turn in your hi-viz and hard hat, then exit via the gift shop. I picked up a pin badge, keyring and the pop-up card. When I met up with Mrs T and Mitch, they had bought me The Briggers book and Mitch had the kids' version.
You've got to be 18 to go up, so both kids are not yet old enough. The team were kind enough to let Mitch and Mrs T watch the presentation, and Mitch got to pump the bellows of the riveting demonstration.
Mrs T is not afraid of heights but does not fancy going up, so the two times I have been up, I have done it on my own. It is a wonderful experience and I cannot recommend it enough. This year they did an ultimate experience that includes a stop at the bothy half way up for a drink and a biscuit, and then a walk out over the Forth on the track-level walkway. There is only one of these trips on each of the three days they do it. Unfortunately it was sold out when we booked the tickets, literally seconds after they went on sale. Maybe next time.
