Graceful yet immense, the Forth Rail Bridge sweeps across the Firth of Forth in a series of vast red cantilevers, its soaring geometry as striking today as when it opened in 1890. Spanning 2.5 kilometres between South Queensferry and Fife, it was the first great structure in the world built of steel and quickly became a defining symbol of Victorian confidence and ingenuity. Designed by Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker, its towers rise more than 100 metres above the water, carrying trains across one of Scotland’s widest estuaries.

 

Built in the aftermath of the Tay Bridge Disaster, the bridge was engineered with uncompromising strength, consuming over 50,000 tonnes of steel and setting new global standards in safety and design. Today it carries more than 200 trains daily and, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, remains one of Scotland’s most enduring and elegant feats of engineering.