QUEENSFERRY and DISTRICT COMMUNITY COUNCIL

          SOME INFORMATION ABOUT QUEENSFERRY


Queensferry lies 8 miles to the northwest of Edinburgh, on the south shore of the Firth of Forth and is bounded by the main crossing points over the Forth, the Forth Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge.

Sights and places of interest around Queensferry (click the picture to view)

           WPlewlands House.jpg (127437 bytes)               WAuld Kirk.jpg (184471 bytes)              WRosebery Hall.jpg (71304 bytes)             WDalmeny Church.jpg (137462 bytes)            WForth Bridge A.jpg (100839 bytes)

             Plewlands House                            Auld Kirk                           Tolbooth                       Dalmeny Church                         Forth Bridge
                    1641                                          1655                                 1650                                   1100                                      1890

            WHawes Inn.jpg (111733 bytes)                  Forth Road Bridge A.JPG (722427 bytes)              WPriory Church.jpg (153780 bytes)               WEast Terrace.jpg (71655 bytes)            WBlack Castle.jpg (110400 bytes)

                   Hawes Inn                           Forth Road Bridge                       Priory Church                      East Terrace                Black Castle
                      1765                                          1964                                       1440                                  1790                            1626

Queensferry  owes its name to the ferry passage across the Forth.  Both ferry and settlement may date from prehistoric times, but the origin of the town is traditionally linked with the name of Queen Margaret, wife of Malcolm III (Canmore), King of Scotland from 1057 to 1093. By 1630 Queensferry had become a flourishing seafaring town and in 1636 it was able to extend its privileges by becoming a Royal Burgh. The prosperity of the town is reflected in the number of substantial 17th century buildings which still survive in the town. Over eighty of Queensferry's buildings are listed - protected as "buildings of special architectural or historic interest" and four of these are in the top 'A' category. By the early 18th century the merchant fleet dwindled and the burgh's revenues fell. Linen weaving, candle-making and soap-making industries grew up in the late 18th century only to decline a few decades later. Fishing and herring salting brought intermittent prosperity and after 1828 the Glenforth Distillery provided some employment. In the 1880s and 90s the Forth Rail Bridge was constructed, while the naval base at Port Edgar, commissioned in 1917, and the shale oil works at Dalmeny also benefitted the town. In 1975 the Local Government (Scotland) Act brought an end to Queensferry's Royal Burgh status, and transferred its administration to the City of Edinburgh District Council.  
In 1977 Queensferry was designated an "outstanding conservation area" and in 1985 further planning controls were introduced to help preserve the town's unique character. 

                                             Home Page /About Queensferry/Who we are/Current issues /Diary / Happenings/Minutes / Official Stuff / Contact us