A Day in The Ferry and Falkirk

Our Scottish friends picked us up from the Court Residence in Linlithgow this morning and we headed out to breakfast to get the day started.

Down the Hatch Cafe

The Down the Hatch Cafe at the Harbor of South Queensferry serves up real deliciousness. We had the Toasted Bross Montreal Breakfast Bagel complemented with a soft fried egg, bacon, and cheddar with a crispy hash brown on top.

After breakfast and conversation, we stepped outside to get some photos of the Forth Rail Bridge, Forth Road Bridge, and Queensferry Crossing. It was a photographer’s dream because of our unique location in the harbor. But afterwards came the genuine surprise!

Having been to this harbor before on the Edinburgh on Your Own and Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Tour, we never realized that the most magnificent Royal burgh of West Lothian, The Ferry, was only a short walk from the harbor.

The Ferry

5-minute walk

South Queensferry EH30 9RD, UK

This time, instead of heading to Edinburgh by train, we took the leisurely walk and headed into The Ferry.

It is a quaint old town dating to at least the 11th century. A town which is said to have derived its name from ferry service originally established by Queen Margaret. You will find many shops here as well as an enormous selection of pubs.

We walked through the town taking photos passing by the Jubilee Clock Tower with the South Queensferry Tollbooth below, previously used for meetings of the Royal Burgh of Queensferry.

Eventually we found ourselves at the Harbour Lane Studios situated in a quaint little lane. We purchased a hand-lined map illustrating The Firth of Forth from Stirling to Sea, which in irony depicted everywhere we had just traveled on the Outlander Scotland 5 Day Immersion tour.

Mannerstons Cafe and Farm Shop

Now enjoying Lunch, a stone’s throw from Lollybroch, we were being entertained by Stuart, director of this establishment. We heard a few stories involving members of the Outlander production crew who would regularly frequent the Cafe.

With a varied menu having anything you could desire for lunch; the atmosphere was great. We learned that Stuart’s wife hand-made all the ice cream served at the shop. Stuart was then nice enough to treat us to a few samples of this tasty treat!

Bo’Ness

Soon we were traveling through Bo’Ness on our way to the Falkirk Wheel. During the journey we stumbled upon a classic car show and got out to capture a bit of what was going on. Here they had many classic cars, about half American, including old Chevys, Cameros, and Mustangs.

What we did not realize until later was that the Outlander Series transformed the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway Station into a wartime London railway for filming. So unfortunately, we missed that attraction.

Falkirk Wheel

We arrived at the town of Falkirk, and the Falkirk wheel. We secured a ticket for the last tour of the day. This one-hour trip takes you from the Forth and Clyde lower canal, to the Union upper canal, which leads to the City of Edinburgh. The wheel lifts the boat some 79 feet to a point where an additional 12-foot lock is located.

After traveling through a small tunnel and turnaround at the upper lock, there is an on-board narration about the wheel as it lowers you back to the Forth and Clyde Canal.

We journeyed up the wheel with a houseboat alongside, and back down by ourselves, thus taking in the better view. As we were overlooking Falkirk, we spotted the Kelpies in the distance.

The wheel rotates 180° in five and a half minutes while using very little power.

The Kelpies

Taking the path along the Forth and Clyde Canal, the enormousness of the Kelpie sculptures quickly comes to light. In the folklore of the Scottish people, a Kelpie is a shape-shifting spirit found in and around water. The park opened in 2014 as a monument to the horse-powered days of Scotland’s past.

The Kelpies produced with about 300 steel tonnage and standing just over 98 feet are built on a park product designed to reclaimed scrubland around Falkirk. During opening hours, a tour exists, which will take you inside a Kelpie for a first-hand examination of its inner workings and interior construction.

Falkirk

Our friends invited us to their home for dinner as well as some family and friends who unexpectedly showered us with many gifts. We find the Scottish people to be the nicest folks on earth and truly appreciate their friendship!

After a few drinks had been served, sitting in this wonderful bungalow in Scotland, we found ourselves listening to a song about midges. It was about 10pm. What’s going on…

Cruise Port: South Queensferry, Scotland

Tour Name: A day in The Ferry and Falkirk

Accommodations: Linlithgow Court Residence

Tour Guide: Self-Guided

Tour Operator: Our Scottish Friends