BRIDGESPOTTING

In my Bridgespotting books, I had one rule for selecting tourist-friendly bridges to recommend to readers – every bridge needed to have a sidewalk, and be accessible for visits by pedestrians. Also, I chose to break this rule once, for one of the most iconic and fascinating bridges in the world, the Forth Railroad Bridge near Edinburgh, in Scotland.

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The Forth Railroad Bridge consists of three enormous, rust-orange, diamond-shaped cantilevers, each composed of gigantic steel tubes up to 12 feet in diameter. The symmetry, size, and color evoke the twenty-first century sculptural bridges, so some people are shocked when they hear that it was constructed in 1890. Instead of being a modern sculptural bridge, it is actually an early industrial-age bridge whose stunning appearance is still inspiring bridge designers 130 years later. The bridge is still used for rail travel but, unfortunately, you cannot see the iconic shape in full profile when riding across in a train. However, despite this challenge, there is enough demand to see it that accommodations have been made for visitors. Approximately a half-mile to the west of the railroad bridge is the Forth Road Bridge, a 1960s-era suspension bridge that carries traffic. This traffic bridge has an accessible sidewalk, on its eastern side, from which the iconic railroad bridge can be admired and photographed. The road bridge makes a perfect platform, at the perfect angle and distance, from which to view and photograph the railroad bridge. The view is so perfect that the relatively uninteresting road bridge actually has a visitor center, viewing platform, exhibition plaques, and snack bar on its southern end, accessible by a short bus ride from central Edinburgh. It is an unusual case in which one bridge has been outfitted with accommodations so tourists can view a different bridge. For good measure, the Forth Road Bridge can also be used to view the new, cable-stayed Queensferry Crossing Bridge on its west side.

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My apologies for the poor quality of the photos of these bridges that I have posted here. When traveling to visit and photograph bridges, you are sometimes constrained by the weather, and the one day I had in Edinburgh was drizzling and fog. Instead of the gorgeous, sunny-day photos of Forth Railroad Bridge, I can only offer the gray bridge over gray water with gray sky perspective. Also, I visited while Queensferry Bridge was being constructed, so only captured the cranes. But this does not take anything away from the grandeur of the bridge.