Eight Hours ashore in…   ROSYTH, Scotland 

ROSYTH - is situated on the north bank of the River Forth, just 40 minutes from Edinburgh. it’s position on the Firth of Forth is dominated by the world’s largest multi-span cantilever bridge - The Forth Bridge - and the newer Forth Road Suspension Bridge.

As your ship arrives -passing Edinburgh on the south shore of the Firth - it passes directly under both bridges, so they are unmissable on both arrival and on Sail-away!
Rosyth is a large industrial port and naval base and, although there is a small Cruise Terminal here, it mainly functions as a base for day trips to Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital.

A HUGE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT- a very short history …

Rosyth - on the north coast of the Firth of Forth, on the east coast of  Scotland - was built in 1909. A key naval base during World War 1, its easy access to the North Sea played a large part in the success of Britain's war effort.  A Garden City was built to provide homes for the port workers over the year 1915 -1918 and the dockyard remained in action for WW2, later becoming home to the UK's nuclear deterrent with a Polaris submarine base. In 1997 Rosyth became the first British naval dockyard to be privatised when it was purchased by Babcocks, a large ship builder. The 65,000-tonne HMS Queen Elizabeth was built in Rosyth –  the largest, most expensive, warship ever built in the UK, expected to be the Navy's flagship for the next 50 years. Rosyth is also home to 7 decommissioned nuclear submarines…

IMMEDIATE PORT AREA…

Rosyth is a busy industrial port and shipyard, you cannot wander around it! Once the boat is secured pre-booked excursions will leave directly from the ship’s side - while we are in the time of Covid restrictions these will mainly be scenic drives in or around Edinburgh and will be the only way to go ashore.

In more normal times, those making their own plans for a day out would start with a short shuttle to the Terminal Building. Rosyth has an excellent Welcome Team of local volunteers who are really helpful and always delighted to share information about various options for your day ashore.  

Cruise lines sometimes run a prebooked shuttle to the nearby rail station for regular trains to Edinburgh. The railway crosses the historic Forth Bridge, which has been carrying rail traffic for almost 125 years. It has also featured in many films including a starring role with a hair raising chase on the bridge in The 39 Steps films of both 1935 and 1959! If your cruise doesn’t provide a shuttle option then taxis are available at the terminal, with journeys to Inverkeithing Station costing around £10 one way for up to four people.

The Cruise Terminal usually offers free shuttles to both Dunfermline, the ancient capital of Scotland which is about fifteen minutes away, and to North Queensferry, which is literally in the shadow of the two Forth bridges and a great photography location.  

The terminal has free wifi for both passengers and crew but is no Duty Free shopping, although  occasionally there will be some souvenir stalls.

HOW TO GET TO EDINBURGH… from the ship

Your best route is by train which will take about half an hour from the railway station and cost approximately £11.00 return. If four share a taxi, to and from the station, it would cost around £16.00 return in total. A Taxi would be slightly quicker at about half an hour from the port  and would cost about £40 each way - if you are a group of four that would cost about £20.00 a head return.  Local bus would be about £5 return each but it would certainly take over an hour and could take up to two depending on connections. 

A DAY IN EDINBURGH…

There is plenty to see and do in Edinburgh, it is a compact, hilly city so be prepared for a lot of walking with flat sensible shoes!  Listen out for the Mons Meg, the one o’clock gun fired from the imposing battlements of Edinburgh Castle which can be heard throughout the city - the Castle is home to Scotland’s crown jewels and Stone of Destiny, historically used in the coronation of Scottish rulers.

Edinburgh has a medieval Old Town and elegant Georgian New Town with parks, gardens and neoclassical buildings beneath the surrounding hills you don’t need to spend much to have a good day as many of the attractions in the city are free to visit: 

• The Royal Mile which runs between the Castle and Holyrood Palace

• Princes Street with chopping on one side and dramatic views on the other.

• Calton Hill great views, the Dugald Stewart Monument & the National Monument

• St Giles’ Cathedral - 14th Century Cathedral of the patron saint of Edinburgh.

• The Grassmarket historic market place, crafts and artisan shops

• National Museum of Scotland - diverse exhibits showcase Scottish history.

• Museum of Edinburgh, in beautiful Huntly House tells the history of the city.

• National Galleries of Scotland - a world class exhibition of art from all eras

• The Writer’s Museum - celebrates three of Scotland most famous writers Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson.

Other highlights of Edinburgh that incur an entrance fee include

• Edinburgh Castle - but you could spend a whole day here!

• The Georgian House - see both sides of life - both the luxurious ‘upstairs’ rooms and the ‘below stairs’ servants quarters are open to visitors

• Scotch Whiskey experience - all about Scotlands national drink & samples

• Camera Obscura for a unique perspective on the city

• Real Mary King’s Close - the cities hidden, underground, streets & history

• John Knox House, oldest medieval building and storytelling centre

Don’t forget that the city will be very different during the Edinburgh Festival  and the Edinburgh Fringe when many venues will be hosting various shows and exhibitions and may change their normal opening hours.  The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo takes place at thistle which will restrict access to the Castle - if you are visiting in August its best to double check everything!

OUT OF TOWN…

Slightly out of Edinburgh city centre but definitely worth considering , especially in very high or Festival season… 

• Royal Yacht Britannia is on the coast at Leith - five decks of staterooms, crews quarters exhibitions and engine rooms. Fascinating!

• Edinburgh Zoo - a world class,parkland zoo offering keeper talks, hands-on animal encounters and free hilltop safari rides with a panda enclosure and the only koala in the UK

• Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 72 acres of the some of finest botanic gardens in the world, with fantastic views of Edinburgh Castle and skyline. The classsic glasshouses contain an amazing collection of plants which have been part of Edinburgh for 350 years.

If you have visited EDINBURGH before you may want to explore a little further afield. The two most popular locations would be Dunfermline and North Queensferry, both accessible by shuttle from the port, other options will need car hire or a booked taxi for the day

Dunfermline

was the Ancient capital of Scotland. There are three notable attractions,

• Dunfermline Palace and Abbey - the remains of a great Benedictine abbey which was founded by monks brought from Canterbury by Queen Margaret in the 11th century. It is the final resting place of King Robert Bruce, notably minus his heart, along with seven other Scottish royals from Queen Margaret in 1093 to Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany in 1420. Adjacent to the Abbey are the ruins of a royal palace built by James VI for his wife, Anne of Denmark, it was the birthplace of the the future Charles 1 of England in 1603 but after James VI became James I of England the royal connection with Dunfermline faded and the last royal to use the palace was Charles II in 1651.

• Pittencrieff House Museum and Park this 17th century mansion house is set in beautiful parkland and houses an accessible display called Magic of the Glen which explains this history of the park and house. They were purchased and donated to the city in 1903 by Andrew Carnegie, businessman and philanthropist - probably the most famous resident of Dunfermline who made his fortune in America in the late 1800s.

• The Birthplace of Andrew Carnegie, at the corner of Moodie Street and Priory Lane, is now a museum made up of two buildings; the weaver's cottage where he was born in 1835 and the memorial hall which tells his life story. Annual heritage walks organised by the museum take place each summer.

North Queensferry

• The Ferry lay at the tip of a rocky promontory extending south into the Firth of Forth, the obvious crossing place for a ferry to carry the increasing traffic between Edinburgh and Dunfermline that resulted from the foundation of Dunfermline Abbey by Queen Margaret. The rights to run the ferry across from South Queensferry on the opposite back, were owned by Dunfermline Abbey and provided a good of income, after the Reformation the rights passed to what was effectively Scotland's first public limited company, in a sale of 16 equal shares. The Forth Bridge was built between 1883 to 1890 to carry the railway across the firth. It literally overshadowed the ferry but it wasn’t until 19634 when the Forth Road Bridge opened that the ferries stopped running.

• Coastal Path - The Coastal Circuit runs from directly under the Forth Rail Bridge and follows a lovely section of the Fife Coastal path until it heads inland to return on a road. The Circuit is about 3.5 miles in total and is an interesting mix of coast, wildlife and industrial landscape - a great place for a bit of a hike!

• The Lantern Tower, set between the two bridges is the the world's smallest working lighthouse it used to guide the ferries ashore.

Hopetoun House 

is just outside South Queensferry  on the opposite back of the Firth. It is a beautiful 17th century house, still inhabited today by Lord Hopetoun and family. Both the house and grounds are open, there is a tearoom and  It is possible to book and a clay shooting experience 

Falkland Palace 

is about 30 miles from Rosyth - a  16th Century Royal palace inspired by the grand châteaux of France, built by James IV and restored in 1860 by the 3rd Marquess of Bute. Mary, Queen of Scots was one of the castles most famous royal residents – she loved the palace, and it’s estate where she spent time hunting, learning falconry and, apparently, enjoying a game of tennis.  Today, visitors can visit the house, Britain’s oldest real (or Royal) tennis courts, the  formal gardens, ancient orchard and a living willow labyrinth.

Linlithgow Palace

is about 28 miles from Rosyth. The ruins of a magnificent Royal Palace which was built and extended over two centuries by successive Kings of Scotland  Both James V and his daughter Mary Queen of Scots were born here, in this superb Renaissance castle overlooking the peaceful loch and peel (park). This countryside retreat was an ideal place for the royal family to break a journey between Edinburgh and Stirling Castles. Today high towers look out over lush greenery, the park and loch designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest for their varied wildlife and waterfowl.

Rosslyn Chapel

is about 23miles from Rosyth. Rosslyn Chapel was founded in 1446 - it is a place of worship and services continue to be held here weekly. The Chapel has been a popular destination for visitors since  the late 18th-century. The unusual decoration and use of symbolism in the chapel led to speculation regarding its connection with the Knights Templar, Freemasonry and even the Holy Grail which rose to fever pitch with the publication of Dan Brown's novel, The Da Vinci Code, in 2003.

I hope you enjoyed reading about how to spend your Eight Hours in Rosyth and that it will be useful on your cruise. Maybe pin this on Pinterest so that you can come back to it later?

I would love to know what you did there so please take a moment to comment below! There are also some small affiliate links there which help towards the running of the website - if you click through and buy anything from them it gives us a few pence but doesn’t cost you any extra! It’s a great help and thanks to all those who do!

Happy portExploring!

Cathy 

xx

 P.S. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter so that you never miss a Blog post. To receive behind the scenes info and travel tips, just complete this form.

P.P.S. If you’ve found this Blog interesting then I’d love it if you could comment, like or share using the Social Sharing buttons below - I’d love to hear your thoughts!