Forth Bridge: stunning views from top on offer in charity fundraiser

I suspect every parent has spun that yarn to wind up impressionable bairns across the generations as they looked out at the distinctive structure. It came to mind again this week as I stood on the top of the bridge, looking down those vast rusted steel supports and saw a three-carriage train trundle along the track 316 feet below as it headed towards Dalmeny Station.

It’s a view like no other - one that is now open to anyone to enjoy, and raise significant funds for Barnardo’s Scotland. The charity’s event, Your View, offers trips to the top of the bridge to savour a 360-degree panorama view of the Edinburgh and Fife coastline. All you need is a head for heights, and maybe a wee prayer the weather will be kind.

Monday’s press trip to the top was blessed with perfect conditions. A downpour that landed as I passed Dalgety Bay eased up, and by the time we’d had our safety briefing, donned hi-vis jackets and hard hats,and headed to the cage, conditions were near perfect.

We were on the North Queensferry side, where the viewing tower sits in a U-shape around the top of the first section of the bridge. You begin to get a sense of the size of the structure as you walk next to its massive frame before stepping into the crate for a two minute journey to the top.

From ground to summit, you tackle barely a dozen stairs, and once at the top, you realise just how big the viewing platform is, with a long walkway taking you to a second vantage point where you can follow the spans of the bridge all the way down to its foundations.

All you have to do is drink in the views all the way up and down the estuary, across to the Edinburgh coastline and back round to Fife - and they are utterly spectacular.

Your eye picks out a yacht the size of a model boat going under the bridge, pauses on landmark buildings on either coast, and watches traffic criss-crossing the two adjacent road bridges, while you see how closely entwined North Queensferry is with the bridge as its houses wrap round the foundations like ivy on a wall.

And the panorama changes with every passing hour of the day, which is partly why people return more than once to be part of the charity’s fundraiser.

We were joined by The Briggers, volunteer historians who are also part of the visits. Their talks bring the story of the bridge’s construction to life.

Standing at the top, they point out the giant spans held in place by some eight million rivets, every single one hammered into place by hand.

Nothing was made off site. This bridge was man made - a point they illustrate by indicating how the steel structure curves doesn’t follow a straight line, instead it curves and bends as each rivet was secured into place.

Each rive was heated up and thrown to the rivet catcher - the ‘hauder up’ - who held it in place while two men hammered in sequence to get it into position.

“The bridge resounded to men hammering them in all day,” said LenSaunders, who, along with Frank Hay will take each group through the bridge’s construction before they all head to the cage. They work across each day on the ground, while the groups go up and down.

“We give them a talk about the history of the bridge, and demonstrate riveting using wooden rivets to show them how it was done. It helps to bring it to life - they begin to realise what was involved in making this bridge,” said Frank.

“One visitor came up to us after going up and said he saw what we meant when we said it is hand made. The curves in the structure show each rivet was indeed placed by hand,” added Len.

At its peak, some 4600 men worked on the bridge - one third English, Irish and Scottish, many drawn from the shipyards. The youngest was just 11, the oldest 61 - and it was tough, dangerous work. A total of 73 men who died are now remembered in memorials on either side of the estuary.

Research carried Out by the bridges has helped to put names to those who created a structure that is now a UNESCO world heritage site.

“Books had put the number who died at 57,” said Frank, “but that number came from a German engineer who built the middle section. When we were creating the memorial, we looked for them and it was a surprise to find there were more. We ended up confirming 73, and we also found out a lot about the life and times of North and South Queensferry and how involved the communities were with the bridge.”

For Frank and Len, going to the top will; never lose its appeal. Every visit sparks another story, and a chance to tell people about the remarkable, pioneering work which saw it span the estuary.

> Barnardo’s Your View event runs from September 22-24. Tickets for the 90–minute visit are available from Friday, June 30, costing £75 or £85 for the sunset/sunrise slots. Over 18s only. A photographer will be stationed on the platform to capture memories of this once in a lifetime experience. You also get a certificate of achievement and printed souvenir photograph. You can also visit the exhibition area and grab a photo with the human cantilever.

Booking at https://www.barnardos.org.uk/events/your-view-forth-bridge