Explore with Amie

We’re heading out into Scotland for this weeks post! As some of you may be aware if you follow my book blog, I’m currently studying for a masters degree in Publishing in Scotland. I am absolutely loving the opportunity to explore new places within the country alongside my studying. This week I am going to be sharing with you a few of the places that I have visited so far along the River Forth.

The River Firth runs from Stirling and becomes to Firth of Forth – the estuary where the Firth joins the sea – towards Edinburgh. Alongside the estuary and the river are many small little towns and villages with many places to visit. I went to a couple of places in November and wanted to share the highlights with you. If you’re a fan of Outlander, you’ll definitely appreciate some of these!

Culross

First up, if you’re on the north side of river, you should visit Culross. This is a beautiful little town with historic features. It is incredibly small with an estimated population around 400 which gives you a sense of the scale. You definitely don’t need more than an hour or two here. Culross palace is a Historic Scotland site so you have to pay to enter, you could visit here as well as the Culross Abbey. I would also suggest making your way up to the Hanging Gardens View Point for a view across the village and the estuary. This village has featured in many episodes of Outlander as Cranesmuir in Season 1 and 4.

Limekilns

Slightly further along the river is Limeklins which, throughout history, has seen limestone quarrying, soap making, shipbuilding and breweries. Again, this is an incredibly small village. You should also visit the nearby Charlestown to see the abandoned Limekilns. We literally parked up, had a small walk around and then headed back to the car for lunch before moving on to the next destination. It is a short stop but is still well worth the short amount of time. It is also on the way if you’re travelling from Culross to Dunfermline.

Dunfermline

Dunfermline is actually a Scottish city. The estimated population is around 50,000 so it is fairly small for a city. It is nonetheless worth a trip to as part of your tour of the Forth. Dunfermline used to be the capital of Scotland until 1437 though it only acquired city status is 2022. Eighteen royals including seven kings were buried at the Abbey one of which was Robert the Bruce. Dunfermline’s major highlight for me was the Abbey and Pittencrieff Park. These were especially beautiful in the autumn time. It also has many shops and charity shops so I was happy.

Forth Bridge

Perhaps the most iconic site on the River Forth is the Forth Bridge. When the bridge opened in 1890, it was the largest spanning bridge at 541metres and still is a great feat of construction. It is a protected site under the UNESCO World Heritage, ranked a ‘Category A’ for a building of special architectural or historic interest. It is one of three bridges in the same area, one of which is a road bridge and the Queensferry crossing which leads us nicely onto the next spot.

Queensferry

Queensferry is a short train ride from Edinburgh and another beautiful and quaint spot along the estuary. You get a great view of the Forth Bridges here so it is worth a stop just for the photo opportunity. Myself and Alex had breakfast here one morning and it was a great place. The cafe was lovely. As the name suggests, this is also a port town and has ferries to the Forth islands. If you’re looking to do a coastal walk, this is also a great place to start as you can join the John Muir Way.

Blackness Castle

Blackness Castle is another Historic Scotland site and costs £7.50 to enter if you are not a member. This puts it as cheaper than a lot of other Historic Scotland sites in the area. The castle was built in the 15th century for the Crichtons as a royal castle however, it later acted as a fortress, prison and ammunition depot too. It is another great spot to see the Forth Bridge though it is worth noting that, due to its location, it can be closed due to adverse weather conditions. Blackness Castle featured in the first season of Outlander as Fort William.

Linlithgow

The final spot I have to share with you is slightly further away from the banks of the river. Admittedly, my time in this town was primarily taken up by it’s pub crawl. This is a six pub crawl where you get a stamp in each pub for buying an alcoholic drink. At the end of the six, you get a tshirt! If you’re staying nearby overnight, I recommend this. It was so much fun and you get the souvenir too! It is £5 to enter. In terms of its cultural history, Linthigow is also home to Linthigow Palace which is the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. The nursery also served James V and Princess Elizabeth of the Stewart era. Full admission is £10 for adults as it is another Historic Scotland owned building.

Those are just a snapshot of the little villages and towns that are found alongside of the banks of the Forth (and slightly further afield). Another major spot in this area is Falkirk but, I will be posting about that in it’s own post later on.

Have you visited any of these places?

Amie x

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a few more photographs: