Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Andrew Sq. It's a 10-minute walk from the bus stop to the Hawes Inn and the Inchcolm
ferry.
Trains go from Edinburgh's Waverley and Haymarket stations to Dalmeny station (£4,
15 minutes, two to four hourly). From the station exit, the Hawes Inn is five minutes'
walk along a footpath (across the road, behind the bus stop) that leads north beside the
railway and then downhill under the Forth Bridge.
INCHCOLM
Known as the 'Iona of the East', the island of Inchcolm (meaning 'St Columba's Island')
lies east of the Forth bridges, less than a mile off the coast of Fife. Only 800m long, it is
home to the ruins of
Inchcolm Abbey
(HS; adult/child £5/3; 9.30am-5.30pm Apr-Sep,
to 4.30pm Oct)
, one of Scotland's best-preserved medieval abbeys, founded by Augustini-
an priors in 1123.
The ferry boat
Maid of the Forth
(
www.maidoftheforth.co.uk
)
sails to Inchcolm from
Hawes Pier in Queensferry. There are one to four sailings most days from May to October.
The return fare is £16/7 per adult/child, including admission to Inchcolm Abbey. It's a
half-hour sail to Inchcolm and you get 1½ hours ashore. As well as the abbey, the trip
gives you the chance to see the island's grey seals, puffins and other seabirds.
HOPETOUN HOUSE
One of Scotland's finest stately homes,
Hopetoun House
(
www.hopetoun.co.uk
;
adult/
child £9.20/4.90; 10.30am-5pm Easter-Sep, last admission 4pm; Stables Tearoom
11am-4.30pm Easter-Sep)
has a superb location in lovely grounds beside the Firth of
Forth. There are two parts - the older built to Sir William Bruce's plans between 1699 and
1702 and dominated by a splendid stairwell with (modern) trompe l'oeil paintings; and the
newer, designed between 1720 and 1750 by three members of the Adam family, William
and sons Robert and John. The highlights are the red and yellow
Adam drawing rooms
,
lined in silk damask, and the view from the roof terrace.
Britain's most elegant equine accommodation - where the marquis once housed his
pampered racehorses - is now the stylish
Stables Tearoom
(
0131 331 3661; mains
£6-8, afternoon tea £12.75; 11am-4.30pm Easter-Sep)
, a delightful spot for lunch or af-
ternoon tea.
Hopetoun House is 2 miles west of Queensferry along the coast road. Driving from Ed-
inburgh, turn off the A90 onto the A904 just before the Forth Bridge and follow the signs.
