Bridge · Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Forth Bridge
The Forth Bridge is a cantilever railway bridge across the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland, 9 miles (14 kilometres) west of central E. Built 1890.
Photo: MrMasterKeyboard via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Edinburgh, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Type | Bridge |
| Built | 1890 |
| Length | Length: 2.5 km |
| Coordinates | 56.0004° N, 3.3886° W |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Forth Bridge is known for
The Forth Bridge is a cantilever railway bridge across the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland, 9 miles (14 kilometres) west of central E.
About Forth Bridge
The Forth Bridge is a cantilever railway bridge across the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland, 9 miles (14 kilometres) west of central Edinburgh. Completed in 1890, it is considered a symbol of Scotland (having been voted Scotland's greatest man-made wonder in 2016), and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was designed by English engineers Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker.
History
The Forth Bridge Railway Act 1882 (45 & 46 Vict. c. cxiv) authorising the construction of the redesigned bridge was passed on 19 May 1882 after an eight-day enquiry, the only objections being from rival railway companies.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Forth Bridge website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Edinburgh |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Edinburgh Airport (EDI) |
| Distance from the airport | 3.7 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Edinburgh Airport (EDI) · Ingliston, Edinburgh, United Kingdom · 3.5 miles away
- Glasgow Airport (GLA) · Glasgow, United Kingdom · 41.4 miles away
- Glasgow Prestwick Airport (PIK) · Prestwick, South Ayrshire, United Kingdom · 57.7 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in United Kingdom
More bridges
Frequently asked questions
What is Forth Bridge?
The Forth Bridge is a cantilever railway bridge across the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland, 9 miles (14 kilometres) west of central E.
Where is Forth Bridge located?
Forth Bridge is in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. Its coordinates are 56.0004° N, 3.3886° W.
How do I get to Forth Bridge?
The nearest town is Edinburgh, and the nearest airport is Edinburgh Airport (EDI), about 3.7 miles away (straight line).
When was Forth Bridge built?
Forth Bridge was built 1890.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forth_Bridge — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q275 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://www.theforthbridges.org/ — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.