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| Forth Rail Bridge, built in the 1880s. Edinburgh, Scotland |
The Firth of Forth is a curiously named waterway just North
of Edinburgh. Forth is the name of the river, and firth means estuary, so the
Firth of Forth is the mouth of the river Forth. Boat tours leave the port town
of Queensferry, and this town can be reached from Edinburgh by bus. We arranged
to take a bus/boat tour with Forth Boat Tours aboard the Forth Belle, and we
left Edinburgh at about 10:30am. We had a beautiful, albeit crisp, day for our
tour. The boat took us out the Firth to Inchcolm Island, where for an
additional £5, you could disembark and spend an hour and a half wandering
around the island.
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| Seals basking in the spring sun. Firth of Forth, Edinburgh, Scotland |
Incholm Island has the ruined remains of Inchcolm Abbey,
among them, the best preserved medieval cloisters in Scotland. Like many
ancient buildings in Europe, the abbey reached its current size through many
generations of builders adding to it. The earliest buildings of the abbey date
from the 1100s and the most recent ruins are the battlements from WWII. There
is a paved path from the dock to the abbey, but to reach the battlements and
the southern tip of the island, you must be prepared to do a bit of hiking. You
have permission to roam all over the island during your visit; time and
physical ability are your only limits, though they recommend you don’t approach
the wildlife.
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| Inchcolm Island and Inchcolm Abbey Edinburgh, Scotland |
When we arrived, we bypassed the crowds at the abbey (the 1st
sight) and headed uphill toward the southern coast of the island; we were on a
puffin hunt. The captain of our boat announced that the first puffin had been
spotted the previous day; apparently they are like robins. The vegetation has
been allowed to grow wild, and the ground is very uneven, punctuated with rocks
and tufts of over grown grass. The area acts somewhat as a wildlife preserve,
with seals and gulls sharing the space with puffins in the summer. Hundreds of
gulls were on the southern hillside, and the noise was deafening. The island
was beautiful, but the ground was covered in poop—look but don’t touch
anything.
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| Inchcolm Abbey Edinburgh, Scotland |
We hiked downhill toward the water, and on our return hike
up we encountered Maude and her friend. The girls, about 6, were exploring the
island with their dads. Maude was very precocious and invited us to hike back
down to the water with them in search of the seagull nest factory; she assured
us it was located there. We declined, as we had just been there, and parted
ways with the promise of a progress report later.
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| Seagulls on Inchcolm Island Edinburgh, Scotland |
Our final stop was the north end of the island to visit the
old war ruins. The entire firth was heavily fortified during both world wars as
it was an important port. Other islands in the firth were fortified as well. Inchgarvie
Island was fortified in a specific pattern, and against the horizon it presents
the silhouette of a battleship.
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| Ruins of the Choir Inchcolm Island, Edinburgh, Scotland |
We reached the ruins by marching blindly into a dark, scary
tunnel. We were emboldened by the arrival of another visitor who assured us
that the tunnel did indeed go through to the other side, and that it was
perfectly safe. We walked in, and it was scary, and then it was over. The
tunnel was actually short, but it was curved, so it looked endless. Once
through, we saw the mouth of the Forth and looked toward the North Sea, but
there were not puffins to be found. It must have been too early in the season
still.
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| The "battleship" island Inchgarvie Island, Edinburgh, Scotland |
As we were walking back to the boat, my sister slipped on
the pavement (Scots for sidewalk) and cut her knee. The boat only had gauze, so
when we returned to the mainland I went into a small store and asked if they
had band-aids.
The clerk said “No, but the bikers might”
“Bikers . . . .?”
“Next door.”
The bikers next door were Harley Davidson riders, and they
looked like a tough bunch. But, as anyone but your mother will tell you; never
judge a book by its cover. They were very kind and concerned, and they got us
set up using supplies from their aid kit—free of charge. The place where they hang out is called Biker's Cove, and everyone reports them to be a friendly bunch. It was a very
interesting afternoon.
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| The creepy, dark WWII tunnel Inchcolm Island, Edinburgh, Scotland |
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