The Firth of Forth has been a vital communication and crossing point since people first inhabited the area. The name 'Queensferry' originates from the 11th century when Queen Margaret established a crossing from South to North Queensferry for pilgrims travelling to St Andrews. [At the time the names were simply Queensferry and North Queensferry. The name South Queensferry was coined by the Post Office to facilitate mail deliveries.

In 1809 the importance of the crossing was recognised by an Act of Parliament and the Queensferry Passage was formed to take control of the land and ferry operations on both sides of the water. In 1810 ferries were berthed at the Town Pier in North Queensferry built by John Rennie and by 1828, a new steam powered paddle ferry was introduced called "The Queen Margaret" and to accommodate the bigger size, Thomas Telford extended the Town Pier to its current length to provide the deep water required. The great railway network of the time was progressing northwards on the east side of Britain only to grind to a halt in South Queensferry when passengers would need to alight to transfer to the ferry to cross the Forth. It was then decided that a bridge was required to span such a great distance so that trains could continue their journeys northwards uninterrupted. In the late 1800s, designs were sought for just such a crossing with an initial design by Thomas Bouch who had previously design the fateful Tay Bridge. In 1890, one of the engineering wonders of the world, the Forth Rail Bridge, or Forth Bridge to give it its correct name was opened. Its amazing and spectacular construction was designed by the civil engineers Benjamin Baker and Sir John Fowler and the main contractor was Sir William Arroll. It was ground breaking, pushing the skills and ingenuity of all designer, engineers and construction workers to new levels. More than 4500 men from all over Europe were employed during its seven year construction, sadly a number lost their lives doing so. It is believed to have used twice the cast iron required to ensure its strength and longevity as it was designed and built not long after the Tay Bridge rail disaster which claimed over 70 souls.

Even the workers who toiled day and night six days a week would rub their eyes in disbelief as the construction rose above the villages of North and South Queensferry. In the 19th century, the construction "The Bridge", would have been as remarkable as landing on the Moon was for everyone in the 20th century. An MP, the now First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, said "The Forth Bridge reaches deep into the psyche; most of the things it touches are strong and positive. It represents glory on a grand scale and stands impervious to time and the elements - a reminder of a golden age when all was possible if the country dared to dream." In 2012, he unveiled two monuments, one each side of the river, listing the names, ages and job roles of the 72 workers known to have died. Mr Salmond said upon the unveiling of the twin monuments "The Forth Bridge is perhaps the single most inspirational structure ever to have been built in Scotland. Above all, we honour the sacrifice of those who lost their lives during the bridge's construction. They helped make possible what remains perhaps Scotland's greatest ever engineering achievement and these memorials are worthy tributes to their skill and courage."

The maintenance of the bridge has even created a well known saying used around the world. Folklore says that the team of painters begin at one end and when they reach the other end, they go back to the start and do it all over again. This myth created the saying "its like painting the Forth Bridge" signifying a never ending job. However, after a ten year overhaul completed in 2012, the world famous bridge is now coated with a material derived from the North Sea oil industry and is expected to last a minimum of 25 years without needing re-coated. It is being flood lit again for 2012 in honour of the Queens Jubilee, making a visit to the bridge in the hours of darkness worthwhile too.