About
Queensferry Museum, managed by Museums and Galleries Edinburgh, occupies a small but richly stocked building on South Queensferry's historic High Street, in the shadow of the three great Forth bridges that have made this ancient ferry town one of the most photographed places in Scotland. The town takes its name from the ferry crossing established here in the eleventh century, tradition holding that it was founded at the request of Queen Margaret, later Saint Margaret, to allow pilgrims and travellers safe passage across the Firth of Forth between Edinburgh and Dunfermline — a ferry service that operated continuously, in one form or another, for over eight centuries until the opening of the first Forth Road Bridge in 1964 finally rendered it unnecessary.
The museum's engineering displays trace the extraordinary story of the three Forth bridges that now dominate the town's skyline: the Forth Bridge of 1890, an audacious cantilever railway bridge that remains one of the most instantly recognisable feats of Victorian engineering anywhere in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the Forth Road Bridge of 1964, which finally ended the historic ferry crossing after eight centuries of continuous operation; and the Queensferry Crossing, opened in 2017 as one of the longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridges in the world, together forming an unmatched panorama of bridge-building history spanning well over a century within sight of a single small town.
Alongside this celebrated engineering heritage, the museum preserves and displays perhaps South Queensferry's most curious and distinctive local tradition: the Burryman, an extraordinary custom in which a local man is entirely covered, head to toe, in the sticky burdock burrs that give the character its name, and paraded slowly through the town's streets each August in a ritual whose origins remain genuinely obscure but which is thought to connect to ancient traditions of harvest, protection or scapegoat rituals found in various forms across rural Britain. The museum's Burryman suit and accompanying material make this bizarre and compelling custom accessible to visitors year-round, complementing broader displays on South Queensferry's fishing and maritime trades, its harbour life, and the everyday history of a small Forth-side town whose setting has, for over a century, made it one of Scotland's most visually arresting places.
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Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
💡 Visitor Tips
- Check current opening hours before visiting, as this small museum keeps limited weekday hours with fuller opening at weekends.
- Combine your visit with a walk along the waterfront to see all three Forth bridges together, one of Scotland's most photographed views.
- If visiting in early August, check whether the Burryman parade itself is taking place — seeing the real event is an unforgettable complement to the museum display.
- The museum is small and can be seen in well under an hour, making it an easy stop while exploring South Queensferry.
- Combine your visit with a boat trip on the Firth of Forth, several of which depart from South Queensferry harbour, for views of the bridges from the water.
- Entry is free, in line with all Museums and Galleries Edinburgh venues.
- South Queensferry is easily reached from central Edinburgh by bus, making this a straightforward half-day excursion.
Highlights
The Burryman
South Queensferry's most curious and distinctive tradition sees a local man entirely covered, head to toe, in sticky burdock burrs, paraded slowly through the town's streets each August accompanied by attendants and refreshed periodically with whisky sipped through a straw, in a custom whose exact origins remain genuinely uncertain but which scholars connect to ancient traditions of harvest ritual, protection, or scapegoat customs found in various forms across rural Britain.
The museum's Burryman suit and accompanying photographs and material make this bizarre and compelling piece of living folk custom accessible to visitors throughout the year, offering one of the most memorable and unusual exhibits in any small Scottish local museum.
The Forth Bridge — Victorian Cantilever Masterpiece
The Forth Bridge, opened in 1890 to carry the railway across the Firth of Forth, remains one of the most instantly recognisable and admired feats of Victorian civil engineering anywhere in the world, its distinctive red cantilever structure a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a defining image of Scottish industrial achievement.
This display documents the bridge's construction, the engineering innovations that made its unprecedented span possible, and the considerable human cost of its building, situating South Queensferry's own history directly beneath one of the great engineering monuments of the industrial age.
Eight Centuries of Ferry History
The ferry crossing that gave Queensferry its name is traditionally said to have been established in the eleventh century at the request of Queen Margaret, later Saint Margaret of Scotland, to provide safe passage for pilgrims and travellers across the Firth of Forth between Edinburgh and Dunfermline, and the crossing operated continuously in one form or another for over eight centuries before finally closing with the opening of the Forth Road Bridge in 1964.
This display traces this remarkable continuity of transport history, documenting the various vessels and operators that maintained the crossing across so many centuries of Scottish history.
The Forth Road Bridge and Queensferry Crossing
The Forth Road Bridge, opened in 1964, ended the historic ferry crossing after eight centuries and was itself joined in 2017 by the Queensferry Crossing, one of the longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridges in the world, built to relieve pressure on the ageing road bridge and secure the crossing's future for generations to come.
Together with the older railway bridge, the three structures create an unmatched panorama of bridge engineering spanning well over a century, and this display documents the construction and engineering significance of the two more recent crossings.
Collections
Queensferry Museum documents South Queensferry's remarkable transport history, from the eleventh-century ferry crossing traditionally founded by Queen Margaret through eight centuries of continuous ferry operation to the three great Forth bridges — the 1890 railway bridge, the 1964 road bridge, and the 2017 Queensferry Crossing — that now dominate the town's skyline.
The museum's most distinctive holding is its Burryman suit, connected to the town's curious and ancient August folk custom, alongside displays on local fishing, maritime trade and everyday High Street life.
The Three Forth Bridges
The engineering history of the 1890 railway bridge, 1964 road bridge, and 2017 Queensferry Crossing, spanning over a century of bridge-building.
The Burryman and Ferry Heritage
South Queensferry's Burryman custom and the eight-century history of the ferry crossing that gave the town its name.
Themes
Time Periods
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.