An evidence-based timeline tracing Queensferry’s development from its earliest settlements to the modern town.
Ancient Foundations (0–1000 A.D.)
• Roman presence fades by 407 A.D., leaving a “primitive road” and a few place-names.
• Anglo-Saxon influence pushes north; early ecclesiastical sites appear around Dalmeny (700–800 A.D.).
• The “Binks” becomes the natural landing rock on the Queensferry shore — first ferry point.
St Margaret Era (1067–1093)
• 1067: Margaret, fleeing south England, lands at the Binks.
• Ferried to King Malcolm III at Dunfermline. Marries in 1071.
• Pilgrims begin using this narrow Forth crossing.
• The Queen’s ferry passage becomes Passagium Reginae.
• The hamlet grows around this traffic — hovels, storms, rough grazing, no order.
Medieval Growth (1100–1500s)
• Parish churches at Dalmeny and Abercorn already old; Norman phases start around 1100s.
• Carmelite Priory founded 1440–41 by Dundas family.
• Early burgh begins forming around Priory, harbour rocks, and High Street ridge.
• Vaulted house structures appear on East Terrace to deal with steep bedrock.
• Dundas Keep exists by the 12th century; licence renewed 1416.
Becoming a Royal Burgh (1636–1641)
• 1636: Queensferry becomes a Burgh of Regality under Dunfermline Abbey.
• 1641: Elevated to Royal Burgh by Act of Parliament.
• Burgh church (Auld Kirk) built soon after, still standing behind Black Castle.
Covenanting & Civil War Disruption (1638–1650s)
• 1638: National Covenant divides the nation; Queensferry signs it.
• Musket shortages hit the Burgh; defences improvised.
• 1644–46: Royalist and Covenanter conflict spills along the Forth.
• 1650s: Minister Ephraim Melville — witch-hunter — has eight women executed.
The Queensferry Paper (1680)
• Donald Cargill escapes attempted arrest in Queensferry; his manifesto is found locally.
• The document becomes known as “The Queensferry Paper”, central to Covenanter history.
Harbour Reconstruction & Trade (1700s)
• 1690–1693: Local seamen build first timber piers. Two by 1693.
• 1747–55 storms destroy both; harbour disappears.
• 1780: East pier is failing; patch repairs.
• 1789: Another storm ruins the work again.
• 1817: Major rebuild starts — north wall, new entrance, permanent layout. Harbour as known today takes shape.
• Early 1700s: Herring fishing, soap-making, and small-scale exports to Baltic ports.
• Old cross-pier used by shalers (marked “boiler” on 1856 map).
Coaches, Inns, and High Street Growth (1700s–1800s)
• Stagecoaches stop at Hawes Inn; ferry passengers move through the narrow High Street.
• Street lighting added 1785 (12 oil lamps).
• Houses show mix of fieldstone walls, thatch remnants, lum-head weathering.
Explore the Old High Street in my Queensferry Walking Guide – virutally nothing has changed since the 1700s
Industrial Expansion & Coastline Changes (1800–1900)
Railway & Bridges
• 1873: Last stagecoach runs.
• 1866–1917: Rail line extends from Ratho → Dalmeny → Hawes → Port Edgar.
• 1883–1890: Forth Rail Bridge built; 5,000+ men employed.
Harbour & Steamers
• 1886: Distillers Company opens bonded warehouses.
• 1886: Wooden passenger pier built for “Galloway” steamers (150 yards long).
• 1919: Pier abandoned; later dismantled.
Town Structure
• Terraces expanded; vaults filled; new housing grows in Back Braes and the Loan.
• Sanitation still poor; middens remain into late 1800s.
• Shops and small industries cluster between Tron and Tolbooth.
Grand Estates & Local Power (1700s–1900s)
Hopetoun House
• Built 1699–1703; major expansion 1726–40 by William Adam.
• Home of the Hopes for 300+ years.
Dundas Castle
• Keep medieval; mansion added 1820.
• Cromwell likely stayed in 1660s.
• Known for rhododendron avenues and 1623 sundial.
Dalmeny House
• Built 1815.
• Tudor-Gothic; later home to Earls of Rosebery.
• Connected to shale oil development and early British Petroleum lineage.
Shale Oil & Heavy Industry (1850s–1960s)
• Shale workers’ rows built 1850s–1900s around the Glebe and south-west of Dalmeny.
• Mines and oil works active until mid-1920s; bing remains as landmark.
• Scottish Oils Company forms; Dalmeny helps shape early global oil workforce.
World War I & Naval Era (1914–1918)
• Port Edgar used as destroyer base; commissioned 1917 as HMS Columbine.
• British Grand Fleet anchors in the Firth; Queensferry sees mass naval movement.
• November 1918: German High Seas Fleet escorted into the Forth before surrender.
Inter-war & Post-war Queensferry (1920s–1960s)
• 1920s: Wooden steamer pier dismantled, sold for firewood during “depression” years.
• Growth of motor traffic; ferries adapted for vehicles.
• Local Authority housing expands in 1930s, 1950s.
• Hewlett-Packard factory arrives in 1966.
The Forth Road Bridge (1958–1964)
• 1961: Suspension towers lit during construction (famous night photos).
• 1964: Bridge opens; ends centuries of ferry dependency.
Modern Queensferry (1970s–Present)
• Terraces stabilised; Priory, Tolbooth, Black Castle, and Laburnam House preserved.
• Harbour shifts from industry → leisure craft.
• High Street becomes mixed-use: heritage, cafés, tourist flow, and residential.
• 2017: Queensferry Crossing opens
This timeline summarises historically published accounts, local records, and surviving architectural evidence to provide a factual overview of Queensferry’s development.
Scott grew up in South Queensferry and knows the town like the back of his hand. He writes practical travel guides based on lived experience — tender days, cruise traffic, shortcuts into Edinburgh, local food spots, and the quirks only residents notice. His articles focus on clear directions, accurate timings, and grounded advice for visitors exploring Queensferry and the east of Scotland.