Scott Gibson grew up in South Queensferry and runs queensferry.net. The Forth and Edinburgh guides come from lived experience — tender days at Hawes Pier, cruise traffic, the shortcuts into the city. For the wider Scotland cruise ports, he draws on friends in some of the port towns alongside port, operator and transport sources — so the detail holds up on the ground, not just on paper. Clear directions, real timings, no brochure fluff.
Your Scotland cruise itinerary includes Edinburgh, and you’re wondering if you can take a taxi from South Queensferry to the city centre. The plan sounds simple: you get off the tender boat at the Hawes Pier, flag a taxi down,…
Planning to spend a day in Edinburgh from a cruise ship sounds wonderfully simple. The ship docks. You stroll down the gangway. A short walk, and suddenly you’ve got the Scott Monument, Princes Street Gardens, and Edinburgh Castle in one…
Planning Edinburgh shore excursions from the cruise port sounds straightforward. That’s until you realise the city centre sits ten miles from the tender point at Hawes Pier in South Queensferry. The thing is, many Scotland cruise guides focus only on…
Most cruise passengers arriving in South Queensferry assume visiting the Royal Mile from the cruise port will be simple. After all, the itinerary says “Edinburgh.” The famous street must be nearby somewhere. Then the tender ties up at Hawes Pier…
When cruise ships anchor at the cruise port of South Queensferry, many passengers expect Edinburgh Castle just around the corner. Some people expect to see Edinburgh Castle from the cruise ship. After all, you’re arriving in Edinburgh on a Scotland…
Planning to follow in the footsteps of Jamie and Claire in Cranesmuir on a Culross Outlander walk? Many guides simply list filming locations without explaining how to walk them. You end up circling cobbled streets, passing Mercat Cross several times,…
Most advice on photographing the Forth Bridges points you somewhere specific, then tells you to shoot. There you are, standing on the Hawes Pier staring up at the immense steel structure of the rail bridge. Then you check the photos…
When you step off the tender at Hawes Pier, the real cruise day decisions start fast. Within minutes, you need to decide whether you’re heading straight for Edinburgh, staying in South Queensferry, joining a ship tour, or grabbing the X99…
Booked a Scotland cruise on the Majestic Princess, and Edinburgh is listed on the itinerary? It’s easy to picture stepping ashore with views of Edinburgh’s skyline in the distance. The reality is, Princess Cruises Edinburgh port is South Queensferry –…
Most people book a Scotland cruise thinking it’s a self-contained thing. Scotland on the label, Scotland on the map, Scotland front and centre. That’s rarely how these sailings actually work — and understanding it early saves a lot of quiet…