Category Archives: From Our Archives

In South Queensferry, in 1635, James Livingston was appointed ‘Parish Dominie’ – the term for a Scottish schoolmaster, usually of the Church of Scotland, beginning a long association between church and school.  Lessons were often held in Church towers or the schoolmasters house. There are Schoolmasters and Mistresses recorded in Queensferry since 1635, up to and beyond, theContinue reading “The History of Schools in Queensferry”

King George IV was the monarch to formally pass the Excise Act 1823, which introduced the first licences to legally distill whisky in Scotland. Vat 69 bottling plant came to Queensferry in 1969 by Sandersons via the Distillers Agency Limited (DAL) and brought employment to many local residents and their families.The plant was not alwaysContinue reading “Vat 69 in Queensferry”

J McFarlane’s Inn 1900-1905, what is now the Anchor bar. The Colosseum, c.1914, a ship’s chandlers, naval and sports outfitters, during the 1914-18 War. This was situated where Allium is now on Hopetoun Road. Sandercombe’s Grocer Shop, c.1920’s, where Queens Spice Indian Restaurant and Take Away is now situated, on the High Street. The CornerContinue reading “Some of the Local Shops and Hotels”

Everyone has heard this expression but is it really true? A look at some postcards may help to make up our minds. All of these postcards are owned by a member of the Queensferry History Group. This post card is postmarked 1956 and the ferryboat and the train look right for that date. This versionContinue reading “The Camera Does Not Lie.”

 BackgroundIt is believed by some that the weekly Fair started around 1068, in the time of King Malcolm III and his Queen, Margaret (whose visits to Dunfermline Abbey via ferry boat, gave ‘Queensferry’ its name).  It was a civic duty to walk the boundaries of Queensferry, which were fiercely guarded. Through the course of time,Continue reading “History of the Hawes Garage and the Ferry Fair Cars up to 1977.”

The small town of Queensferry lies on the south shore of the Firth of Forth just eight miles west of Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city. As a convenient crossing place, the area may have been known before the Romans arrived, but the town is traditionally associated with Saint Margaret, the Anglo-Saxon princess who married King MalcolmContinue reading “A Brief History of South Queensferry”

Any visitor to Queensferry cannot help but notice our three very large and very different bridges. Indeed, people come from all over the world to see them. The Forth Bridge The Forth bridge (a railway bridge) was the first of the three to be built. Thomas Bouch, who had built the Tay bridge, originally plannedContinue reading “Queensferry’s Bridges”

Throughout the centuries a variety of kings and queens have passed through Queensferry’s boundaries. The picturesque town was granted Royal Burgh status in 1636 by Charles the First. Queensferry owes its name to that most revered of queens, the saintly Queen Margaret, who established a ferry here in the 11th century for pilgrims journeying toContinue reading “Royal Queensferry”

We all use our local post office and most of us take it for granted. Our current post office is located in the Scotmid store on the Loan, but it has had more than one home since its beginnings in the 18th century. In 1747, the Town Council needed someone to act as Post Master, carryingContinue reading “The Post Office in Queensferry”

Queensferry has an interesting Historical connection to the Covenanters – 1638 – 1680. King Charles I attempted to overthrow the Presbyterian form of religion, which had been established in Scotland in 1560 during the reign of Mary Queen of Scots. “Covenanters” was the name given to Presbyterians in Scotland, of all ranks, who signed theContinue reading “The Covenanters and Queensferry”

The earliest mention of “the fair” almost takes us back to the start of the last millennium. During the reign of King David I in the 12th Century, Queensferry had the status of a burgh town and as such was allowed the privilege of holding a weekly market and an annual fair. King David II,Continue reading “The Ferry Fair”

Heraldry in Scotland The development of armour in the 11th century created a need for identification to distinguish knights in battle. However, the resulting coats of arms, or “armorial bearings”, rapidly came to symbolise nobility, rank, authority and ownership. In a society where most people could not read or write, armorial bearings provided a usefulContinue reading “The Heraldry of Queensferry”

The Hawes Inn is well known to all visitors to Queensferry. The visitors seen in this image, taken about 1905, seem about to return to Edinburgh in their horse drawn carriages. These carriages would be replaced in a few years by motor buses. The Galloway Saloon Steam Packet Company of Leith built a wooden pierContinue reading “Queensferry in Postcards”