Today we are in North Queensferry gazing up at the world famous Forth Rail Bridge. We don’t usually start with a quiz however this is an exception. The bridge was opened in 1890 but how many rivets do you think were used in its construction: a) 6.5 million b) the same number as the number of grains in a handful of sand c) the same number as the number of currants in a Rankin’s Café fruit scone. The answer of course is (a) but if you said (c) then you would not have been too far out. More of that later!

Town planners

In 1068, King Malcolm III of Scotland’s wife Margaret, decreed that a crossing should be established here for the benefit of pilgrims traveling to St Andrews. She used it herself for the last time when her body was carried from Edinburgh to Dunfermline. Scotland’s capital at the time, for burial. Thenceforth it became known as the Queen’s Ferry. The last ferry landing here was in 1964 when the Forth Road Bridge was opened. Today North Queensferry is very much the poor relation of its more glamorous sister, South Queensferry, on the opposite side of the river. Architecturally it is a peculiar mix of quite pretty historic buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries and incredible monstrosities from the 1960s. Town planners have much to answer for here.

Hobson’s choice

This is the first time we have ever visited. The only reason we are here at all is to see the progress on the new Queensferry Crossing,  due for completion later this year. There’s not a lot in the town apart from a Deep Sea World which we were keen to avoid. We never found a shop of any kind though there must be one somewhere, and Rankin’s seems to be the only café. Hobson’s choice for the weary traveler. Not a bad wee place though.

The owner, Derek Rankin, prides himself on his coffee. He even produces barista classes for the uninitiated … but what about his scones? Well, rivets come to mind again because he puts a lot of fruit in his fruit scones. Now, call us old fusspots if you like but we think that the fruit should be mixed into the scone mixture so that it is evenly distributed and held in suspension throughout the scone. Presumably Derek doesn’t bother with all that stirring business. There is so much fruit it is literally falling out of the scone onto the plate. The scones themselves were just the right size and actually pretty good …. just too much fruit. It kind of got in the way of the scone. The coffee was great though and all in all we enjoyed our visit.

False promises

This town is also home to the former Labour Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. Or Big Gordie as he is often referred to.  Since hardly anyone in Scotland believes anything the Tories say, Big Gordie is usually wheeled out on their behalf as the believable side of unionism. A kind of glove puppet. With the threat of another Scottish independence referendum looming, we can reasonably expect him to stir again from his North Queensferry lair and go lumbering round the country delivering all sorts of impossible inducements to preserve the Union. Considering that everything he promised in the 2014 independence referendum came to naught it will be interesting to see if people will be taken in again by whatever he dreams up this time.

Lastly, in what we thought was a great idea, the town in 2000, made a Millenium Resolution. Preserved for posterity in the form of a bronze plaque looking out onto the river. It reads:

Let there be respect for the earth
Peace for its people
Love in our lives
Delight in the good
Forgiveness for past wrongs
And from now on, a new start

Nice one North Queensferry … but what are the chances?

KY11 1JG         tel: 01383 616313          Rankin’s Café