This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 36-year-old bookmark (give or take a few years) and I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).
Today’s travel notes
Me and the TC are touring bonny Scotland this week. We spent a day in Queensferry on the Firth of Forth. This worm was much taken by the bridges that cross the wide waters of the firth.
Is this stretch of water called the Forth of Firth or the Firth of Forth, you might ask? And what do those two words mean? The water’s name is the Firth of Forth. “Firth” is a Scottish word, of similar origin to the Norwegian “fjord”, meaning a coastal inlet. “Forth” is the name of the river.
The book I’m in
Imminent Peril, a Sasha McCandless adventure by Melissa F. Miller. The TC loves this series about a lawyer detective who attracts trouble and deals with it fearlessly.
Travel tips
Bridges carry us across areas that would otherwise be tricky. They can be beautiful and amazing feats of engineering too.
Recommended restaurant
Scott’s Bar and Restaurant, Port Edgar Marina, Shore Rd, Queensferry. Friendly, professional service and excellent food.
The photos
A rainbow appeared over the Forth Bridge while we were enjoying dinner in South Queensferry:
Dating from its opening in 1890, the Forth Bridge is the oldest of three bridges that cross the firth at Queensferry. It’s used only by railway trains — no road traffic, cyclists, or pedestrians. Due to its revolutionary engineering, the Forth Bridge has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Until 1919, it was the world’s longest cantilever bridge (that is, a structure made of horizontal projections that are supported only at one end) and was heralded as the first major steel structure to be built anywhere in the world. In 1919, a bridge in Canada took over the claim to be the longest cantilever span in the world.
The next picture shows all three bridges that cross the Firth of Forth at Queensferry. On the left is the Queensferry Crossing. In the middle is the Forth Road Bridge. And in the distance on the right is one end of the Forth Bridge:
Here’s another view of the Forth Bridge, this time without the rainbow:
We crossed the firth by car on the Queensferry Crossing Bridge. This is the newest of the three bridges. It opened in 2017. In the morning light, the clusters of cables around the bridge’s three towers glowed like white torches:
As we drew closer, each glowing shaft of light resolved into multiple strands of cable:
The third of the three bridges is the Forth Road Bridge, stretching across the river between the other two. It opened in 1964, and is an impressive long-span suspension bridge. Its use is now restricted to pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport. Here you see part of the Forth Road Bridge, with the Forth Bridge behind and below it:
That’s all for today, folks.
Travelling Worm 
Talk to the Travelling Worm!