Lighthouse, Pierhead, North Queensferry

The Pierhead Lighthouse in North Queensferry is a small hexagonal light tower at the landward end of the Town Pier, on the Firth of Forth in Fife, Scotland. Roughly five metres tall, it belongs to the old ferry-port group and holds Category A listing, Scotland's highest level of protection.

What is it and why was it built?

The lighthouse sits at the narrowest crossing of the Firth of Forth, where ferries ran between North and South Queensferry for centuries. An Act of Parliament in 1810 created the Forth Ferry Trustees, and engineer John Rennie was hired to upgrade the landings and piers on both shores. Historic Environment Scotland (listing LB9998) credits Rennie and dates the tower to about 1810-1812. Canmore records construction around 1810, while some local accounts give 1817 and name Robert Stevenson.

The tower is built of droved ashlar masonry with a copper-roofed lantern, and it keeps its original lantern and vent pipe. Its light guided ferries to the North Queensferry slipway until 1964, when the Forth Road Bridge opened and the regular crossings ended. The lighthouse was later restored to working order and reopened by the Princess Royal in 2010.

What can you see here?

• The lighthouse itself: a compact six-sided tower beside the pier entrance, with stone walls and a copper-topped lantern.
• The Town Pier: a separately listed structure (LB9978) with the slipway where ferries once loaded.
• The Signal House: a Category B listed building that forms part of the same harbour group.
• The Forth bridges: from the pier you can see all three crossings: the rail bridge, the Forth Road Bridge and the Queensferry Crossing.

How do you get there?

North Queensferry lies about 15 km north-west of central Edinburgh. The easiest option is the train: the village station is served from Edinburgh over the Forth Bridge. By car, leave the M90 at the North Queensferry junction. From the station, the pier is a few minutes' walk downhill through narrow streets to the water. Walking the pier and viewing the lighthouse from outside costs nothing.

When is the best time to visit?

The lighthouse can be seen all year. Pick a clear day, when the bridges and the water make the best backdrop for photos. Evening light warms the stonework, and weekends bring more visitors. The pier can be windy, so bring a jacket.

Frequently asked questions

Is the lighthouse still lit? It was restored to working condition and reopened in 2010, but its original job of guiding ferries ended in 1964.

Can you go inside? It is a small tower about five metres high, meant to be admired from outside.

How long should you plan? The lighthouse takes 10 to 15 minutes. With a stroll along the pier and the bridge views, allow about an hour.

Is this the same as a lighthouse on the Forth Bridge? No. It is a separate historic harbour light by the Town Pier in North Queensferry and has no connection to the bridge structure.