Accessibility & how to find us
The Maid of the Forth departs from the Hawes Pier South Queensferry which is very easy to reach either by car or public transport.
The Address of our ticket office at the top of the Hawes Pier is:
Maid of the Forth, Unit 2, Hawes Pavillion, Hawes Pier, South Queensferry, Edinburgh, EH30 9TB
Our Telephone number is 0131 331 5000
By Car
There is a free car park along the seafront in South Queensferry, the postcode for your GPS is EH30 9TB. There is also additional free on-street parking all the way up Hawes Brae. The town does get very busy in good weather and weekends/public holidays so we always advise that you allow plenty time to find a space and make your way to the pier. There is additional free parking up at Forth Bridges View Point car park and at the Ferry Muir shopping centre near the Forth Road Bridge.
By Bus
From St Andrew Square (North Side)43 /x43 Lothian Country service leaves every 20 mins weekdays Monday-Saturday 30 mins Sunday (Journey Time is approx 40 mins), get off the bus at the Police Station (bottom of hill) and it is a short 15 mins walk along the historic High Street of South Queensferry to the Hawes Pier.
www.lothiancountry.co.uk
0131 555 6363
By Train
From Edinburgh Waverley to Dalmeny Station (South Queensferry), Trains every 30 mins or less and a journey time of only 20 mins. Then it is a short 10 min walk down the path from the station to the Hawes Pier under the Forth Rail Bridge.
By Taxi
Whilst you will be able to get a taxi and Uber freely from Edinburgh, Uber's can be hard to pick up after your trip. We would suggest pre-booking any transport back to Edinburgh or your starting destination before your trip commences.
Public Toilets
There are separate ladies and gents toilets in the immediate vicinity of Hawes Pier, and we also have ladies and gents toilets onboard the Maid of the Forth. There are no baby change or accessible toilets nearby, except in local cafes and restaurants.
Accessibility
Unfortunately we are not able to take wheelchairs up the ramp onto our boat. However we can accommodate many people with mobility issues if they are able to negotiate the short ramp with handrails with assistance. Folding wheelchairs and walkers may be taken down the pier and onto the boat with you. You are welcome to come and view the vessel when it is docked at the pier if you are unsure if the access would be suitable for you or your group. If in any doubt we will be happy to advise further if you call us on 0131 331 5000.
The pier is tidal and approximately 300 metres in length at low tide. If negotiating this distance will be a problem we can advise which sailings will be at a higher tide if you call our office, or you can access tidal information at https://www.tideschart.com/United-Kingdom/Scotland/City-of-Edinburgh/Queensferry/
Access to Inchcolm Island is again tidal and involves either having to negotiate the metal staircase within the vessel to disembark from the top deck, or by climbing a stone stair case with handrail from the low tide pier. The main island areas are connected by hard gravel paths, but there is some uneven footing and narrow staircases in the abbey. The rest of the island is accessed via rough grass tracks.
We welcome all well behaved dogs on our daytime trips free of charge, but only support dogs are allowed on the evening cruises.
If anyone has sensory issues please speak to a member of staff who can advise the best places to sit on the vessel to avoid excessive noise from engines and the public address system.
We have printed versions of our commentary in a variety of languages for those with hearing difficulties.
Maid of the Forth offers one free carer ticket per paying passenger, we will need evidence of this when purchasing and/or collecting tickets from our office on Hawes Pier. Carer's also receive free landing onto Inchcolm Island when on our 3hr Inchcolm landing trip, again this has to be arranged before boarding.
Island & Boat Facilities
Inchcolm Island has toilets, it also has a small visitors centre and gift shop. There is a hot drinks machine in the shop, the shop also stocks a range of confectionary and cold drinks. We would always suggest taking a picnic or food items with you.
The Maid has an onboard bar, which stocks a variety of hot/cold/alcoholic and soft drinks, as well as a range of confectionary. There are also male and female toilets onboard. Binoculars can be hired and collected from behind the bar. Please speak to staff if you need any assistance.
