The Binks

For very many years this was a very important location as a ferry crossing from the Edinburgh area to Fife until the nearby bridges were built.

THE BINKS
Until about 1812, the natural jetty formed by these rocks was a regular landing place for the Queen’s Ferry, so named since Margaret the second wife of Malcolm King of Scots from 1058 to 1093 endowed ships for the free passage of pilgrims and the poor and hostels for them on either shore. It may be assumed that she used the ferry herself when going between Dunfermline and Edinburgh Castle.

The bottom plaque states .... This plaque commemorates the 900th Anniversary of the Death of St Margaret, Queen of Scotland 16th November 1993

At the time Dunfermline was the seat of royalty and capital of Scotland where Queen Margaret was very influential in modernising the Scottish court and because of her good works she was later made a saint.

In the background is the Forth Bridge, completed in 1890 and the first of the three bridges using this relatively narrow crossing across the Firth of Forth and a train is just visible crossing at the first cantilever. Until the nearby Forth Road Bridge was opened in 1964 vehicles had to travel miles 15 miles upstream to the Kincardine Bridge or cross by ferryboat beside the rail bridge. Now the new Queensferry Crossing is being built and due to open in 2016.