The Forth Bridge, Steampunks and World Heritage Day

Hello!

If you read my last blog post or follow me on social media, then you will know all about World Heritage Day and the historical and fun adventure I was going on to visit The Forth Bridge. 

The amazing team behind Dig It! 2017 planned an amazing array of events to celebrate this special day. These events as well as showing the amazing Heritage sites we have here in Scotland also provided a great chance to learn something new and just have some fun! 

As well as going to their Victorian Steampunk event, the Dig It! team sent me to South Queensferry ahead of the party to experience the famous Forth Bridge for myself. 

I sat on the train to Dalmeny Station (which was renamed back to it's original title of Forth Bridge for World Heritate Day), all dressed up in my steampunk gear, a little clueless as to what I had ahead of me. Sitting there with my massive goggles did I think I would soon be standing on the Forth Railway bridge? No I did not. The Dig It! team did ask me how I felt about heights but for some reason I didn't put two and two together.

After meeting my lovely tour guide Pete, taking a few snaps at the station, it was time to shove on a hard hat and experience something quite incredible. 

I'm not a fan of heights overly (remember my Go Ape debacle) but I am so glad that I decided to put my fears and worries aside as I climbed the steps to the bridge. I don't think anything will compare to that moment when I looked over the edge. The views up there are pretty amazing. 

What made it even more special as this walk isn't open to the public, just yet. You may have seen in the new that there is plans by National Rail to open the Forth Bridge to the public, so you may get the chance to walk over yourself. Trust me, it is worth the slight pang of fear you might get when you are first up there.

After our walk, it was time to head on down into South Queensferry for my next surprise - a boat ride on the Forth. This is again something I have never done before but always wanted to. Throw in some cream tea and it was a pretty wonderful moment.

Getting to look up at the Forth Bridge from the boat was surreal. Going from being way up to underneath it - it is a feeling that cannot be described. It was the perfect way to experience the bridge.

Oh, yeah.... and I got to see some Seals which just made the trip even more special. Though, I am now incredibly jealous of them. They get to laze around all day. Sounds perfect to me.

Once we left the boat, we had a quick stop before catching the train to North Queensferry to pick up some ice cream because that is what you must do when you are by the sea. 

The walk to the station and my wander around North Queensferry was beautiful so here are a few snaps from my afternoon adventure: 

Once I had a good fix of coffee and Irn Bru, it was time to get ready for the main event of the day. Dig It! 2017's '3 Minutes in 1890: A Victorian Festival'.

First thing's first, let me give you a little insight into my costume with a good old fashioned OOTD style picture:

Dress - Primark

Belt - Primark

Tights - Primark 

Choker - Primark (soz guys)

Boots - New Look 

Steampunk Gun - Hi Jinks in Edinburgh 

Steampunk Goggles - Amazon

Okay, my outfit ended up being pretty Primark heavy but this girl was battling a budget and fell in love with that dress. It is also handy that those corset style belts are back in fashion as it worked perfectly for my outfit. I did at one point have a little top hat on but the poor thing was in a constant fight for attention with the goggles.... you can see who came out on top there.

The event itself was held at the Forth Bridge Hub which is handily located right at Queensferry Station. When you are standing on the platform and look down the tracks you can see the bridge itself. It really was the perfect location to host this Steampunk shindig!

Once the event kicked off, I was just in awe at the amazing effort everyone had made. From the Dig It team to the entertainment involved to the wonderfully costumes from the guests. It turns out Edinburgh doesn't tend to see a lot of Steampunk events so this was a great opportunity for people to get involved and show their creative sides.

My favourites, Eden Mill, were on hand to serve us all delightful gin concoctions, for the record I was all about the Love Gin and Pink Lemonade.  I was got to eat some tasty treats from macarons to scones to sandwiches to the best sausage rolls - seriously, I ate my fair share of those bad boys. 

Since it takes 3 minutes to cross the Forth Bridge, we had a vast range of entertainment that lasted, you guessed it, 3 minutes. I saw some baffling magic tricks, learned about Victorian diseases, danced along with the Viper Swing band and had a vintage style photo taken by The Bygone Photobooth Company.

Even though I was getting into the swing of the event and having fun, I also had a very important job to do. What is a costume party without a little best dressed competition and yours truly was the judge!

It was actually a lot harder than I thought it would be so props to anyone who has had to judge something like that before. Everyone honestly looked amazing and I do have to give a big shout out to my best friend, Lucie, because she looked incredible but I wasn't going to pick her - no matter how much she bribed me... 

When it came down to it, there was one costume that grabbed my attention right from the start.

That skirt was even more incredible to look at in person! 

What I loved most about the event was just how fun and chilled out the atmosphere was. Guests was could wander around the Hub, take in the amazing sights and enjoy all the entertainment around them. Whoever says learning about history can't be fun has is clearly lying! 

This was my first taking part in a World Heritage Day event and trust me it won't be my last. The Dig It! team did an incredible job with the Steampunk event and going from the #ScotlandinSix hashtag, all the other events they were hosting looked equally incredible. Seriously jump on the tag and check out all the fun for yourself - you won't be disappointed. 

Though that is World Heritage Day over for another year, that doesn't mean the fun should stop. Dig It! have launched their Scotland's World Heritage Site Bucket List for you to get involved in. Out of all 6 heritage sites, I believe I had visited just three so I will be looking to complete my list this year!

Don't forget it is Scotland's Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology, so make the most of this occasion by checking out VisitScotland's Scotland Community forum to keep up to date with all 6 heritage sites and follow Dig It! 2017 on Facebook to find out about some very special hidden gems.

I just want to wrap this up with a massive thank you to Dig It! for an amazing day. From the wonderful experience of seeing the bridge in such a unique manner to the incredible fun of the Victorian Steampunk event - it is a day I won't forget in hurry!

Fingers crossed we get more Steampunk inspired events happening in Edinburgh because I need to wear that costume again! 

Till the next time!

x