Everyone knows the Forth Rail Bridge. This spectacular engineering marvel was opened in 1890, and I have travelled to the area before to admire it from below.

But today I got the chance to see a rather different view, thanks to Network Rail, Balfour Beatty and Barnardo’s. I arrived in plenty of time and was able to watch the tiny lift cabin bringing visitors down.

Soon, it was my turn.

There was a definite vibration when a train passed over.

North Queensferry station, in the distance:

Hang on, don’t those beams look a little bent and twisted?

My stay at the top was over all too quickly and it was time to ride down in the lift and catch my breath.

My thanks to the many people involved in this charitable project which has allowed thousands of visitors to enjoy this wonderful experience while raising a lot of money.

Some stats about the bridge: It is 2,467 metres long. The top, where I was, is 110 metres above the high water mark. The bridge was built from 53,000 tonnes of steel and about 6.5 million rivets. About 200 trains cross every day.