Getting there, and getting back
South Queensferry to Edinburgh Old Town
A tender port with a purpose-built cruise bus. Edinburgh is about 20 minutes away.
- This is a tender port. Rough weather in the Forth can delay or cancel tendering entirely, and the queue back to the ship in the afternoon is the pinch point, not the bus.
Most ships also sell a coach excursion to
Edinburgh Old Town. However you travel, being back aboard before all-aboard
is your own arrangement to make — we publish the journey, not your
sailing. Your guide plays either way, and it is yours to keep.
-
20–45 min
Ships anchor off South Queensferry and tender in to Hawes Pier. Tendering adds time at both ends and is weather-dependent.
-
20–35 min
The X99 CruiseLink runs from beside the tender drop at Hawes Pier into Edinburgh, about 20 minutes. Service buses also run from the village.
-
5–15 min
City centre drop-off to the Old Town.
0.8–1.6 hours each way
Plan your return against your ship's all-aboard time, which is on your
daily programme. It is earlier than the departure time, and if you are
coming back by tender the last tender leaves earlier still.
Open live transit directions
— times on the day, in your own maps app.
Checked 2026-09-15.
Sources: www.cruiseforth.com/content/getting..., queensferry.net/queensferry-to-edin....
South Queensferry to Edinburgh — Harry Potter
A tender port with a purpose-built cruise bus. Edinburgh is about 20 minutes away.
- This is a tender port. Rough weather in the Forth can delay or cancel tendering entirely, and the queue back to the ship in the afternoon is the pinch point, not the bus.
Most ships also sell a coach excursion to
Edinburgh — Harry Potter. However you travel, being back aboard before all-aboard
is your own arrangement to make — we publish the journey, not your
sailing. Your guide plays either way, and it is yours to keep.
-
20–45 min
Ships anchor off South Queensferry and tender in to Hawes Pier. Tendering adds time at both ends and is weather-dependent.
-
20–35 min
The X99 CruiseLink runs from beside the tender drop at Hawes Pier into Edinburgh, about 20 minutes. Service buses also run from the village.
-
5–15 min
City centre drop-off to the Old Town.
0.8–1.6 hours each way
Plan your return against your ship's all-aboard time, which is on your
daily programme. It is earlier than the departure time, and if you are
coming back by tender the last tender leaves earlier still.
Open live transit directions
— times on the day, in your own maps app.
Checked 2026-09-15.
Sources: www.cruiseforth.com/content/getting..., queensferry.net/queensferry-to-edin....
Journey times are typical, not guaranteed, and nothing here is a schedule.
Your ship's all-aboard time is the only one that counts, it is not the same
as the departure time, and it is not something we can look up for you — it
varies by line and by port and it is printed on your daily programme.
If a connection slips, turn around.
