Scottish Book Review - Inverkeithing & North Queensferry Through Time

INVERKEITHING & NORTH QUEENSFERRY THROUGH TIME
BY ERIC SIMPSON & GEORGE ROBERTSON (Amberley Publishing), ISBN 9781445605258, rrp £14.99

Inverkeithing was created a royal burgh in the twelfth century owing to its importance as a port and its strategic position on the King's Highway linking north and south. Since the time of Queen Margaret, the Queensferry Passage, now replaced by rail and road bridges, was a vital artery for traffic.

Inverkeithing, once a centre of paper-making, pottery and ship-building, is now a residential town which retains at its core a medieval plan and many features of a Scottish burgh, such as its mercat cross.

The book presents a mixture of postcards, and colour and black and white photographs to demonstrate how the area has changed over the years. The 'then and now' format presents contrasts the years of ship-building and pottery industry in the area, compared to the area's current role as a busy residential district and commuter town for Edinburgh. Co authors Eric Simpson and George Robertson have strong connections with the area, having lived and worked there for many years.