Much of the history of Catholic Scotland has passed by way of Queensferry. With the Royal Court and the Benedictine Abbey across the Firth of Forth at Dunfermline, the saintly Queen of Scots founded a free ferry here in the eleventh century to ease the crossing, particularly for pilgrims going to St Andrews to venerate the relics of the brother of Simon Peter. St Margaret herself visited the town often and was a great patroness of the place. In fact, it still takes its name from the prominence that she gave it, the ‘Queen’s Ferry.’

From the 1330s there was a thriving community of Carmelite Friars which served the pilgrims and the faithful of the town until the ancient faith was outlawed in 1560. Our church still keeps a beautiful image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and we continue to ask for her prayers and protection to this day.

Today, the Catholic community for Queensferry, Dalmeny and Kirkliston is centred around St Margaret’s Church on Loch Road, just off the Loan. St Margaret is distant from us in time but still very close to us in our profession of the one faith in Jesus Christ and our service to the poor and disadvantaged in His name.