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Edinburgh from the Firth of Forth

The viewpoint would appear to be between Burntisland and Aberdour on the north shore of the River Forth looking due South across the Forth towards Edinburgh, with Arthur's Seat dominant at the background left and the ridge of the Royal Mile rising gently towards Edinburgh Castle near the right hand edge of the picture. The distant buildings appear much closer to the viewer than would be the case if viewed from the land suggesting that this may be based on sketches made from a vessel upon the Firth.

From 1850 (some accounts suggest 1847) to the opening of the Forth Railway Bridge in 1890 the world's first roll-on roll-off ferry operated between Granton by Leith on the South side and Burntisland on the North, allowing railway goods wagons and railway passenger carriages to be carried via steam ferry boat, the tracks at either end being on pontoons which floated with the tide.

Accordingly the area became readily accessible to Edinburgh's population and many took the lease of holiday homes in the fashionable resort towns of Aberdour and Burntisland. The artist of the present work may have been amongst these, or an earlier 'explorer' of this part of the country.

Amongst these was James Stevenson RSA whose (now lost) Diploma Collection work was a view of Edinburgh from Kinghorn Pier, further to the East, while David Octavius Hill RSA is also known from correspondence to have holidayed at Burntisland.