The village of North Queensferry is named after Queen Margaret, wife of King Malcolm Canmore and later canonised as Saint Margaret, who landed here on her first visit to Scotland in the 11th century. It was she who established the ferry service across the Firth of Forth between North and South Queenferry. The ferry service survived the opening of the Rail Bridge in 1890, but finally closed when the Forth Rail Bridge was opened in 1964. The Lantern Tower which was erected to provide an all-weather guide for ferry vessels can still be seen on the town pier.

North Queensferry sits in a dramatic location between the two Forth Bridges. Visitors can enjoy an interesting walk down to the pier to view the bridges, and will pass a number of old cottages and buildings on the way, some with traditional Fife forestairs. The Rail Bridge remains one of Scotland's best known and most dramatic sights. North Queensferry is also home to one of Scotland's most popular visitor attractions, Deep Sea World.