Your journey as a rafter
You will find Port Edgar Marina a fascinating location for your day as a rafter in The Forth Bridges Raft Race. You will be very welcome to spend as much time as you like exploring the site, with unparalleled views of the river Forth, the road bridges, the historic infrastructure and access to top-class amenities for marine enthusiasts, boat owners and visitors. Below you will find a map showing the key locations you will need to attend as a rafter. These are numbered in the order in which rafters will need to visit them during your day.
We ask you at all times to respect the other users of the marina and especially not to interfere with the equipment or operation of the private boats and berths.
Location 1 - Parking
Dedicated parking at Port Edgar Marina is provided for rafters, friends and families.
On entering the marina from Shore road the event car park is accessed adjacent to that road immediately after the first right turn. Rotary stewards will be there to guide drivers.
Please do not park in the normal paved car park for visitors to Port Edgar unless disabled access is required. On the day of the event the normal requirement at Port Edgar to enter your registration number into a recording device will be suspended. Parking is free of charge for those parked in the Raft Race parking areas.
Location 2 - Team Check-in
At least one week before raceday Team Captain’s will be advised of their allocated Heat and the time their team’s check-in window opens. Check-in times are staggered to reduce congestion, so please arrive at the earliest time allocated.
On the day of the race the Team Captain must ensure their team members go to Raft Race Check-in , where they will be logged in and fitted with a wristband which identifies their team membership to Raft Race Stewards. They will be given clear onward instructions at that point.
The check-in office is located in The Nelson Hall – home of the 21st South Queensferry Scout Group, which is shown in the adjacent photograph.
Location 3 - Kitting Up Area
At the appointed time, each complete rafting team will be required to assemble at the Kitting-up area, where they will be fitted with safety equipment and provided with paddles. This is to be found in the wide pathway immediately to the west of Edinburgh Watersports premises.
To avoid congestion and increase efficiency, only those rafters taking part in the forthcoming heat will be allowed to gather at the kitting up area.
When kitted up, each team will be escorted to the East Pier by a Raft Race Steward to await embarkation for their race.
Immediately after the race team members will be escorted back to the Kitting Up area to return their safety equipment. They may then go to a changing area to change from wet clothes if they wish to do so.
4. Location 4 - Embarkation Muster Point
The five teams of rafters competing in the next heat will be escorted to the East Pier muster point, where they will be briefly instructed in embarkation and paddling techniques before embarking.
Perhaps the East Pier won’t look quite as romantic as the one pictured here in the sunset, but we hope you will like it, situated as it is with the awe-inspiring Queensferry Crossing in the background.
Changing Facilities, Toilets & Restaurants
We recommend that rafters bring a towel and some dry clothes to change into between races and after their last race. Changing facilities can be found in a number of places as shown on the site map below – (a) Edinburgh Watersports (b) The Nelson Hall (Scout Hall) (c) Public toilets adjacent to Nelson Hall . Toilet locations are marked with a red T on the map below. A range of refreshments is on offer at Scotts Restaurant, Outboard Cafe and Down the Hatch and we hope you will support these local businesses. (Please do not use the toilets of these premises unless you are a customer of theirs.)
Detailed Schedule for Rafting Teams
At least one week before the event, a draw will be held, following which Team Captains will be advised of their Heat. The table below shows scheduled activities related to each heat. It is important that Teams adhere to the schedule to ensure a smooth and efficient day. Time and Tide wait for no man. (Geoffrey Chaucer was a person of his time.)
