The Forth Bridges Creative Trail is back this month

After a hugely successful launch in 2025, the Forth Bridges Creative Trail is back — bigger, brighter and more ambitious than ever

📍 South Queensferry • Dalmeny • Bo’ness

🎨 35+ artists and makers

🏛️ 11 venues

💫 Free public arts event

Open studios   –   Popup exhibitions   –    Creative workshops* School art competition    –    Meet artists and makers  –  Explore local independent businesses

  • A great day out for all, against the stunning backdrop of the iconic Forth Bridges
  • A Vibrant Weekend of Creativity in and around South Queensferry

After the huge success of its 2025 inaugural event, the Forth Bridges Creative Trail (FBCT) returns for the last weekend of May — bigger, more inclusive and even more ambitious. We invite you to enjoy a vibrant celebration of art, creativity and community across South Queensferry, Dalmeny and Bo’ness.

This year’s trail features over 35 local artists and makers exhibiting across 11 venues, showcasing work ranging from fine art and ceramics to jewellery, woodwork and a wide variety of contemporary crafts.

The Creative Trail is a free public arts event that shines a spotlight on the incredible talent within our community. Visitors can look forward to:

  • Open studios and pop‑up exhibitions
  • Workshops* and hands‑on creative activities
  • A school art competition for primary age children
  • High School art exhibited along the trail
  • Opportunities to meet artists (many in their own studios), discover new venues and explore local independent businesses.

The 2025 event attracted hundreds of visitors and received overwhelmingly positive feedback from residents, artists and local businesses.

FBCT Chair, Juliet Russell, commented, “We are a small voluntary organising team, who feel passionately about the importance of encouraging creativity within our community.

“In our crazy world, creativity has never been more important! It promotes good mental health and helps people feel connected and inspired by something they can make or see. 

“The Forth Bridges Creative Trail has the ability to act as a catalyst in creating a sense of place, which in turn drives the vibrancy of an area. Community‑led, grassroots arts events can transform public spaces and help social connection, local identity and economic vitality.

“We hope more local organisations and businesses will collaborate with us, so we can continue to build pride and a sense of belonging – as well as having creative fun along the way”

Building on a Successful First Year

Last year’s Creative Trail was a huge hit – the artists and makers enjoyed taking part, visitors loved the range of work and the vibe, local residents revelled in the creative talent living around them and local hospitality venues reported increased footfall.

This year, with more artists, more venues and expanded marketing activity, we hope to attract an even bigger and broader audience and make an even bigger splash.

It’s a fun, family‑friendly weekend with a wide range of creative work on show, fantastic local eateries to enjoy, and the stunning backdrop of the Forth and its bridges. Come explore your own creativity at one of the workshops or simply chat with the wonderful artists and makers who help make our community so special.

Help us put the Creative Trail firmly on the map — share our posts, spread the word and join us the last weekend in May.  We look forward to welcoming you!

Please note: (*workshops are paid events that require booking)

DRAGON ALERT: Harry Potter dragon headed your way!

  • A replica of the Hungarian Horntail dragon which featured in Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire is coming to Edinburgh
  • Complete with a moving head, mouth and eyes, the hydraulic dragon roars and bares its teeth to visitors and was created to celebrate the new Triwizard Tournament – Making of Champions feature at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter
  • The dragon will stop off in Edinburgh as part of a UK tour, aiming to take a piece of filmmaking magic from Warner Bros. Studio Tour London to fans across the country
  • People visiting Castle Street, Edinburgh will be able to get close to an iconic movie moment and have the opportunity to win tickets to see the full feature at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London 

Edinburgh will have a rare chance to interact with a piece of Harry Potter filmmaking magic history later this week (30th and 31st May).

A Hungarian Horntail dragon will be landing at Castle Street, Edinburgh in a special appearance outside of its rightful home at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter. Visitors will be able to get up close and personal with the magical creature, which fans will recognise from Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, experiencing its ability to roar, move and even give passersby a delightful wink of its eye.

The huge animatronic dragon, which weighs 1.3 tonnes, brings to life the fan favourite, nail-biting scene where Harry Potter’s Hungarian Horntail breaks free of its chains during the first task in the Triwizard Tournament. 

The dragon was created to mark the launch of the new ‘Triwizard Tournament – Making of Champions’ feature at the Studio Tour, running from 15th May to 8th September 2025. The new feature celebrates the 20th anniversary of the cinematic release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and invites visitors to go behind-the-scenes of the Triwizard Tournament to discover how filmmakers created the iconic competition we see and love on-screen. 

As well as having the rare opportunity to come face to face with a legend of the wizarding world, fans seeing the dragon on tour will have the chance to win tickets to ‘Triwizard Tournament – Making of Champions through an exclusive competition. 

Harry Potter filmmaker and Animatronic Designer, Joe Scott, designed the dragon , replicating the creature in the fourth film, complete with a moving head, mouth and eyes and sound effects.

The skilled recreation of the famous dragon was carefully crafted over 750 hours, using materials that included 40 metres of fiberglass. The team first created a series of detailed sketches and CGI mock-ups, before Sculptors, Carpenters and Scenic Artists meticulously built the dragon’s head, which was 3D printed using a scan of the original Hungarian Horntail from the film.

A total of 119 spikes were individually applied to garnish the dragon’s head and tail, taking 265 painstaking hours, whilst 38 razor-sharp teeth were 3D printed in resin to create bite in the creature’s animatronic mouth. 

The stunning creature will give visitors a preview of the new summer feature at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, where for the first-time ever, fans can explore the Backlot Stage, showcasing the Secrets of Special Effects. This new, dedicated indoor space, offers visitors the opportunity to discover how filmmakers brought the action-packed scenes from the Triwizard Tournament to life. 

Comprising a digital screen, a stage and tiered seating, it promises to uncover secrets that not even the most knowledgeable Muggle will know. From creating the Hungarian Horntail dragon to understanding how Harry Potter held his breath for so long underwater, all will be revealed as part of the feature.

Visitors can also witness a mesmerising demonstration reminiscent of the Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students’ arrival, featuring Beauxbaton’s iconic blue dresses as seen in the film. 

Geoff Spooner, Senior Vice President at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London says: “We’re excited to launch our brand-new summer feature, Triwizard Tournament – Making of Champions, where visitors can learn behind-the-scenes secrets of the fourth Harry Potter film.

“To celebrate and bring the magic of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London to fans across the UK we recreated the iconic moment of the escaped Hungarian Horntail dragon 20 years on from ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.”

Further additions to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London summer feature include Mad-Eye Moody’s arrival into the Great Hall and wizarding journalist Rita Skeeter, best known for her poison pen articles. 

The dragon will land at Castle Street, Edinburgh at 1pm on the 30th and 9am on the 31st May. For those wanting to see more, the Triwizard Tournament – Making of Champions is a special feature at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London running from 15th May – 8th September and all new additions are included in the ticket price. 

Hungarian Horntail National Tour details

Location: Castle Street, Edinburgh

Date and Time: 30th May from 1pm until 9pm, 31st May from 9am until 8pm

Head to www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/whats-on/dragon-tour/ for more info