Pluto's sniff

For a long time during the construction of the Queensferry Crossing, the North Approach Viaduct kept itself to itself. With towers and the southern viaduct already visibly forming the final bridge to come, just two V-shaped piers hinted at what was to come in the north.

But high up behind St Margaret’s Hope on the northern shore, the 6,000, 210 metre long viaduct was being assembled by teams of welders and fitters inside a temporary assembly tent.

In the spring of 2016, the viaduct was launched in one continuous operation out over the piers towards the North Tower and included an amazing moment of ingenuous engineering know-how.

Watch the video below and hear Jill Baker explain what this operation – rarely ever attempted on this scale – has in common with one of the world’s favourite cartoon pooches.