The Queensferry Crossing over the Firth of Forth has opened to the public.

The first traffic passed over the 1.7 mile structure in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Work began on the 1.7-mile structure, which has cost £1.35bn, in 2011.

A long procession of traffic followed police vehicles across the bridge shortly before 2am, with many honking their horns and blowing whistles as they travelled over.

Over the weekend, around 50,000 people will be able to walk across the bridge as part of the Queensferry Crossing Experience.

The Queen will formally open the bridge on Monday, September 4, 53 years to the day since she opened the nearby Forth Road Bridge.

All traffic will be able to use the bridge permanently from September 7.

After this, the existing Forth Road Bridge will be used as a public transport corridor.

The Scottish Government's economy secretary Keith Brown was among the first to cross the bridge.

He said: "It's fantastic. You immediately notice coming over the new bridge - as traffic is now doing - the absence of the slap, slap, slap that you get on the existing bridge.

"It's a very smooth passage right across the Queensferry Crossing. Also, just the excitement of looking at this fantastic new structure from a new angle.

"I think it will be extremely well-received by the people in Scotland who are going to use this bridge."

The Queensferry Crossing's opening comes eight months later than was originally planned but Transport Scotland have said the project was completed almost £250m under budget.

It was illuminated by a spectacular light show on Monday evening to mark its formal handover to the Scottish Government.

A procession of vintage, modern and electric vehicles were driven across the span as part of the event.

Nicola Sturgeon launched the light show at an event attended by workers who constructed the bridge.

It is expected that 24 million vehicles will use the Queensferry Crossing each year, with the structure designed to last for more than a century.