The south face of Linlithgow Palace
Linlithgow Palace from the east
North and west faces of Linlithgow Palace
The ruins of Linlithgow Palace are situated in the town of Linlithgow,
West Lothian, Scotland, 15 miles west of Edinburgh. A royal manor existed on the site in the 12th Century. This was replaced by a fortification known
as 'the Peel' was built in the 14th Century by English forces under Edward I. The site of the manor made it an ideal military base securing the supply routes between
Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle.
In 1424, The town of Linlithgow was partially destroyed in a great fire. King James I started the rebuilding of the Palace as a grand residence for Scottish Royalty. Over the
following century the palace developed into a formal courtyard structure, with significant additions by James III, James IV and James V, who was born in the palace in April 1512, added the outer gateway and the elaborate
courtyard fountain. Mary Queen of Scots was born here in December 1542 and occasionally stayed at the Palace during her reign. After the Union
of the Crowns in 1603 the Royal Court became largely based in England and Linlithgow was used very little. Although King
James VI had the North range rebuilt between 1618 and 1622, the only reigning monarch
who stayed in Linlithgow after that date was King Charles I who spent one night
there in 1633.
The palace's swansong came in September, 1745, when Bonnie Prince Charlie
visited Linlithgow on his march south but did not stay overnight. It is said that the fountain was made to flow with wine in his
honour. The Duke of Cumberland's army destroyed most of the palace buildings in a
fire in January 1746.
The palace has been actively conserved since the early 19th Century and is today managed and maintained by Historic Scotland. The internationally acclaimed watercolourist Frank W
Wood painted a view of Linlithgow Palace. The site is open to visitors all year round (entrance charge). In summer the
adjacent 15th century parish church of St Michael is open for visitors, allowing a combined
visit to two of Scotland's finest surviving medieval buildings.
Historic scotland is running an experiment with junior tour guides. Using young people (primary 6-7) from the nearby school
Linlithgow Primary, schools can arrange tours by these young people. During the summer young people can volunteer to do tours.
There is one other historic scotland site that runs this program: Claypotts Castle.
External links
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Coordinates:
55°58′42.6″N, 3°36′4.0″W
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