Linlithgow Palace

'What we need', we all said yesterday, over coffee after the service 'is a bright, clear, cold day to kill the bugs and cheer us up'. And look what we got today! 

It seemed the ideal day to walk round Linlithgow Loch, I had only walked a small section, several years ago. We packed a picnic, in case there were no eateries open, parked at the St Ninian's Way car park and set off in a clockwise direction.

Despite the sunshine there was much ice in the shaded areas as we began, warming over the northern side. It was notable how many, who were walking in the opposite direction, offered a greeting - such a friendly area. I became interested in a man, carrying a large camera, holding out his hand to attract a robin; I wondered whether he was the Blipper Terry, who has tamed robins to eat out of his hand - he was not, but told us that he had on occasions seen someone feeding robins with mealworms from a tin, so had brought mixed birdfood to try the same.

The collage in the extra shows that he succeeded; he also gave me some seed and a robin fed from my hand, too. A moment later we heard a whistling and saw a man, on a bicycle, carrying a red tin, attracting robins - possibly the same one, though there appear to be several others, no doubt similarly fed. we must learn to whistle!

After this excitement we reached the head of the loch, where frost lay thick in some parts, then turned to the south bank. After a while the route joins the main road for a few yards, but we cut back to the loch down St Michael's Lane and continued, choosing to return to the main road past the Palace and St Michael's Parish Church, to grab coffee and a rest at Costa Coffee (though several cafes were open).

Back to the loch, we had to go down, up and down vennels as the lochside path was flooded in places but arrived at the car in fine spirits. 

Main photo was taken close to the Water Yetts car park, the sun having moved sufficiently to illuminate the palace.

The extra collage shows (clockwise from top left) the palace from the north side of the loch; a heron sitting on a frosty branch, with assorted gulls (mainly black-headed); hand-fed robin; icy puddle at the northern end of the loch. Not shown are the swans, coots, moorhens and cormorants that also occupy the loch.

From here we drove to Bo'ness, stopping to eat our picnic, when we discovered that the railway was in steam as a train chugged across our view. This notwithstanding we walked from the Union Street car park round the harbour as far as the bird hide, returning through trees to the north of the railway to the station.

Extra 2: We found a position on the footbridge to watch the next train leave, hauled by Caledonian engine no. 419, built in 1907, with diesel class 37 no. 37403, Isle of Mull, bringing up the rear. Hands were waved and reciprocated!

We pottered home the pretty way, arriving before dark.