Linlithgow Palace

These past few days we have been staying at the Court Residence in Linlithgow which is in West Lothian some twenty miles to the west of Edinburgh.  The hotel has been converted from the former Sheriff Court buildings and it lived up to the high ratings it has been awarded.  

The town’s best known tourist attraction is its ruined palace. Building of Linlithgow Palace began in 1492  and it was to become  a new residence that was fit for a king, King James l of Scotland to be precise.  Probably its greatest claim to fame is that it was the birthplace of both King James V of Scotland (1512) and more importantly Mary, Queen of Scots 1542.

The palace was closed in 2022 to allow major renovation works to be carried out .  It reopened this summer.  Fencing remains in place around its perimeter.  It is surrounded by extensive wooded grounds and overlooks the picturesque Linlithgow Loch. It is a popular place to visit for historians and also fans of the Outlander television series/books as the palace and neighbouring streets have been used in the filming scenes for several episodes.

The name Linlithgow derives from the Old Welsh language and it means ‘the lake in the moist hollow’.  It is an interesting town with several tourist attractions, many independent shops and numerous cafés.