Europe > United Kingdom > Scotland > Linlithgow
Linlithgow is a royal burgh of medieval origin, sitting between Edinburgh and Falkirk on the edge of a loch that gives the town its most distinctive views. It is best known for Linlithgow Palace, the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, whose atmospheric roofless ruins rise above the loch and can be seen from miles around. Beside the palace stands St Michael's Parish Church, one of Scotland's finest medieval parish churches, capped since 1964 by a controversial aluminium crown that manages to look both wrong and right depending on your angle of approach.
The town's High Street runs in a long curve between the loch and the Union Canal, preserving much of its historical character. The Union Canal passes through the southern edge of town, and the Linlithgow Canal Centre offers boat trips in summer. A few kilometres to the north, Blackness Castle sits on a promontory in the Firth of Forth — its ship-like shape, with the tower at the prow and the battlements at the stern, is unlike any other Scottish castle.
Linlithgow's connection to Mary Queen of Scots is the town's greatest historical boast. She was born here in 1542 and came back several times before her abdication and eventual execution. The palace fell into ruin after a fire in 1746 when troops of the Duke of Cumberland camped here on their way back from Culloden — whether the fire was accidental or deliberate has never been conclusively established. The ruins are complete enough and the setting by the loch beautiful enough to make this one of Scotland's most evocative historic sites.
The town is an easy day trip from Edinburgh — about 20 minutes by train — and can be combined with Falkirk and the Falkirk Wheel for a full day in the central belt.