Linlithgow Palace

I'd been meaning to visit Linlithgow for years, forgetting every time until I passed it again on the train to Edinburgh.  I finally got off and am glad I did.

The ruins at Linlithgow are the shell of a marvellous Renaissance palace.  Unlike the more complete castle at Stirling (http://www.stirlingcastle.gov.uk/home.htm ), where the style and glamour of the period was imposed on a heavy Medieval castle, the Linlithgow Palace really does give you a sense of the rebirth of art and architecture in the 15th century.  (And if you can take the train between Edinburgh and Glasgow and visit both on the same day, the impact of this contrast is striking.)  The absence of roof aside, the wide windows and narrow walls create light airy spaces and it is easy to picture the ghosts of the Stewart court strolling gracefully in the long galleries or by the carved fountain.

At its highest, the palace is six-storeys and has lovely views out over the loch and town: It is surprisingly taller than it appears to be from the gatehouse, I think due to being built on uneven ground.  You can sit sheltered at the top of one of the towers and contemplate, or just wait until your heart stops thumbing after climbing the nerve-racking final flights of stairs to get there!

In a covered gallery on the lower floor there is a small display of objects found during excavations and there's good information about each of the rooms on wall plaques, but mostly I loved this place for its quite dreamy under-statedness, which allowed you to use your imagination as you wandered the rooms.  It probably helped that it was still out-of-season when I went, so there were just a few other visitors and none of the costumed guides other reviewers mentioned.  It also probably helped that I visited on a clear, dry day but unfortunately it can be difficult to plan for that in Scotland.

If you are someone who needs lots of interpretation when visiting a historic site, maps and books are available from the wee shop and I've heard the young Summer guides are great.  But if you are of a romantic bent, I'd definitely recommend visiting on a quiet Spring afternoon.  Go with a partner or otherwise a group of friends because I'll bet all those nooks and galleys would lend themselves to a great game of hide & seek ;-)

A lovely ruin sitting atop a local high point overlooking Linlithgow Loch.

Plenty of history and beautiful presentation. Lovely to walk around in the evenings before a meal in town.

Excellent day out in a palace ruin, lots of history, lots of spiral staircases, and lots of hiding places for the kids. Free guided tours by local children in historical costumes during the summer holidays (don’t forget to give them a tip.) There is also a very pleasant walk round the loch starting from the palace which takes about an hour.
Wednesday evenings in the summer there is scottish dancing in the courtyard.

The Edinburgh Military Tattoo will be coming to the palace on August 13th 2009. It will be a one-hour version of the full tattoo, and should be a great setting, with the ruined palace & loch in the background. Parking is likely to be difficult, so probably worth arriving early, or coming by train.

The Palace itself is now a ruin, but it still gives you an impression of what it was like to live there. A good range of rooms, over a number of floors, are accessible and there are interpretation signs with (hand-drawn) illustrations to give an idea of the room in use. My little one loved exploring all the corridors and rooms and climbing the circular staircases to the tops of the towers, several of which are in tact.

There’s a small shop and a warm, dry room with seating and a toilet next to it. Very useful on colder days. Adjacent are loch-side walks, boating in the summer and a good children’s play park.

Linlithgow palace sits atop a hill next to Linlithgow Loch. Well known for being the birthplace of Mary Queen Of Scots. It is a lovely old palace but is a bit run down compared to some castles in Scotland.
You are free to roam about almost all of it and explore as you wish. There are information plaques in a lot of places to help you understand what rooms were used for and provide historical information.
You can climb up to the top and are treated to great views once you get there. On my last visit I did not do this because my 2 and a half year old daughter was with me and I remember it being quite open.
I prefer to park at the loch when I go and walk round the waters edge to get to the palace. The carpark here is really small however and it can be hard to get a space. There is a bigger car park at the railway station which is a short walk from the palace and the last time I used that there was no charge.
The loch is home to swans, ducks and geese. It is also well stocked with fish and there are rowing boats for hire.
Lovely setting and worth a visit.

Linlithgow Palace is the birth place of Mary Queen of Scots. located in the centre of town surrounded by the peel a large lawned area great for picnics you also have the loch so if you like to fish or just feed the ducks it is great for young and old. the palace itself has a lot of interesting facts and history attached it is also very picturesque so remember that camera.

This is a fantastic castle that is not too far from edinburgh - there isnt much parking room - we went when there was a wedding on at the church last time and we got the last space so get there early. There is so much to look around here and it is easy to find yourself getting lost so a guide book is a good idea - Go into the courtyard and decide on a corner to start from and you will end up at a completley opposite side
I always make sure I get to the north west tower - there is a little information plaque on the side of this one so you know your on the right one
Go up to the top where there is queen margarets bower where she waited in vain for james to come home from battle
Not recommended if your not good with hights you step out on top of the tower and there is nothing there but a little waist high rail with a twist around the corner and a fre steps up then you have to walk around the edge to get to the door
Im not afraid of heights but I get a little nervous doing this bit and i have yet to persudae anyone else to come up with me
The view is worth it though as it is really lovely up there and very peaceful though a little sad
The gallery is fun to walk along and look down into the great hall and as always kitchens with enormous fireplaces
It is free entry for historic scotland and free for english heritage (unless first year then half price)
give yourslef a few hours to look around properly and enjoy it

Most visited castle/palace in Central Scotland with fly fishing on Linlithgow Loch and during peak tourism season people in period fancy dress wandering its corridors and central courtyard. Partially ruined with missing upper levels and nearby St Michael’s Church still holding services with stained glass windows. Hosts occasional pretend heraldic jousts and dog shows in grounds. Take bread to feed ducks, swans and geese.
Worth the walk down to waterside with children’s play park and nearby pubs such as Three Sisters and Italian Bar Leo to east and Golden Chippie and ice cream shops to west.
Free entry with Historic Scotland pass.

linlithgow palace is one of the few places left untouched by the cash hungry tourist trap merchants, its a ruin. there is a very small gift shop. it doesn’t cost a small fortune to get in. there are many signs around the palace describing the uses of the rooms, and various features, (try climbing to the very top of the tower to read the inscriptions on the walls) marvel at the amazing views from the parapits. run around like a looney in the surrounding park. and if you’ve any energy left hire a rowing boat and go out around the loch. now thats what i call a day out! and you’ll sleep like a log…...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Linlithgow Palace is perhaps best known as the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. What was once one of Scotland's grandest royal residences was destroyed by fire in 1424. What remains today are empty remains requiring visitors to imagine what it was like previously. With only information leaflets to go on, no audio or guided tours provided, today's modern visitor could perhaps find it hardpushed to understand the significance of the place. Those interested in seeing Mary Stuart Queen of Scots bloodline (traced all the way to today's Queen Elizabeth II) can see it on the wall leading up to the palace.