Linlithgow Palace Castle

Address: Linlithgow Palace, The Vennel, Linlithgow EH49 7AL, Scotland

Website: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/linlithgow-palace/

Linlithgow Palace is a late medieval royal residence in Linlithgow, Scotland, mainly built in the 15th century and now a ruin beside Linlithgow Loch. It served as a principal residence of the Scottish Stewart monarchs and is noted for its large courtyard and surviving range walls.

The palace contains substantial masonry remains including an ornate Great Hall and royal apartments; visitors often examine the courtyard, surviving fireplace and carved stonework. The adjacent St Michael’s Church and its tower provide elevated views across the palace and the loch.

Construction and major rebuilding took place under 15th-century Stewart kings, with earlier royal presence on the site recorded before that period. The palace fell into decline after the 17th century and was partly ruined by a fire in 1746 during the Jacobite rising.

The site sits on the north shore of Linlithgow Loch in West Lothian, about west of Edinburgh and is immediately adjacent to the town centre of Linlithgow. The loch and town setting make the palace easy to reach from the nearby railway station and main roads.

• Mary, Queen of Scots: Birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots in 1542, one of the palace’s most frequently cited historical facts.
• Access and management: Site is managed as a scheduled historic monument with visitor information and interpretive panels; limited access inside the ruin can be seasonal or weather dependent.

What to See#

• Palace ranges and Great Hall: A rectangular royal palace ruin with surviving east, west and south ranges that enclosed a central courtyard; notable interior features include the Great Hall and former royal apartments dating largely from the 15th century.
• St Michael’s Church: A medieval parish church adjacent to the palace site whose tower is often used for elevated views over the palace and Linlithgow Loch.

Linlithgow Palace sits in the centre of Linlithgow town in West Lothian. Regular ScotRail trains run from Edinburgh Waverley (and from Glasgow Queen Street) to Linlithgow on the Edinburgh-Glasgow line; from Linlithgow station the palace is about a 10-15 minute walk through the town to the palace and loch.

By car the town is straightforward to reach from the Edinburgh/Glasgow area via the motorway network; parking is available in Linlithgow town centre and the palace is a short walk from town car parks.

• Arrive in the morning, ideally by train from Edinburgh to Linlithgow station, and walk the short route along the loch to see the palace before coach parties and weekend crowds build up.
• Use the visitor reception (managed by Historic Environment Scotland) to pick up a site leaflet and timings for any short talks - the ruined royal apartments and the Great Stair are easier to appreciate with the background information.
• After exploring the ruins, walk round Linlithgow Loch for one of the best uninterrupted perspectives of the palace exterior that many visitors miss when they stay only on the palace grounds.