Linlithgow Palace

A really cool place to explore! It’s certainly not as touristy as Edinburgh or Stirling castle which is exactly why I love it. It’s quite a large castle that takes some time to go through and its such an adventure– the peak being the top of the tower which has spectacular views.
It’s a scenic view with the castle overlooking the water and the town. It’s also a lovely place to pack a picnic and sit outside the castle, by the water on a nice day.

Very pretty!
The palace was a new one to me, though the signs in the town indicated it was the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots!
The castle is a ruin, but there seems to be guided tours. We didn’t go inside, but chose to explore the surroundings. The nearby lough is an amazing sight and felt so peaceful!
The grounds are littered with boards containing a wealth of information so we didn’t feel we missed out without the tour.

Rather impressive ruin of what must have been a mighty royal palace.
The fact (?!) that Mary Queen of Scots was born in this palace (which then burned to the ground in the 18^th century and hasn’t had a roof since) may be important to you — but it’s not vital to enjoying an hour or so at this place. For the palace ruin itself is very impressive and offers a lot of great photo opportunities. In the summer, you will also be given a free, short (c. 15 minutes) tour of the remaining principal rooms by volunteer school children from the area. Well, I certainly hope they’ll get a brownie point or two from their school for this. ;) In July and August they’ll also turn on the decorative fountain that sits in the middle of the palace court, but on Sundays only.
The facilities are rather basic though: There’s one toilet (and I do mean *one*), and a very small gift shop/​ticket office. But the lawn surrounding Linlithgow Palace makes splendid picnic grounds, and of course there’s the small lake below the castle to stroll along.
The entrance fee is modest indeed, And you can easily reach the palace with either the No.49 bus or the train from Edinburgh (which, most times, will also be a replacement bus service rather than an actual train). Linlithgow itself is a cozy, sleepy little hovel with very little else to see. If you’re staying for lunch or dinner, I do recommend The Four Marys, which is just a 5 minute walk from the palace. Beer enthusiasts should give the Platform 3, next to the railway station, a try.
See my photos for further impressions of the palace.

Excellent sightseeing opportunity for those interested in history and castles/​architecture.
I took a quick day trip to Linlithgow from Edinburgh to come see the palace that I heard so much about. The palace certainly lived up to the hype, I was very impressed and I enjoyed wandering around the vast palace’s rooms and spiral staircases.
This place is freaking huge! If you decide to visit, make sure you wear comfortable shoes and bring a bottle of water. i’m serious. The courtyard at the bottom makes for a nice place to sit for a few minutes and enjoy a water or an Irn-​Bru from the gift shop at the front.
There are so many good photo opportunities at Linlithgow Palace. For those interested, the pictures that than be had here are amazing for those with a DSLR camera. Stunning photos! A trip to the tall tower facing the loch brings even more expansive views of the loch and the area.
The people working there are nice as well. The woman up front chatted me up for a bit while I looked for an Irn-​Bru and there were a couple of kids giving free tours, dressed in their time. I declined the tour as I prefer to walk at my own pace, but it’s great that they have them to give.
The loch sitting behind the palace is gorgeous. The greenery and the views from the palace are amazing. Plus, there are picnic tables to you can enjoy a nice afternoon there with lunch if you like. There were also boats and a dock at the loch, with people enjoying the water.
Take a walk around the palace and snap some pictures and enjoy some company. Bring a lunch if you have time, and relax on a nice afternoon. The history, the architecture, and the surrounding town and loch make this a great little day trip for anyone, including children.
The entry fee is £5.50 for adults, with different prices for kids and groups.

Not being from Scotland, I am still mystified by anything that resembles a castle, or in this case, a palace. I’m big on history as well, and having taken a Scottish History course this year, it only made that much more sense to take a wee trip out to see what this palace was all about.
My boyfriends Gran used to bring him out here when he was younger, so it was nice to experience another place he and his family frequented. The Palace itself is grand. Although more in ruins than a castle, there are plenty of guide markers with drawings of what would have been where we were standing. We got lost a few times, and wound up where we started a few times while looking for certain things, but one thing is for sure, it was pretty amazing.
I often found myself thinking about Downton Abbey especially in the kitchen areas, everything was just so big and I could imagine there being loads of help cooking away for whoever occupied the palace at the moment.
It’s rather a cheap day out if you make it before closing. Two adults only cost £11 and we were able to stay as long as we wanted as long as we were out before 4:30pm. It being Valentines Day and our anniversary, it was even more spectacular seeing a wedding party having their pictures taken in the palace.
Linlithgow as a whole is a pretty amazing little town, with the added bonus of Linlithgow Palace and the loch, it makes for a great day out of the city.

We visited in route to Stirling Castle and really recommend doing both together. Built by King James at same time as the changes to Edinburgh the renovations at Stirling give an insight as to how magnificent Linlithgow was. As it is the sender place is overwhelming as a building and location. Only the floors and roofs are missing having been burnt away by a careless soldier. Its a bit off beaten track but its the best ruin I have ever visited.

I LOVE this sort of thing! This old palace ruins has it all: gorgeous architecture, informative signs from Historic Scotland explaining the why’s and what’s of the castle rooms, the lovely loch and scenic views you can peer out the ancient windows at… What’s not to love? It costs a little over £5 for an adult to enter, but to me this seemed not only reasonable, but absolutely worth it. A history lesson and way to piqué the imagination of what has once been… To me, that experience is worth far more in the end. :)

Linlithgow Palace was home to numerous royal figures, including Mary Queen of Scots, so I was surprised that it wasn’t in the Fodor’s guidebook.
When we drove in, I somehow took a wrong turn onto a walking path instead of the parking lot. The old ladies walking nearby laughed at us, but we figured it out. No harm, no foul.
At only £5.50 per person, this castle was totally worth the price. It’s a bit more ruined than many of the top tourist castles, which actually makes it more fun, like a maze. There’s no reason to buy a guidebook of the castle, just explore on your own. Nesting pigeons fly out at you from random unexpected places. My wife learned that the hard way. The view from the top of the main tower is amazing. I was rather exhausted by the end of it, but really glad we went.

Linlithgow Palace is a well visited place and always has been.
It was build and restored and extended by famous kings and queens over the centuries, such like James IV, Mary Stuart, James I of England and Scotland.
When walking up the driveway towards the castle gate you will see famous royal name plates on the right side wall starting with Mary Stuart and ending with
Elizabeth II. Only a few spaces are left and lets see who else will be on the wall :-)
Passing the wonderful ornated gate with the emblems of various European garters on top of the entrance you will see the main entrance to the castle in front of you and the west entrance to St Michael’s Kirk on your right. I have visited this a few times and sadly always missed the opening hours for the KIRK visit. I can imagine this Kirk to be wonderful and powerful inside. It is old and mystic.
I decided to walk around the castle first and enjoyed a brisk walk in the sunshine along the lake, taking pictures of the ruins and making friends with swans. They did not appear to be frightened by me at all, what I can’t really say for myself when they came closer and closer!
The palace is a massive several storey ruin and well maintained. We all should be thankful to Historic Scotland to do a good job. Its structure and splendor amazes me. The shape is rectangular with towers on the east and the west side. The original gate was on the east and you still can see the remains. In the middle of the courtyard stands the symbolic fountain build by King James IV to have represented his power, given by the almighty, to the world and especially towards Henry VIII of England. In the 1500’s James IV came up with the plan to build a newer and more powerful palace on top of a previous one, which was destroyed by fire that swept through the streets of Linlithgow. Somehow this tale reminds me of Emperor Nero and Rome!
The construction took a few years and soon the South, East and West wings were finished that contained the royal chambers, antechambers, kitchens and a chapel. In the 1620’s the newer North side was completed after part of the of the previous building collapsed.
Visitors have access to the site all year around and the entry fee is £5.50 (if not a Historic Scotland member).
There are lots of events all year around. Last year I visited the Jousting event held in the gardens and they were amazing.
If you have time go and check it out. It will be an adventurous day for the whole family.

One of my favourite Castles in Scotland. Its a bit in ruins but still explorable which makes it feel a bit more fun. We are Historic Scotland members so I’ve been to this castle a few times now. Every time I’m still enchanted by it. The grounds are just grass but beautiful kept with paths that go around the loch thats there, and the fountain in the centre court has amazing sculptures! Each level and space has good signage with historical information.
They have different events there at times. This past summer we go to go when they were having a jousting competition! It was AMAZING! and their were actors dress up in medieval costumes and in character! I felt like I could have been in Robin Hood! So magical!
If you haven’t been here you must! and If your visiting Scotland this is also a must !

Fantastic place. I have a fairly active imagination and really enjoyed the fact that the majority of the palace is open to exploration. I could imagine the additional floors and appreciate how large this palace would have been with all it’s walls, floors, and ceilings intact.
Really enjoyed that it wasn’t packed when I went but there was a steady amount of people streaming through even though it was typical breezy, rainy, and cold winter weather.

I visited Linlithgow Palace twice in one weekend so it probably should get 5*‘s. A turbulent and bloody history fuelled by the story of Mary Queen of Scots, it is a ruin now but a particularly magnificent one.
Now owned by Historic Scotland, it played host to jousting over two weekends. The grounds are fabulous and after hitting it during our current heat wave, it was a fab place to spend a couple of afternoons. The grounds are well maintained, slopping grassy areas with a huge (and very clean looking) lake. Lots of swans and ducks in the lakes so fun if you have little ones. There are also benches dotted around at the far end under the trees if you want to rest weary legs and lots of bins of you decide to take a picnic.
The palace itself is a ruin but actually in good condition if this makes sense. You can still climb the stairs to various floors and little signs throughout in English, French and German tell you what each space is (grand hall, kitchen, royal bedroom). There are also fab little (secret) passages that run along side some of the rooms so you can imagine previous inhabitants moving between rooms whilst plotting intrigue.
The jousting was well organised — good fun with ‘dashing’ knights jousting as well as challenging each other to sword fights, with medieval actors in full costume with little tents dotted around showing lots of medieval crafts and trades. This event was organised by Historic Scotland and was £12 for adult entry but free if you were a member of Historic Scotland. There is normally an admission charge to enter the palace but this was included in the jousting ticket price so I’m not sure how much it is normally.
So, I would probably go back and explore more. The palace was really busy due to the jousting event but if this was a normal weekend, then it would be quieter and you’d have more time to explore all those hidden areas as there are a fair few.

Linlithgow Palace is a beautiful ruins set in a small town in central Scotland. Currently it has open hours and admission fees, but I visit a couple years back and it wasn’t open for viewing, but the grounds were free to wander and the window-​holes free to poke your nose into.
Beautifully situated along a pretty lake (full of swans and such), this palace is full of history and sadness. I’d like to take another visit!

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 (
), 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 15^th 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.

Alleine die Gartenanlagen sind bei schönem Wetter schon einen Besuch wert. Freier Parkplatz direkt vor dem Schloss!

Maria Stuart wurde hier geboren (spannend)!!!

This is a lovely site to visit in Scotland. I thought that the palace itself was amazing and I liked that we could climb to the top of the tower and have a view of the inside. I can only imagine what it would be if there hadn’t been a fire! This is a must see if you are in the area. Check out the history before you go so you know who was married… lived…died and well killed here over the years (and that’s a lot of years).

Linlithgow Palace is one of my favourite historical sites in central Scotland. It’s a late medieval/​renaissance romantic ruin, at the heart of scenic Linlithgow.
After a fire in 1424 burnt down the old fort, James I decided to rebuild as part of his great castle construction projects that he was using to reinforce his reign. The castle which while defensive, was basically more of a pleasure palace for the monarch and their court, was built up over the succeeding Stuart reigns. One of the great things about the Palace is that by looking from the East Range around in a clockwise direction you can see the succession of of styles as the Palace grew. The palace is famous for a few reasons. This is where Margaret Tudor awaited the news of her husband’s fate at the battle of Flodden, and of course where Mary Queen of Scots was born in 1542. A less well known fact is that this is where Scotland’s «three estaits» (basically its parliament) met to elect the first Stuart king Robert I, beginning a dynasty that would last through the Union of the Crowns and the English Civil War and beyond.
One of the highlights of the Palace is a recently restored fountain, built by Mary’s father James V, in a very beautiful renaissance style. It’s highly symbolic and the many figures represent the social structure of the day and the alliance between Scotland and France in the face of a common enemy down south.
Robert Burns described Linlithgow Palace as «fine but melancholy». I’m not so sure about the latter but there is something poetic about it. It is a ruin, but you can still get a great sense for the time, especially in the Great Hall which at its time was supposed to be one of the finest in Europe.
A great day out if you are at all interested in history, architecture, or Scotland’s heritage in general. The kids seems to love it and it makes a good family day out, especially as its not quite so crowded as the likes of Edinburgh Castle. The nearby lawn and Linlithgow Loch make a great picnic spot on a sunny day, or otherwise there are many family friendly pubs and restaurants in the town centre.

Located in a small but surprsingly fascinating town, Linlithgow Palace is a brooding, creepy and imposing ruined palace that sticks up from the middle of the town. It’s fairly important to Scotch history, as various important people who had their heads cut off spent much of their time here pre-​decapitation.
It is a ruin, so don’t expect too much to do, but it’s a great focal point in a town that hosts many intersting nooks and crannies.

Wer Schiller und Fontane gelesen hat, der kennt diesen Ort. Hier weht einem der Hauch der Geschichte entgegen. Maria Stuart, Königin von Schottland wurde hier geboren. Ihr Schicksal dürfte wohl bekannt sein.
Das Schloss, das eher einer Burg ähnelt, ist eine gut erhaltene Ruine. Es ist sehr interessant, die verschlungen Gänge zu erkunden. Gleich einem Labyrinth irrt man umher und entdeckt in jedem Winkel interessante Sachen. Diverse Baustiele vereinen sich hier zu einer interessanten Mischung.
Besonders beindruckend sind die «great hall» und der Brunnen, da sie für schottische Verhältnisse sehr luxuriös ausgefallen sind. Aber die Erbauer dieses palastes waren ja auch nicht irgentwer.
Wir fanden, dieser Ort strahlt eine ganz besondere Magie aus, die man nicht in Worte fassen kann. Und wenn dann noch die milde Abendsonne den Ort in ein besonderes Licht taucht möchte man gar nicht mehr gehen.
Neben dem Palast liegt eine der wenigen katholischen Kirchen. Auch sehr sehenswert.
Nicht weit entfernt findet man das Falkirk Weel, ein Schiffshebewerk in Form eines Riesenrades.
Wer mehr erfahren will geht auf

When tourists, particularly the North American kind, visit Scotland they generally want to see a little bit of history, and down a few whiskys while they’re at it.
Edinburgh, of course, is the natural choice. But then again, said tourists will probably meet half of their countrymen and women navigating the castle and the city centre there.
This is why, whenever I am charged with showing someone around, I ensure our journey from Glasgow to Edinburgh is punctuated with a stop here. Now run by Historic Scotland, the palace cuts a truly stunning figure by Linlithgow Loch and provides an inexpensive and quiet way to savour some of the most historical spots in the country. You’ll realise within seconds of disembarking at Linlithgow Station that Mary Queen of Scots was born and brought up here.
The town itself has a beautiful High Street with plenty of bars and restaurants, meaning Lilithgow is an ideal sight-​seeing and refuelling stop at lunch-​time.

Auch hier ist man mit der Mitgliedschaft bei Historic Scotland wieder fein raus und kommt um den Eintritt herum. Das Castle ist (für eine Ruine) recht gut erhalten und man kann sich weitestgehend frei bewegen. Man kommt auch auf zwei der vier Wehrtürme rauf, allerdings gleicht die Suche nach dem richtigen Gang teilweise der Nadel im Heuhaufen.
Die Aussicht ist sehr schön und das Castle, sagen wir mal ganz nett. Highlight war hier eher die schottische Schulklasse die wohl Szenen aus der Historie nachspielen sollten/​wollten! War auf jeden Fall nett anzusehen und wir haben herzlich gelacht (…wofür ist dat Ding mit der Kugel dran da, dat Zepter meine ick, ach ja um little Eric eine runterzuhauen. ist ja eh mein Untertan hat zumindest die Lehrerin gesagt) = Schade das ich keine Videokamera dabei hatte, ich hätt mich mit dem Tape blöd verdient.

Über den Marktplatz geht es zum imposanten Linlithgow Palace. Als ich dort ankam stand die Sonne hinter den wuchtigen Mauern und warf ein Schattenspiel der burg mit geheimnisvoller Lichtstimmung in das feuchte Gras bis hinunter zum tiefer gelegenden See. Im Inneren konnte man sich in den zahllosen Gängen, Treppen und hohen Räumen mit verzierten Decken und Gesichtern aus Stein im Kamin geradewegs verlaufen. Im unterirdischen Gefängnisgewölbe war es feucht und kalt; der überdimensionale Brunnen im Hof war mit einer Vielzahl von Figuren verziert. Wunderschön!!!

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.