Linlithgow Palace and Linlithgow Loch

Linlithgow Palace, on the site of David's manor, dominates the surrounding countryside. An impressive ruin ravaged by time and fire, it exudes dignified splendour — an appropriate birthplace for a queen. Begun in 1425 for James I, it was completed over a century later by James IV and V. Its roofless halls surround a central quadrangle with a Gothic fountain (a wedding gift from James V to Mary of Guise). On 8 December 1542, Mary gave birth here to a daughter who, six days later upon her father's death, became Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland.

Adjoining the palace is St Michael's Church, where Mary was baptised and where the University of Edinburgh held classes during the 1645 plague. The Cross Well — a beautifully carved fountain marking the old market cross — was built single-handedly in 1806 by mason Robert Grey (who had only one hand, holding his chisel while a mallet was strapped to his arm stump).

The route continues around the edges of Linlithgow Loch, one of only two natural lochs in the Lothians. These waters once played a major role in the leather trade, with 17 tanneries soaking raw hides in loch water and oak bark.

Mute swans nest along the banks, and the loch provides an ideal habitat for reed buntings, sedge warblers, common sandpipers, coots, moorhens, and great crested grebes (famous for their elaborate spring courtship displays). From every viewpoint, the lovely ruin of the palace dominates, evoking memories of Mary Stuart where her brief reign began.

Acknowledgment: Text derived from the Out and Out Series; Discovering the Countryside on Foot. Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia.