Lothian

Linlithgow Palace

The roofless palace of the Stewart kings above Linlithgow Loch, begun in 1424 and the birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots.

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Welcome

Linlithgow Palace is the roofless shell of a royal palace on a green hill above Linlithgow Loch, and even without its roof it is one of the most striking buildings in Scotland.

James I began it in 1424 after a fire, the Stewart kings kept adding to it for two hundred years, and Mary, Queen of Scots was born here in December 1542.

Walk in under the outer gateway with its four carved panels, cross the courtyard to James V's ornate fountain, then climb the spiral stairs to the great hall and on up to the little turret called Queen Margaret's Bower, with views over the loch, the town and the Forth bridges. The palace stands in the Peel, a big grassy park with picnic tables and a path of about two and a half miles round the loch, so it's an easy place to spend a whole afternoon. A few rooms are closed for conservation just now, and the station is a short walk away.

A ruined castle with towers and a domed structure stands on a wooded hill above a calm loch, catching golden evening light.

Linlithgow Palace and St Michael's Church from across the loch, in low winter sun.Press a mark to look closer.

Before you go

Tickets are for a set date and time, and booking online gets the best price.

The North Range, the King's Bed Chamber and the Court Kitchen are closed for conservation just now.

Hours: 1 April to 30 September, daily 9.30am to 5pm. 1 October to 31 March, daily 10am to 4pm. Last entry 45 minutes before closing.
Closed: 25 and 26 December, 1 and 2 January.
Tickets: Adults £10 online or £11 at the door; concessions £8 or £9; children aged 7 to 15 £5 or £5.50. Historic Scotland members free.
Audio guide: On your own phone, included in the ticket.
Stairs: About 25 uneven steps up a spiral stair to the first floor, and steep stone steps to Queen Margaret's Bower.
Parking: A small car park at the palace, through a gate 2.65 metres high, so not for campervans or minibuses.
By train: Trains from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling take under half an hour, and the palace is a short walk from the station.
Dogs: On a lead outdoors and in the Peel; assistance dogs only inside.

Opening hours

Their website

Monday: 10am–4pm
Tuesday: 10am–4pm
Wednesday: 10am–4pm
Thursday: 10am–4pm
Friday: 10am–4pm
Saturday: 10am–4pm
Sunday: 10am–4pm

Did you know

A low golden sun over Linlithgow Loch, its light in a line across the still water, reeds dark in the foreground.

Did you know

The Peel is named after a lost castle.

Edward I of England wintered here in 1301 and built a timber castle on the hilltop in 1302. It gave the Peel its name, and it lies hidden beneath the palace the Stewart kings built.

Painted heraldic shields carved into a stone parapet line the top of an arched gateway beneath a sandstone church tower.

Did you know

Four orders of knighthood over the gate.

The four carved panels over the outer gateway, of about 1535, show the orders borne by James V: the Golden Fleece, St Michael, the Garter and the Thistle. They were recarved in Edinburgh in 1845.

The carved stone fountain in the courtyard of Linlithgow Palace, roofless sandstone ranges and a stair tower standing round it.

Did you know

A fountain copied for Holyrood.

James V added the ornate fountain in the courtyard in 1538, and its design was later copied for the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Rumour has it that it ran with wine when Bonnie Prince Charlie came in 1745.

A ruined sandstone abbey wall with arched windows and a corbelled cornice rises against a clear sky, a square tower behind.

Did you know

A gallery for the minstrels.

The great hall, built for James I on the first floor, has a barrel-vaulted gallery at one end, where musicians played for the court below.

Linlithgow Palace from the air on the green Peel, paths curving round it, the loch at its side and the town behind.

Did you know

The north range fell down in 1607.

After years of neglect the roof of the north range collapsed in 1607. It was rebuilt in the Renaissance style for James VI between 1618 and 1624, though by then he had moved his court to London.

A ruined sandstone castle tower with a crow-stepped gable and arched windows catches warm evening light, a bird flying past.

Did you know

A nursery for princes.

The palace was the royal nursery for James V, born in 1512, for Mary, Queen of Scots, born here in 1542, and for Princess Elizabeth, born in 1596.

Linlithgow Palace from the air, its roofless ranges round the courtyard, St Michael's Church and its crown spire beside it and the loch beyond.

Did you know

Roofless since 1746.

On 1 February 1746, after the Duke of Cumberland's government troops had been quartered here, the palace was gutted by fire. It has stood open to the sky ever since.