Linlithgow Palace

Scotland

LoginSave

This magnificent loch-side palace was begun by James I in 1424, and became a favourite royal residence – James V was born here in 1512, as was his daughter Mary (later Queen of Scots) in 1542, and Bonnie Prince Charlie visited in 1745. The elaborately carved King's Fountain, the centrepiece of the palace courtyard, flowed with wine during Charlie's stay; commissioned by James V in 1537, it's Britain's oldest fountain. Atop the northwestern tower are sweeping views from Queen Margaret's Bower.

Visit on a Sunday in July or August and you'll be able to see the courtyard fountain in action. Summer also sees the palace wind the clock back to medieval times with its two-day Spectacular Jousting tournament – check dates online.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • UK, Scotland, Glasgow, ceiling in St Mungo cathedral

    Glasgow Cathedral

    25.87 MILES

    Glasgow Cathedral has a rare timelessness. The dark, imposing interior conjures up medieval might and can send a shiver down the spine. It's a shining…

  • Looking up the hill at Edinburgh Castle. Edinburgh Castle

    Edinburgh Castle

    15.65 MILES

    Edinburgh Castle has played a pivotal role in Scottish history, both as a royal residence – King Malcolm Canmore (r 1058–93) and Queen Margaret first made…

  • ROSLIN, SCOTLAND - JULY 18, 2016: Rosslyn Chapel (Collegiate Chapel of St Matthew), found by by William Sinclair. It was mentioned in The Da Vinci Code book

    Rosslyn Chapel

    19.12 MILES

    Many years may have passed since Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code and the subsequent film came out, but floods of visitors still descend on Scotland's…

  • Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom – December 20, 2019: Stirling Castle is a fortified wall sitting atop Castle Hill and is part of the Stirling Sill, a quartz-dolerite formation millions of years old. Records date it back to the early 12th century and the inner grounds are home to replicas of the famous Unicorn Tapestries. The castle offers spectacular views of Stirling from the Outer Defences.

    Stirling Castle

    16.78 MILES

    Hold Stirling and you control Scotland. This maxim has ensured that a fortress of some kind has existed here since prehistoric times. You cannot help…

  • Bell on the Roal Yacht Britannia.

    Royal Yacht Britannia

    16.43 MILES

    Built on Clydeside, the former Royal Yacht Britannia was the British Royal Family's floating holiday home during their foreign travels from the time of…

  • Detail of main facade of Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.

    Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art

    14.61 MILES

    Edinburgh's gallery of modern art is split between two impressive neoclassical buildings surrounded by landscaped grounds some 500m west of Dean Village…

  • Scottish Parliament Building

    Scottish Parliament Building

    16.64 MILES

    The Scottish Parliament Building, on the site of a former brewery and designed by Catalan architect Enric Miralles (1955–2000), was opened by the Queen in…

  • Glasgow Riverside Museum, Zaha Hadid Architects, 2011, Exterior wide view of riverside facade

    Riverside Museum

    28.48 MILES

    This visually impressive modern museum at Glasgow Harbour owes its striking curved forms to late British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid. A transport museum…

View more attractions

Nearby Scotland attractions

1. St Michael's Parish Church

Built between the 1420s and the 1530s, this Gothic church is topped by a controversial aluminium spire added in 1964, representing a crown of thorns. The…

2. Linlithgow Canal Centre

0.24 MILES

Lying 200m south of the town centre is the Union Canal and this pretty one-room museum documenting its 200-year history. The centre runs 2½-hour canal…

3. Blackness Castle

3.76 MILES

Built in the 1440s by the Lord High Admiral of Scotland, this imposing castle juts like the prow of a ship into the Firth of Forth at Blackness, 4 miles…

4. Culross Palace

5.49 MILES

More large house than palace, the 17th-century residence of local laird Sir George Bruce features an interior largely unchanged since his time. The…

5. Culross Abbey

5.63 MILES

Ruined Culross Abbey, founded by the Cistercians in 1217, sits atop a hill in a lovely peaceful spot with vistas of the firth. The choir was converted…

6. Hopetoun House

5.78 MILES

One of Scotland's finest stately homes, Hopetoun House has a superb location in lovely grounds beside the Firth of Forth. The family seat of the earls of…

7. Kelpies

6.64 MILES

The Kelpies, the stunning equine statues gracing the eastern entrance to the Forth & Clyde Canal, are named after mythical Scottish water-horses. The two…

8. Queensferry Museum

8.07 MILES

On the pretty, terraced High St is the small Queensferry Museum, tracing the town's social history down the centuries. Highlights include a handwritten…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "scotland/linlithgow/attractions/linlithgow-palace/a/poi-sig/1119525/1314709",
  "destination": "Scotland",
  "continent": "Europe",
  "country": "Scotland",
  "position": "superzone"
}