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Linlithgow (; gd, Gleann Iucha, sco, Lithgae) is a town in
West Lothian West Lothian ( sco, Wast Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Iar) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and was one of its shires of Scotland, historic counties. The county was called Linlithgowshire until 1925. The historic county was bounded geogra ...
, Scotland. It was historically West Lothian's
county town In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a county town is the most important town or city in a county. It is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county and the place where the county's members of Parliament are elect ...
, reflected in the county's historical name of Linlithgowshire. An ancient town, it lies in the Central Belt on an historic route between Edinburgh and Falkirk beside
Linlithgow Loch Linlithgow Loch lies immediately north of the town of Linlithgow in West Lothian, Scotland. 1.3 kilometres in length and 0.4 in breadth, its area of 41 hectares makes it the largest natural freshwater loch in Lothian. It is, however, shallow, w ...
. The town is situated approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Edinburgh. During the medieval period, the town grew in prominence as a royal burgh and residence around
Linlithgow Palace The ruins of Linlithgow Palace are located in the town of Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland, west of Edinburgh. The palace was one of the principal residences of the monarchs of Scotland in the 15th and 16th centuries. Although mai ...
. In later centuries, Linlithgow became a centre of industry in leather making and other materials, before developing rapidly in the Victorian era with the opening of the
Union Canal Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...
in the 1820s and the arrival of the railway in 1842. Linlithgow was the former county town of the county but the Council now resides in nearby
Livingston Livingston may refer to: Businesses * Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010) * Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline * Livingston International, a North American custom ...
. Today Linlithgow has less industry and the economy of the town centre is focused on hospitality, heritage and tourism services. Linlithgow's patron saint is Saint Michael and its motto is . A statue of the saint holding the burgh coat of arms stands on the High Street. In 2019, the population of the Linlithgow ward (which includes the town and greater area) was 16,499.


History


Etymology

The name Linlithgow comes from the
Old British Insular Celtic languages are the group of Celtic languages of Brittany, Great Britain, Ireland, and the Isle of Man. All surviving Celtic languages are in the Insular group, including Breton, which is spoken on continental Europe in Brittany, ...
''lynn llaith cau'' meaning "lake in the moist hollow". Originally "Linlithgow" referred to the loch itself, the town being known as just "Lithgow" (hence the common surname).
Folk etymology Folk etymology (also known as popular etymology, analogical reformation, reanalysis, morphological reanalysis or etymological reinterpretation) is a change in a word or phrase resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a more famili ...
associated this name with the Gaelic ''liath-chù'' meaning "grey dog", likely the origin of the black bitch on the burgh arms. Evidence of Bronze Age and Iron Age settlements has been found around Linlithgow, in the form of
Crannogs A crannog (; ga, crannóg ; gd, crannag ) is typically a partially or entirely artificial island, usually built in lakes and estuarine waters of Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Unlike the prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps, which were b ...
in
Linlithgow Loch Linlithgow Loch lies immediately north of the town of Linlithgow in West Lothian, Scotland. 1.3 kilometres in length and 0.4 in breadth, its area of 41 hectares makes it the largest natural freshwater loch in Lothian. It is, however, shallow, w ...
.


Medieval history

Linlithgow gained its royal status as a burgh in 1388 under a charter from Robert II of Scotland. Linlithgow developed in the Middle Ages as a royal residence for
Scottish Kings The monarch of Scotland was the head of state of the Kingdom of Scotland. According to tradition, the first King of Scots was Kenneth I MacAlpin (), who founded the state in 843. Historically, the Kingdom of Scotland is thought to have grown ...
on the raised hill beside the Loch, as the site was a logical stop between Edinburgh to the east and Stirling to the West.
Linlithgow Palace The ruins of Linlithgow Palace are located in the town of Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland, west of Edinburgh. The palace was one of the principal residences of the monarchs of Scotland in the 15th and 16th centuries. Although mai ...
remains the chief historic attraction of the town. The present palace was started (on an older site) in 1424 by James I of Scotland. It was attacked by Oliver Cromwell in 1650 and later burnt in 1746, and, whilst unroofed, it is still largely complete in terms of its apartments, though very few of the original furnishings survived. The palace was the birthplace of
James V James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of King James IV and Margaret Tudor, and duri ...
and Mary, Queen of Scots, and has been described as Scotland's finest surviving late medieval secular building. In the courtyard of the Palace, an elaborately carved hexagonal fountain and well survives. Besides the palace, a second attraction, standing adjacent, is the primarily 15th century construction of St. Michael's Church. Its western tower originally had a distinctive stone
crown spire A crown steeple, or crown spire, is a traditional form of church steeple in which curved stone flying buttresses form the open shape of a rounded crown. Crown spires first appeared in the Late Gothic church architecture in England and Scotland dur ...
, of the type seen also on
St Giles Cathedral St Giles' Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Naomh Giles), or the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in the Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Town of Edinburgh. The current building was begun in the 14th century and extended ...
in Edinburgh, and Newcastle Cathedral, but it was damaged in a storm in 1768 then removed in 1821. In 1964 a controversial replacement spire in aluminium in a modern style by
Geoffrey Clarke Geoffrey Clarke (28 November 1924 – 30 October 2014) was a British sculptor of ecclesiastical art and maker of stained glass. Life and work Clarke was a student of Ronald Grimshaw and attended the Royal College of Art in 1948 after serving ...
, representing Christ's crown of thorns, was added to the tower. The church was used in the early 17th century as host for the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and one of the national covenants was signed within. The church was extensively altered and renovated in the 19th century, with James Gillespie Graham demolishing the chancel arch and added fake-masonry plaster vaults, and then later
Honeyman and Keppie Honeyman and Keppie was a major architectural firm based in Glasgow, created by John Honeyman and John Keppie in 1888 following the death of James Sellars in whose architectural practice Keppie had worked. Their most notable employee was Charles ...
rebuilding the chancel arch and added a choir vestry. A
Carmelite , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Car ...
Friary was located in the southern part of town from the 13th century century until 1559, when it was destroyed during the Scottish Reformation. The grounds of the friary are split between a public park (Rosemount Park and Friar's Well) and a private woodland (Rosemount woods) and estate, occupied by a 19th-century villa, Nether Parkley. The first murder using a firearm in Scotland took place in the High Street of the town on 23 January 1570 when James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray was assassinated by
James Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh James Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh and Woodhouselee (died 1581) was a Scottish supporter of Mary, Queen of Scots, who assassinated James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, Regent of Scotland, in January 1570. Donaldson 1977, p. 93 Howie-Stewart 1846, p. 51 ...
, a supporter of Queen Mary. As Moray was passing in a cavalcade in the main street below, Hamilton fatally wounded him with a carbine shot from a window of his uncle Archbishop Hamilton's house. Many historic buildings line the High Street that follows the original route from the East (High and Low Ports) and West (Ports) Gates. On the south side, ground levels rise and several historic wynds and closes, as found in Edinburgh still exist. The most prominent historical space is the Kirkgate, a processional route to the palace from the High Street. This contains the Cross Well of 1807 (redesigned by
James Haldane The Rev James Alexander Haldane aka Captain James Haldane (14 July 1768 – 8 February 1851) was a Scottish independent church leader following an earlier life as a sea captain. Biography The youngest son of Captain James Haldane of Airth ...
) which is said to be replica of its 1628 predecessor. North of the well stands the former civic home of the Burgh Council, the Town House of 1668 which was created under the direction of the master mason John Smith and now forms part of the complex known as the Burgh Halls. This replaced a previous hall or Tolbooth demolished by Oliver Cromwell's army in 1650. Much of its original interior was removed in a modernisation project of 1962. In June 1622 Katherine Rannald (alias Broun) from Kilpunt and her daughter Barbara Home (alias Winzet) were imprisoned in the Tolbooth on suspicion of witchcraft. Linlithgow was also the site of the
Battle of Linlithgow Bridge The Battle of Linlithgow Bridge is a battle that took place on 4 September 1526 in the village of Linlithgow Bridge, outside the Scottish town of Linlithgow. It was fought between a force of 10,000 men led by the Earl of Lennox and a force of 2 ...
at the western edge of the town. The bridge no longer stands. The roadway to Linlithgow over the River Avon is described by scholars as a lifted road. By 1799, Linlithgow was described as a large town with about 2300 inhabitants, whose primary industries included the tanning of leather, refining cotton cloth, the making of
Tambour lace In classical architecture, a tambour ( Fr.: "drum") is the inverted bell of the Corinthian capital around which are carved acanthus leaves for decoration. The term also applies to the wall of a circular structure, whether on the ground or raised ...
and
Stockings Stockings (also known as hose, especially in a historical context) are close-fitting, variously elastic garments covering the leg from the foot up to the knee or possibly part or all of the thigh. Stockings vary in color, design, and transparen ...
, and
shoemaking Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand, often by groups of shoemakers, or cobblers (also known as '' cordwainers''). In the 18th century, dozens or even hundreds of masters, journeymen ...
, as well as acting as a market town for the surrounding agriculture. From the 17th until the late 19th century, the two largest industries in Linlithgow were leathermaking and shoemaking.


Modern history

In 1847, a pharmacist in the town, David Waldie is credited as being the first to produce a sample of
chloroform Chloroform, or trichloromethane, is an organic compound with chemical formula, formula Carbon, CHydrogen, HChlorine, Cl3 and a common organic solvent. It is a colorless, strong-smelling, dense liquid produced on a large scale as a precursor to ...
for medical use, presenting it to James Young Simpson who later tested it and had it produced again on his return to Edinburgh, popularising its use as an anesthetic in medicine. In the mid 20th century, the chemists became a restaurant and is now the Four Mary's pub (a plaque records the history). In December 1887 a new events venue was completed in a castle style with turrets and named the Victoria Hall. In 1956, the Hall was sold for use as a Ritz cinema and later was used as a theatre, before falling out of use in the 21st century and subsequently being demolished, despite a public effort to save the facade. Other prominent
Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...
buildings in the town include the turreted Royal Bank (erected in 1959), the Star And Garter Hotel (converted in 1847) and the Scots revival styled St. Michael's Hotel (1886). Animal glue was produced at the Gowanstanks works for many years, on the site now occupied by St. Josephs primary school. Linlithgow has been cited as the location of the first petrol pump in Scotland. A plaque on the High Street records that Scotland's first petrol pump was installed at a garage here in 1919. In 1940, the Neo-Georgian County Buildings were completed in the town and became the home of Linlithgowshire Council. They were later renamed as the Tam Dalyell House and are now the Linlithgow Partnership Centre, home to the town library and museum. In 1967, two large tracts of land on the northern side of the High Street (with their associated pre 19th century buildings) were demolished and replaced by 90 flats, garages and public buildings (including a library and
health centre A healthcare center, health center, or community health center is one of a network of clinics staffed by a group of general practitioners and nurses providing healthcare services to people in a certain area. Typical services covered are family pr ...
) in a
brutalist Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by Minimalism (art), minimalist constructions th ...
style project named the 'Vennel redevelopment'. The name Vennel coming from the term for a passageway between the gables of two buildings. While the development won a Saltire Housing award in 1969, it was and still remains controversial, especially as the style contrasts starkly with the character of other buildings in the town and significantly altered the street layout. After many decades of discussion, the partial demolition and redevelopment of the Vennel area was agreed by West Lothian Council, subject to consultation, which began in 2021. The town has continued to grow, not only because of its transport links with Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling, but also because of the perceived quality of its schooling and local amenities. The town grew considerably during the 1990s with the completion of several housing developments on the east side of the town. Development in the town is carefully controlled, as it is now bounded by green belt to the south and east, the M9 to the north, the river Avon and county boundary to the West. Following the formation of the Territorial Force the town was allocated, for recruiting, to the Lothians and Border Horse and 10th Battalion, Royal Scots. Today 1 SCOTS recruit from the area keeping the traditions of the area from the Royal Scots.


Geography

Linlithgow is located in the north-east of
West Lothian West Lothian ( sco, Wast Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Iar) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and was one of its shires of Scotland, historic counties. The county was called Linlithgowshire until 1925. The historic county was bounded geogra ...
, close to the border with the Falkirk Council area (historically part of Stirlingshire). It lies west of Edinburgh along the main railway route to Glasgow. Before the construction of the M8 and M9 motorways and the opening of the Forth Road Bridge, the town lay on the main road from Edinburgh to Stirling, Perth and
Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...
, while the canal system linked the burgh to Edinburgh and Glasgow. The nearby village of Blackness once served as the burgh's port. Linlithgow is overlooked by its local hill,
Cockleroi Cockleroi or Cockleroy is a prominent hill in Scotland. It is Linlithgow's local hill. On its top there are some remains of an Iron Age's hill fort. Etymology There are multiple explanations for the name ''Cockleroi''. The most phonetically plau ...
. The town has a generally east–west orientation and is centred on what used to be the main Edinburgh-Stirling road; this now forms the main thoroughfare called the High Street. Plots of farmed land, known as rigs, ran perpendicular to the High Street and comprised much of the town's development until the 19th century. Growth was restricted to the north by Linlithgow Loch, and by the steep hill to the south, but, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, development began much further south of the High Street. In the late 20th century, demand for housing led to many residential developments much further south, as well as spreading into new areas. This southward development was bisected by the
Union Canal Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...
and latterly by the main Edinburgh-Glasgow railway line, and today there are traffic problems because there are only three places in the town where each of these can be crossed. To the west, Linlithgow Bridge used to be a somewhat distinct village with its own identity, but in the latter half of the 20th century it was enveloped in the expansion of the main town. Today the distinction between them is hard to make out.


Governance


UK Parliament

In the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster, Linlithgow has been represented as part of the
Linlithgow and East Falkirk Linlithgow and East Falkirk is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, created for use in the 2005 general election. It replaced most of Falkirk East and Linlithgow. The constituency covers t ...
constituency since 2005. Linlithgow was a safe Labour seat until the
2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
when sitting MP Michael Connarty was defeated by Martyn Day of the SNP. Day remains the MP having successfully defended the seat at the
2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
and
2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
elections.


Scottish Parliament

In the
Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...
, Linlithgow is represented by the SNP's Fiona Hyslop, the
Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs The Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture, commonly referred to as the Economy Secretary or the Culture Secretary, was a Scottish Government Cabinet position with responsibility for the economy and culture of Scotland. The role ...
. Prior to the
2011 Scottish Parliament election The 2011 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday, 5 May 2011 to Members of the 4th Scottish Parliament, elect 129 members to the Scottish Parliament. The election delivered the first majority government since the opening of Holyrood, ...
, the town was represented by
Mary Mulligan Mary Mulligan (born 12 February 1960, Liverpool) is a Scottish Labour Party politician, and formerly Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Linlithgow constituency from 1999 to 2011. She lost her seat to the Scottish National Party's Fion ...
of Labour. It is also part of the Lothian electoral region, which elected 3 Conservative, 2 Labour and 2 Green MSPs under the additional member system in
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
.


Council

At the county level, Linlithgow is represented locally under West Lothian Council. In both the
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
and
2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
local elections, Linlithgow ward elected one Conservative, one Labour and one SNP councillor. In the
2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
Linlithgow ward elected one SNP, one Labour and one Liberal Democrat councillor, namely Pauline Orr, Tom Conn and Sally Pattle, repectively. 2022 was the first election which saw Linlithgow ward elect any female councillors to West Lothian Council. At the local level, the Linlithgow and Linlithgow Bridge Community Council is the local Community council.


Coat of arms

The burgh's Coat of arms features a black bitch chained to an oak tree on an island, and those born within the town are known as "black bitches". In his account of a tour of Scotland, published in 1679, an English gentleman, Thomas Kirk, described the arms of the town as "a black bitch tied to a tree, in a floating island. We enquired for a story about it, but could meet with none: their schoolmaster told us it proceeded from the name of the place. Linlithgow, in Erst aelic is thus explained: Lin signifies Lough; Lith, black; and Gow, a hound." A more recently recorded legend relates that the bitch was a black greyhound whose master was sentenced to starve to death on an island in the loch. She used to swim from the town every day with food for him. When this was discovered she was chained to a tree on a different island to suffer the same fate as her master. The townspeople took the animal's loyalty and bravery as symbolic of their own.


Economy

Linlithgow's rich history and central location make it a popular tourist destination, while many local people commute to Glasgow, Edinburgh or Stirling; this is made relatively easy by the town's railway station and its proximity to both the M8 and M9 motorways. The town is served by three supermarkets and a retail park situated in Linlithgow Bridge. There are also a diverse range of local retailers in the High Street. In 2012, there were controversial proposals for a new retail and housing development to the east of the town which were opposed by several local groups. However, in November 2013, the planning application was rejected due to the effect it would have on the towns character. Linlithgow is home to a major computing centre owned by Oracle and to the telecommunication company Calnex Solutions, founded in 2006 in the town and which floated on the AIM market in September 2020. Former industries include the St. Magdalene's distillery, the Nobel explosives works, paper mills and many tanneries. The Regent Centre, now known as Nobel House, replaced the previous 1908 build Nobel Explosive Company Works Factory in 1983 and is home to a small shopping centre, with several shops and a bank.


Culture and community

The Riding of the Marches, held in one form or another since the mid-16th century and nowadays celebrated on the first Tuesday after the second Thursday in June, involves young and old in the tradition of checking the burgh's perimeter, including the town's historic port of Blackness. Although today's activities are centred more on the colourful parades through the town that involve bands and floats decorated by local groups, the more ceremonial duties of the Marches are still performed, and a variety of local groups ensure that the traditions, old and new, are maintained. There are many other events during the year such as the Children's Gala Day, the
Linlithgow Folk Festival Linlithgow Folk Festival is an annual folk music festival held in Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland. The first festival was held in 1999. Normally held on the second full weekend of September, it consists of a combination of sessions in local ...
and a pre-Christmas Victorian Street Fayre, and since 2014, Party at the Palace which is a music festival held annually in August by the loch and has brought acts including
Nile Rodgers Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. (born September 19, 1952) is an American musician, record producer and composer. The co-founder of Chic, Rodgers has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 500 million albums and 75 million ...
, Kaiser Chiefs, Travis,
Simple Minds Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1977. They have released a string of hit singles, becoming best known internationally for "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (1985), which topped the '' Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United St ...
, The Proclaimers, Texas and many others to play in the town. The Charlatans and Deacon Blue headlined Party at the Palace 2019. The sense of community is enhanced by many active local groups such as Linlithgow Amateur Musical Productions (LAMP), Lithca Lore, the Linlithgow Players and the 41 Club. The town also has its own weekly local newspaper, the Linlithgow Gazette. The
Linlithgow Union Canal Society The Linlithgow Union Canal Society is a waterway society and a Scottish registered charity based at Linlithgow Canal Centre on the Union Canal at Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland. Also known as "LUCS", it was founded in 1975 by Melville Gray to ...
runs a canal museum and operates
narrowboat A narrowboat is a particular type of canal boat, built to fit the narrow locks of the United Kingdom. The UK's canal system provided a nationwide transport network during the Industrial Revolution, but with the advent of the railways, commerc ...
tours from Manse Road basin. The town has two Church of Scotland parish churches: St Michael's and the smaller St. Ninian's Craigmailen. There are also churches of other denominations, including a Methodist chapel (now an evangelical church, St. John's, which meets in Linlithgow Academy on a Sunday morning); St Peter's, an architecturally distinctive Scottish Episcopal church; and a Roman Catholic church, also called St Michael's, which was used as an ambulance depot by Polish servicemen during the Second World War. The Linlithgow Museum is a volunteer-run local history museum in Linlithgow. The museum is housed in the Linlithgow Partnership Centre, along with the West Lothian Family History Society and library. St Michael's is a community hospital in the town, operated by NHS Lothian. The hospital has its origins in the Linlithgow Combination Poorhouse and Infirmary which opened on the site in 1856. An infectious diseases hospital was built on an adjacent site in around 1900. The poorhouse infirmary and the infectious diseases hospital came together to form St Michael's Home and Hospital in 1932. The combined facility joined the National Health Service in 1948. The poorhouse building was demolished in 1969 and replaced with the current modern facility. A local pub and hotel on West Port named "The Black Bitch" (after the town's coat of arms) is reputed to be one of Scotland's oldest pubs although much of the building is recorded as dating to the 18th century. In early December 2021, the pub's owners, the Greene King chain, announced plans to change the name of the pub to "The Black Hound" on the basis that the original name had "racist and offensive connotations". The change was opposed by some local residents, who started a petition to retain the old name. By mid-December 2021, the petition had received over 10,000 signatures and had also resulted in a local demonstration. However, in February 2022, Greene King confirmed that a name change to "The Willow Tree" would take place.


Parks

Linlithgow has several parks and recreation grounds across the town. The largest public area is the Peel and Palace Royal Park beside
Linlithgow Loch Linlithgow Loch lies immediately north of the town of Linlithgow in West Lothian, Scotland. 1.3 kilometres in length and 0.4 in breadth, its area of 41 hectares makes it the largest natural freshwater loch in Lothian. It is, however, shallow, w ...
and palace, including a large open grassland (the Peel), a circulatory walk around the Loch and mature trees to the south. Linlithgow Rose Garden is a mature rose garden in the area adjacent to the Kirk grave yard and the rear of the Burgh Halls and contains a large
bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
statue of John Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun and
Marquess of Linlithgow Marquess of Linlithgow, in the County of Linlithgow or West Lothian, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 23 October 1902 for John Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun. The current holder of the title is Adrian Hope. This ...
(created in 1911). As of 2021, the rose gardens are in the process of being improved. Learmonth Gardens is located on the south side of the railway across from the canal basin and were given to Linlithgow in 1916 in memory of Alexander Learmonth, who was Provost of Linlithgow from 1802 to 1807. The key feature of the gardens is a 16th-century beehive type doocot that was originally part of the tail of a run rig from the house of Baron Ross of Halkhead on the High Street (the rig was split when the railway was created in 1842). The doocot has 370 nest boxes in 18 tiers and a lantern on the top although access inside is closed. Rosemount Park is a large open public park in the centre of southern Linlithgow containing a Friar's Well. The well originally provided water for the former
carmelite , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Car ...
priory, destroyed during the Scottish Reformation and is now covered with a stone arch. The park contains several mature trees. Kettlestoun Mains is a woodland walk beside the Avon Lagoon and near the former site of the
Battle of Linlithgow Bridge The Battle of Linlithgow Bridge is a battle that took place on 4 September 1526 in the village of Linlithgow Bridge, outside the Scottish town of Linlithgow. It was fought between a force of 10,000 men led by the Earl of Lennox and a force of 2 ...
. Just outside of Linlithgow, there are several country parks, including
Beecraigs Beecraigs is a country park in West Lothian, approximately south of the town of Linlithgow and north-east of Bathgate and is a 4 star Visitor Attraction (Visitscotland). The Park comprises around of upland forest, woodland and open country ...
Country Park A country park is a natural area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment. United Kingdom History In the United Kingdom, the term ''country park'' has a special meaning. There are around 250 recognised coun ...
(a 370 hectare park between Bathgate and Linlithgow with forests, a visitor centre and a loch) and Muiravonside Country Park between Linlithgow and Torphichen (170 acres of woodland and grassland).


Transport

Linlithgow railway station is the main railway station serving the town and is located on the Glasgow to Edinburgh via Falkirk Line. It is served by
ScotRail ScotRail Trains Limited, trading as ScotRail ( gd, Rèile na h-Alba), is a Scottish train operating company that is publicly owned by Scottish Rail Holdings on behalf of the Scottish Government. It has been operating the ScotRail franchise a ...
services from to , and the daily train between and the Fife Circle Line. The station opened on 21 February 1842. The M9 Motorway is located on the northern outskirts of the town, connecting Linlithgow with Edinburgh, Stirling and Falking via motorway. The main east/west road through the town is the A803 road, part of which is the High St of Linlithgow. The main north/south road through the town is the A706 road. The nearest airport is Edinburgh Airport. Linlithgow is served by McGill's Scotland East bus service X38 between Edinburgh and Falkirk via Corstorphine, Kirkliston & Winchburgh. Linlithgow used to be served by
Lothian Country Lothian Buses is a major bus operator based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is the largest municipal bus company in the United Kingdom: the City of Edinburgh Council (through Transport for Edinburgh) owns 91%, Midlothian Council 5%, East Lothian ...
services X38 & EX2, these where suspended in March 2020 and later withdrawn.


Education

Linlithgow has one
Secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
:
Linlithgow Academy Linlithgow Academy is a secondary school in Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland. The original academy was built in 1900 to a design by James Graham Fairley and replaced an earlier kirk institution, known as "Sang Schule". History The present ...
. The original Linlithgow Academy was housed in a purpose build sandstone building in East Port, designed in a Scots renaissance style with turrets by
James Graham Fairley James Graham Fairley FRIBA MSGS (1846–1934) was a 19th/20th century Scottish architect working mainly in the West Lothian area, specialising in churches and schools. Life He was born in West Calder in West Lothian the son of William Fai ...
in 1900. The Academy moved to a new school complex on Braehead Road in 1968 towards the south-west of the town and the old academy buildings are now home to Low Port Primary School. The town has five primary schools: Linlithgow Primary School, St Joseph's RC Primary School, Linlithgow Bridge Primary School, Low Port Primary School and Springfield Primary School. Donaldson's School, Scotland's national school for the deaf, is based in the town, having relocated from Edinburgh to a new campus (the Sensational Learning Centre) in Linlithgow in 2008, designed by JM Architects. The school was built on the site of a former Signetics electronics factory that had opened in 1969 during the
Silicon Glen Silicon Glen is a nickname for the high tech sector of Scotland, the name inspired by Silicon Valley in California. It is applied to the Central Belt triangle between Dundee, Inverclyde and Edinburgh, which includes Fife, Glasgow and Stirling; ...
period of development, which itself was built on an earlier Racal factory that produced defence radars and displays. Linlithgow does not have a college in the town. The nearest
colleges A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offerin ...
are West Lothian College in
Livingston Livingston may refer to: Businesses * Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010) * Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline * Livingston International, a North American custom ...
and Forth Valley College in
Falkirk Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow. Falkirk had a ...
.


Sports

Linlithgow Rose Community Football Club (formed from a partnership of Linlithgow Rose Football Club and BFC Linlithgow) has about 500 player members, involved in soccer 4s, soccer 7s, girls, youth and adult junior football. The club has a dedicated goalkeeping school and referee training programme and has been awarded Community Level status in both the SFA Quality Mark and West Lothian Council Club Accreditation schemes. Linlithgow is also host to
Linlithgow Rose F.C. Linlithgow Rose Football Club are a Scottish football club based in Linlithgow, West Lothian. The team plays in the East of Scotland Football League Premier Division, the sixth tier of Scottish football, having moved from the junior leagues ...
,
Linlithgow Rugby Football Club Linlithgow Rugby Football Club are an amateur Scottish Rugby Union side currently playing in East Regional League Division One. History The club as it is today was founded in 1970. Linlithgow RFC play their home matches at Mains Park in Linl ...
as well as Linlithgow Cricket Club who play at the
Boghall Cricket Club Ground Boghall Cricket Club Ground is a cricket ground in Linlithgow, Scotland. The first recorded match held on the ground came in 1969 when West Lothian played Edinburgh Academicals. Between 1995 and 1998 the ground hosted a number of touring teams ...
. Linlithgow also hosts two main registered Scotland Supporters Clubs for the Scottish National football team: Linlithgow & District Tartan Army (LADTA) and the Young Linlithgow Tartan Army (YLTA). A number of local parks, including play areas for children, are spread throughout the burgh, with the tract of land surrounding the palace known as the Peel being particularly popular in summer. Low Port Outdoor Education Centre is situated next to the
loch ''Loch'' () is the Scottish Gaelic, Scots language, Scots and Irish language, Irish word for a lake or sea inlet. It is Cognate, cognate with the Manx language, Manx lough, Cornish language, Cornish logh, and one of the Welsh language, Welsh w ...
and provides facilities for many outdoor activities, many based on the adjacent loch. Nearby country parks include
Beecraigs Beecraigs is a country park in West Lothian, approximately south of the town of Linlithgow and north-east of Bathgate and is a 4 star Visitor Attraction (Visitscotland). The Park comprises around of upland forest, woodland and open country ...
and Muiravonside. Linlithgow golf club, founded in 1913, sits to the south of the canal on the western edge of town.


Notable people

Scottish monarchs The monarch of Scotland was the head of state of the Kingdom of Scotland. According to tradition, the first King of Scots was Kenneth I MacAlpin (), who founded the state in 843. Historically, the Kingdom of Scotland is thought to have grown ...
born in the town include King James V, born in
Linlithgow Palace The ruins of Linlithgow Palace are located in the town of Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland, west of Edinburgh. The palace was one of the principal residences of the monarchs of Scotland in the 15th and 16th centuries. Although mai ...
in 1512, and Mary, Queen of Scots, born and christened in Linlithgow in 1542. Historical figures in trade, science and industry from Linlithgow include Sir
Charles Wyville Thomson Sir Charles Wyville Thomson (5 March 1830 – 10 March 1882) was a Scottish natural historian and marine zoologist. He served as the chief scientist on the Challenger expedition; his work there revolutionized oceanography and led to his knight ...
( FRS
FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...
FLS FGS FZS, natural historian, marine zoologist and chief scientist on the Challenger Expedition), John West, Captain (1809–1888, was a
Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
inventor and businessman who emigrated to Canada, California and later Oregon where he operated a cannery and exported tuna to Great Britain), David Waldie (a local chemist who recommended the use of chloroform in medical use to Sir James Young Simpson) and Sir
Thomas Carlaw Martin Sir Thomas Carlaw Martin FRSE LLD (10 April 1850 – 26 October 1920) was a Scottish newspaper editor and Director of the Royal Scottish Museum. Life He was born at Woodcocklaw Farm in Linlithgow on 10 April 1850. He studied at Heriot-Watt Coll ...
FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...
(1850-1920, a newspaper editor and Director of the Royal Scottish Museum). Sports figures include Colin Fleming (a professional tennis player was brought up and educated in Linlithgow), the Footballer Colin Stein (who was born in Linlithgow in 1947) and Footballer and Cricketer
Donald Ford Donald Campbell Clark Ford (born 25 October 1944) is a Scottish former international footballer, best remembered for his 11-year playing stint with Heart of Midlothian. Football career Tommy Walker signed Ford for Hearts from junior side B ...
(was born in Linlithgow in 1944). Notable persons in military history and politics include Robert Blair (a recipient of the Victoria Cross) and Alex Salmond (a former First Minister of Scotland, who was born in 1954 and grew up in Linlithgow). In September 2007, a plaque was installed commemorating the fictional ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'' character Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, the Enterprise's chief engineer, who, according to ''Star Trek'' lore, will be born in Linlithgow in 2222.


Twin towns

Linlithgow is twinned with the French town
Guyancourt Guyancourt () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the south-western suburbs of Paris, from the center of Paris, in the "new town" of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. Geography ...
and, as part of West Lothian, with Grapevine, Texas in the USA. This has resulted in exchange programmes where students from Linlithgow visit schools in Grapevine, Texas.


See also

*
Forth to Firth Canal Pathway The Forth and Clyde canal pathway runs between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde and is a footpath and cycleway that runs across Scotland, between Bowling, west of Glasgow, and Lochrin Basin (Edinburgh Quay) in Edinburgh. The path runs ...


References


External links

* {{Authority control Linlithgow Towns in West Lothian Royal burghs County towns in Scotland