An Historic Scotland Category A Listed Building

Looking South from the north-west tower inside the ruin of Linlithgow Palace, Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland.

The birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, Linlithgow Palace was a favourite residence of the Stewart kings before the Union of the Crowns.

Occupying a prominent position beside Linlithgow Loch, the Palace is one of Scotland’s best known historic buildings. Although designated as a Royal Palace, this imposing fortification qualifies as a defensive Castle and was built to be just that.

The first royal residence was established on this site in the 12th century; the present palace was started for King James I in 1425. James V was born here in 1512, and, by the time of the birth of Mary, Queen of Scots in 1542, the building had taken its present form.

Bonnie Prince Charlie was entertained here in 1745; a year later, after having been occupied by soldiers of the Duke of Cumberland, the palace was gutted by fire and has remained a noble ruin ever since.

Linlithgow Palace is an Historic Scotland Category A Listed Building (HB Number 37469).

In the centre of the shot, outside the palace, you can see the aluminium crown of St. Michael’s Church.

St. Michael’s Church is the most complete surviving example of a large late medieval ‘burgh kirk’ in Scotland. Its western tower originally had a distinctive stone ‘crown spire’, of the type seen also on St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh, or St. Nicholas’ Cathedral, Newcastle-on-Tyne, which was removed in the early 19th century as it had become unsafe. In 1964 a replacement, the present aluminium crown, was added. The choice of crown was controversial at the time and the town was divided about it.

St. Michael’s Church is an Historic Scotland Category A Listed Building (HB Number 37499).

Camera: Canon EOS 450D (Digital Rebel XSi in the USA)
Lens: Canon 18-55mm IS
Handheld

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Two sets of three bracketed JPGs converted to HDR in Photomatix 4.1.1 then PhotoMerged in Adobe Elements 8.

Related shots can be found at: Linlithgow, Lowland Scotland or you can look at all my HDR shots.

Featured in : Artists Universe : 25 Aug 11
Featured in : Heritage Listed and Other Trusts Sites World Wide : 24 Sep 11