Aerial view of Linlithgow Palace and Loch in Scotland

Unicorn figure on the courtyard fountain in Linlithgow Palace

Side view of Linlithgow Palace ruins in Scotland

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Linlithgow Palace

Visit Linlithgow Palace

During your stay at Loch Lomond Waterfront, why not visit the historic Linlithgow Palace? This ancient palace can be reached by car in under an hour. Although now in ruins, it is still a spectacular place to explore. Built in 1424 as a royal resting point between Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle. With plenty of surviving details, including an amazing three-tiered fountain in the courtyard, dating from 1538.

History of Linlithgow Palace

A royal residence has existed on this site since the 12th century, becoming a military fort called Linlithgow Peel in the 14th century. However, a great fire destroyed all of this in 1424.

King James I of Scotland ordered work on a grand new palace to replace it. It served as an elegant stopover for travelling royals, and was famously the birth place of Mary Queen of Scots in 1542.

In 1603, James VI of Scotland was crowned James I of England, and he moved his court to London. From this point, the palace fell into decline and was finally destroyed in 1746, again by fire.

The Palace Today

Although roofless and ruined, much of the stonework remains, and there is still plenty to see and do at Linlithgow Palace. From the Great Hall to the Royal Apartments, every corner of this historic building has a story to tell. And you can’t miss the amazing fountain in the courtyard (which once flowed with wine!) complete with figures of mermaids and unicorns.

Today, it is a Historic Scotland site, open to the public for visits, with a visitor centre and shop on site. There is a large grass area around the palace, which is great for picnics. There are also some lovely local walks, taking in views of the palace and loch.

Find out more about opening times and ticket prices here.

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Testimonials

Everything was more than perfect
'Everything was more than perfect, more than what we can ask for. And the view priceless, the whole stay was priceless, so thank you ever so much, hope to see you soon.'
Outstanding location
'The location is outstanding - right on the edge of Loch Lomond with private water frontage and beaches. As a location for exploring, again this rates very highly. We easily accessed central Glasgow by train from nearby Balloch and also explored Stirling (particularly the castle and Wallace memorial), the Falkirk Wheel and even Perth and Pitlochry by car. It is a very peaceful place, which can only be disturbed on occasion by your neighbours but with the Slumber Charter in place, we had absolutely no problems overnight.'
Wish we had longer
'The ducks were very amusing, each day they waddled around the lodges looking for food, we bought some duck food for them in the local village shop. We just wished we were here for longer and hope to return in the future.'
My stay will never be forgotten
'Just wanted to say a very big thank you for my wonderful stay, I have no words to describe the incredible comfort I had at the Cawdor Diamond Lodge, I just checked out today this morning from lodge 5, I do not agree that your lodge is a five star if I could I would call it a 100 star lodge. From start to finish, my stay at the lodge will never be forgotten it's special and unique and an amazing experience'
Such a beautiful setting
'Myself and my partner recently stayed in Drummond Lodge (from 21-24 Feb) and we just wanted to say thank you so much for a lovely stay. We loved our lodge, it was like a home from home, and we really didn’t want to leave! It was spotlessly clean and in such a beautiful setting. All the staff we met were really friendly. We also loved Balmaha, what a wonderful village. So thank you very much! We are the couple that took Flynn for a walk and we took this photo of him... we thought you’d appreciate a copy. Thanks once again...