Linlithgow
Scottish Gaelic: Gleann Iucha
Scots: Lithgae
Linlithgow shown within Scotland
Population	13,370
OS grid reference	NS996774
Council area	West Lothian
Lieutenancy area	West Lothian
Constituent country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LINLITHGOW
Postcode district	EH49
Dialling code	01506
Police	Lothian and Borders
Fire	Lothian and Borders
Ambulance	Scottish
European Parliament	Scotland
UK Parliament	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
Scottish Parliament	Linlithgow Lothians
List of places: UK • Scotland

Coordinates: 55°58′45″N 3°36′38″W / 55.97905, -3.61054

Linlithgow (Scottish Gaelic: Gleann Iucha, Scots Lithgae) (pronounced [lɪnˈlɪθgəʊ]) is a town and Royal Burgh in Scotland. Scottish Gaelic ( Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. Scots ( The Scots leid) refers to Anglic varieties derived from early northern Middle English spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude For local government purposes Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as "council areas" which are all governed by unitary authorities designated as West Lothian ( Lodainn an Iar in Gaelic) is one of the 32 unitary Council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. The Lieutenancy areas of Scotland are the areas used for the ceremonial lord-lieutenants, the monarch 's representatives in Scotland. West Lothian ( Lodainn an Iar in Gaelic) is one of the 32 unitary Council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. The, also known as the Edinburgh Postcode area, is a group of postal districts around Balerno, Bathgate, Bo'ness, Bonnyrigg The UK Telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, is the system used for assigning Telephone numbers in the United There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. Lothian and Borders Police is the Police service for the Scottish Council areas of the City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service is the Statutory fire and rescue service covering a total area and serving a total population of 890000 SASDivmap copyjpg|right|200px]] Helimed5jpg|thumb|right|EC-135 G-SASA "Helimed 5" based at Glasgow City Heliport]] The Scottish Ambulance Service ( Scottish Scotland constitutes a single Constituency of the European Parliament. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election Linlithgow and East Falkirk is a Constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, created for use in the 2005 general The Scottish Parliament ( Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlamaid na h-Alba; Scots: Scottish Pairlament) is the devlolved national unicameral Linlithgow is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament ( Holyrood) Constituencies and council areas The City of Edinburgh and the West Lothian council areas are entirely within the region A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates This List of places in Scotland is a complete collection of lists of places in Scotland. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Scottish Gaelic ( Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. Scots ( The Scots leid) refers to Anglic varieties derived from early northern Middle English spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA is a system of phonetic notation based on the Latin alphabet, devised by the International Phonetic A royal burgh was a type of Scottish Burgh which had been founded by or subsequently granted a Royal charter. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Those born in the burgh are sometimes nicknamed Black Bitches (the town's coat of arms shows a black bitch dog, chained to an oak tree, which grows on an island). A Burgh (ˈbʌʀə is an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland, usually a Town. A coat of arms or armorial bearings (often just arms for short in European tradition is a design belonging to a particular person (or group of people The burgh's patron saint is Saint Michael and its motto is St. The patron saint of a particular group of people is a Saint who would protect and 'love' the group and its members Michael (מִיכָאֵל Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; Μιχαήλ Mikhaíl; Michael or Míchaël; ميخائيل Mikhā'īl) is an A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group Michael is kinde to strangers.

The town is served by Linlithgow railway station. Linlithgow railway station is a Railway station serving the town of Linlithgow in West Lothian, Scotland.

History

Formerly the principal town of West Lothian, which was also known as Linlithgowshire, the town lies some 20 miles west of Edinburgh along the main railway route to Glasgow. West Lothian ( Lodainn an Iar in Gaelic) is one of the 32 unitary Council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. Before the building of the M8 & M9 motorways and the Forth Road Bridge it lay on the main road from Edinburgh to Stirling, Perth and Inverness while the canal system linked the burgh to Edinburgh and Glasgow. Motorway is a term for both a type of Road and a classification or designation The Forth Road Bridge is a Suspension bridge in east central Scotland Stirling ( Gaelic: Sruighlea, Scots: Stirlin) is a city and former ancient Burgh in Scotland, and is at Perth (Peairt is a town and former Royal burgh in central Scotland. Inverness (Inbhir Nis iɲɪɾʲˈniʃ is a city in northern Scotland. The nearby village of Blackness once served as the burgh's port. Blackness is a village on the shore of the Firth of Forth in Scotland.

The chief historic attraction of Linlithgow are the remains of Linlithgow Palace, the birthplace of James V and Mary Queen of Scots, and probably Scotland's finest surviving late medieval secular building. The ruins of Linlithgow Palace are situated in the town of Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland, 15 miles west of Edinburgh. James V (10 April 1512 &ndash 14 December 1542 was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death The present Palace was started (on an older site) in 1424 by James I of Scotland. James I ( December 10, 1394 &ndash February 21, 1437) was nominal King of Scots from April 4, 1406, and It was burnt in 1746, but though unroofed is still largely complete, though very few of the original furnishings have survived. Year 1746 ( MDCCXLVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a

Linlithgow Palace from the public park surrounding it, known as The Peel

Linlithgow was also the site of the battle of Linlithgow Bridge at the western edge of the town. Another attraction is 15th century St. Michael's Church, 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. A prominent feature of the Edinburgh skyline St Giles' Cathedral or the High Kirk of Edinburgh is a Church of Scotland place of worship decorating the St Nicholas Cathedral is a Church of England Cathedral in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, North East England. Newcastle upon Tyne ( (often shortened to Newcastle) is a city and Metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, England The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar In 1964 a replacement, and at the time controversial, spire in aluminium in a modern style was added. WikipediaNaming

Linlithgow lies on the Edinburgh & Glasgow Union Canal and the Linlithgow Union Canal Society run a Canal Museum and operate narrowboat tours from Manse Road basin. The Union Canal is a 315 mile (507 km Contour canal in Scotland, from Lochrin Basin Fountainbridge, Edinburgh to Falkirk 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 A narrowboat or narrow boat is a Boat of a distinctive design made to fit the narrow Canals of England and Wales. ^[1]

Two large tracts of the northern side of the High Street were demolished in the 1960s and replaced by flats and public buildings in a modernist style. Although these buildings were no doubt welcomed at the time as being a vast improvement on what must have been cramped and dilapidated traditional accommodation, they were poorly conceived and constructed and have required extensive maintenance and renovation over the years. Many locals lament the brutal effect these buildings have had on the character and appearance of the town's main thoroughfare, and indeed such a dramatic remodelling of buildings forming such a central part of the town would be unthinkable nowadays.

Today the town is especially popular with middle classes and commuters, not only because of its excellent transport links with Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling, but also because of the perceived quality of its schooling. The town has grown considerably, especially during the 1990s and there is a shortage of spaces at the local schools as well as the inevitable problems of parking. However, due to the town being bounded by green belt to the south, the M9 to the north, the river Avon and county boundary to the West and the east side of the town only having limited access to the M9, and especially because Linlithgow Academy is full, it is difficult to see how permission could be granted for the town to grow further, and most of the housing growth within West Lothian is likely to be in the Livingston area.

Linlithgow is also home to a major facility owned by Sun Microsystems, one of their most important factories outside the US (and as of 2007 the only manufacturing facility outside the US) and a major local employer. Sun Microsystems Inc ( is a multinational vendor of Computers computer components Computer software, and Information technology services Former industries include the St. Magdalene's distillery, the Nobel explosives works, paper mills and many tanneries.

Geography

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 & early 20th centuries, development began to take place much further south of the High Street. In the late 20th century, demand for housing saw many residential developments take place much further south, as well as spreading into new areas. This southward development was bisected by the Union Canal and latterly the main Edinburgh-Glasgow railway line, and today the limited crossings of both cause problems with modern traffic as there are only three places where each can be crossed in the town.

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 and today the distinction between them is hard to make out.

Facilities and leisure

Linlithgow’s rich history and central location make it a popular tourist destination, while a significant proportion of the local population make the daily commute to Glasgow, Edinburgh or Stirling. Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. Stirling ( Gaelic: Sruighlea, Scots: Stirlin) is a city and former ancient Burgh in Scotland, and is at

The town is well served by three supermarkets and a retail park situated in Linlithgow Bridge hosting a Homebase and an Argos Extra among its five units. Argos is the largest general-goods Retailer in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland with over 700 stores However, the town continues to support a diverse range of local retailers in the High Street.

Linlithgow is of sufficient size that facilities for most common participitation sports can be found in or around the town. Linlithgow is also host to Linlithgow Rose Football Club and Linlithgow Rugby Football Club, as well as West Lothian County Cricket Association. Linlithgow Rose FC (commonly known as Linlithgow or The Rose) are a Scottish junior association football club from Linlithgow West Lothian

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[1] is situated next to the loch and provides facilities for many outdoor activities, many based on the adjacent loch. Nearby country parks include Beecraigs and Muiravonside.

Educational establishments within the town include Linlithgow Academy, which regularly appears close to the top of the school league tables in Scotland and is one of the main reasons for the demand for housing in Linlithgow, and five primary schools; Linlithgow Primary School, St Josephs Primary School, Linlithgow Bridge Primary School, Low Port Primary School and Springfield Primary School. Linlithgow Academy is the only secondary school in Linlithgow, West Lothian

Donaldson's College - Scotland's national school for the deaf - relocated from Edinburgh to a new building in Linlithgow in 2008. Donaldson's College, in Linlithgow is Scotland 's national school for the Deaf, dedicated to teaching deaf students and those suffering from other language

Linlithgow town in the background, the Loch in the mid-ground with the Palace in the foreground

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, involve young and old in the tradition of checking the burgh's perimeter, including the town's historic port of Blackness. The ruins of Linlithgow Palace are situated in the town of Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland, 15 miles west of Edinburgh. Although today's activities are centered 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 adhered to 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^[2], the Linlithgow Folk Festival and a pre-Christmas Victorian Street Fayre, and the sense of community is enhanced by many active local groups such as Linlithgow Amateur Musical Productions (LAMP), Lithca Lore, The Linlithgow Players[2] and The 41 Club. Linlithgow Folk Festival started in 1999 as part of a renaissance of interest in folk music within West Lothian The town also has its own weekly local newspaper, the Linlithgow Gazette.

The town has two Church of Scotland parish churches - St Michael's and the smaller St. The Church of Scotland (Eaglais na h-Alba known informally by its Scots language name The Kirk, is the National church of Scotland. St Michael's Parish Church is one of the largest Burgh churches in the Church of Scotland. Ninian's Craigmailen. There are also churches of other denominations, including a methodist chapel, an architecturally distictive espicipalian church, and a Roman Catholic church which was used as a ambulance depot by Polish servicemen during the second world war.

Notable people

In September 2007, the Linlithgow Story museum at Annet House unveiled a memorial plaque dedicated to the fictional Star Trek character Scotty, the chief engineer of the 'Federation Starship Enterprise', who, it has been claimed, was born in Linlithgow in 2222. Montgomery Scott, or "Scotty", is a character in the original Star Trek series and the films which followed Mary Queen on Scots was born and Christened in Linlithgow.

Linlithgow is also the childhood home of the current First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond. The First Minister of Scotland (Prìomh Mhinistear na h-Alba First Meinister o Scotland is the head of the devolved Scottish Alexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond, (ˈsamənd is the First Minister of Scotland, heading a minority Scottish Government.

See also

• Forth to Firth Canal Pathway

References

External links

• Linlithgow town portal
• About Scotland, Linlithgow Palace
• Gazetteer for Scotland
• Economic History of Linlithgow
• The Linlithgow Story museum (Annet House)