St. Michael's Parish Church adjacent to Linlithgow Palace West Lothian Scotland
The crown steeple of the Church of St Michael deteriorated structurally to the point where it was in danger of collapsing, and it was dismantled in 1820. While other repairs were completed and the church was rededicated in 1896, the tower was too weakened for restoration of the original crown steeple. In 1964 a new steeple was added, constructed of lightweight aluminium to minimise the load on the tower and reinterpreting the crown steeple in a modern idiom The palace has been actively conserved since the early 19th century and is today managed and maintained by Historic Scotland. The site is open to visitors all year round, usually subject to an entrance fee for non-members, but on occasion the entry fee is waived during the organisation's "Doors open days".[6] In summer the adjacent 15th century parish church of St Michael is open for visitors, allowing a combined visit to two of Scotland's finest surviving medieval buildings. Historic Scotland is running an experiment with junior tour guides. Using young people (primary 6-7) from the nearby school Linlithgow Primary, schools can arrange tours by these young people. During the summer young people can volunteer to conduct these tours. Linlithgow lies roughly midway between Edinburgh and Stirling. The ruins of the palace stand beside St Michael's parish church (right) on a natural hillock, which overlooks the town to the south and extends as a promontory into Linlithgow loch on the north (below). A royal manor house probably existed on this site from the mid-twelfth century, when Kind David I founded the burgh. Linlithgow's position made it an ideal site for a military base, and in 1302 the English king set about transforming it into a secure stronghold built mostly of earth and wood. The promontory was cut off from the town by a deep ditch, behind which was erected a "pele" or stockade, made of split tree trunks. After the battle of Bannockburn in 1314, the castle returned to Scottish hands.
Size: 3856px × 5441px
Location: Linlithgow Palace West Lothian Region Scotland UK
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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