Our next day’s sightseeing was spent visiting Mary Queen of Scots’ birthplace, Linlithgow Palace. It’s a recently re-opened, in-fairly-good-condition-for-a-ruin, palace (Rabbie Burns called it a ‘tolerably fine, but melancholy ruin’). Imagine living in a town with a 700+ year old palace ruin in your midst, right in the centre of town. So much of it was accessible, and we were able to wander into the chapel, and great hall, but there is still a lot under scaffolding.
What absolutely tickled me at Linlithgow Palace was that you could download the audio tour in English, or in Scots. I chose the latter, and am proud to say I followed it perfectly well. To give you a literal translation of the Scots instructions for the Audio Guide signboard: Lug-in = Ear-in. Daunder = Saunter. yer ain = your own.
Then we headed into the village for lunch and some shopping. I don’t why I haven’t been visiting the towns along the south shore of the Forth river – they are lovely. Great cafes and shops – only 40 minutes from my hoose (sorry, Scots on the brain noo) – will make a point of coming back to Queensferry, Linlithgow, and Bo’ness before I head home.
