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Linlithgow
 

Linlithgow (Scottish Gaelic: Gleann Iucha, Scots Lithgae) is a town and Royal Burgh in Scotland. Those born in the burgh are sometimes nicknamed Black Bitches. The burgh's patron saint is Saint Michael and its motto St. Michael is kind to strangers.

Facilities

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. Unlike many other commuter towns, however, Linlithgow enjoys a considerable amount of local facilities and has a strong sense of identity despite rapid growth in recent years.

The town is well served by two supermarkets, including unusually for a town of this size a Sainsburys. There is an extensive sports complex, Linlithgow Leisure Centre, including a swimming pool, whilst the other end of the town has Linlithgow Sports Club which includes squash tennis and bowls. The Town is also host to another bowling green, Linlithgow Rugby Football Club, Linlithgow Rose Football Club, Linlithgow Golf Club and Linlithgow Bailelands Football Club.

Linlithgow Bailelands Football Club, founded in 1991 is a comunity youth football team. They Range from under 9s to under 19s and have a development squad for children under 7. Linlithgow Bailelands Football Clubs aim is to provide facilities for all local children to get fit, develop skills and have fun while playing football regardless of race, religion or gender. Starting of with a small amount of people, they know have over 300 local youngsters within the club. A substantial number of local parks including parks for children are spread throughout the burgh. Most recently a new shopping complex was built hosting a Homebase and an Argos Extra.

Educational establishments within the town include Linlithgow Academy, which regularly appears close to the top of the school league tables in Scotland, and five primary schools, Linlithgow Primary School, St Josephs Primary School, Linlithgow Bridge Primary School, Low Port Primary School and Springfield Primary School. Low Port outdoor education centre is next to the Loch and provides facilities for sailing, kayaking, windsurfing, All Terrain Biking Climbing and other Activities.

Nearby country parks Beecraigs and Muiravonside are very much worth a visit for young and old alike. The town has the Riding of the Marches, held on the first Tuesday after the second Thursday in June, which involve young and old in the tradition of checking the burgh's perimeter and family parades through the town involving floats from adults and the local schools. There are also many other events during the year such as the Children's Gala Day, the Linlithgow Folk Festival, Victorian Street Fayre and the sense of community is enhanced by many active local groups such as Lithca Lore, The Linlithgow Players and The 41 Club. The town also boasts its own weekly local newspaper, the Linlithgow Gazette.

The town has two Church of Scotland parish churches - namely St Michael's and the smaller St. Ninan's Craigmailen. There are also churches of other denominations.

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. Before the building of the motorways and the Forth Road Bridge it lay on the main north road from Edinburgh to Stirling, Perth and Inverness while the canal system linked the burgh to Edinburgh and Glasgow. The nearby village of Blackness once served as the burgh's port.

One of the historic attractions of Linlithgow is the ruin of Linlithgow Palace, the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. The Palace was built (on a site which had had prior buildings) starting in 1424 by James I of Scotland. It was destroyed by fire in 1746. Linlithgow was also the site of the battle of Linlithgow Bridge at the western edge of the town. There is an enjoyable walk around the shore of the Loch. Another attraction is St. Michael's Church to which a distinctive, and at the time controversial, "crown" steeple was added in 1964. Linlithgow lies on the Edinburgh & Glasgow Union Canal and has the Canal Museum.

Today the town is especially popular with middle classes and commuters, not only because of its excellent links to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling but also because the local high school, Linlithgow Academy, regularly appears close to the top of the school league tables in Scotland. 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 the High School 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 a major local employer. Former industries include the St. Magdalene's distillery, the Nobel explosives works, paper mills and many tanneries

Trivia

External links

Towns in West Lothian | Royal burghs

Linlithgow | Линлитгоу | Lithgae

 

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