Linlithgow - places of interest locally.:
Linlithgow Palace was the birth place of Mary Queen of Scots, cousin to Queen Elizabeth 1 of England. Mary was beheaded on the orders of Elizabeth in 1587. The magnificent Palace ruins are situated in a lovely park beside Linlithgow Loch and is open all year round.
Linlithgow was also the birth place of 'Scottie' of Star Trek fame. An exhibition of this space traveller and the history of the town can be viewed in Annet House on the Main Street.
A few miles away in Blackness, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, is Blackness Castle built in the 15th century. The castle has been well maintained and its dark corridors are reminiscent of its past as a garrison fortress and prison.
Other interesting places worth visiting within a radius of 10 miles include the Bo'Ness and Kinneil Railway (working museum), Torphichen Preceptory (Headquarters of a local Templar organisation), Cairnpapple Hill (a ceremonial and burial site dating back to 3000BC) and the Falkirk Wheel (built 2000).
Local leisure activities:
The Linlithgow area boasts 4 country parks, the nearest of which is Beecraigs (3 miles from Linlithgow). Others are Muiravonside (5 miles), Almondell (10 miles) and Polkemmet (12 miles).
Family attractions suit all ages and include the Bo'Ness and Kinneil Railway (with trips on a steam train and using the original ticket office and platform); Five Sisters Zoo; Linlithgow Canal Centre; Leisure/ Sports centres in every town.
For the fishermen there are plenty of lochs located in peaceful settings. Some include Ballencrieff Fishery, Linlithgow Loch Fishing, Allandale Tarn Fishery, Bangour Trout Fishery and Morton Fishery.
The nearest golf course is a short walk from the cottage (West Lothian Golf Club), which has spectacular views of the Firth of Forth, the coastline of Fife, Edinburgh and East Lothian, the Ochil Hills and into the mountains of Perthshire. Other golf courses include Linlithgow, Bathgate, Pumpherston and Uphall.
The many walking routes include the Canal Basin.
Further afield:
Edinburgh, Stirling and Glasgow are just short drives (or train journeys) away and offer visitors a huge range of historical sights, entertainment, shopping and leisure pursuits.
Just 25 miles away is Roslyn Chapel and Glen, fascinatingly depicted in The DaVinci Code. New Lanark, the birthplace of the co-operative system pioneered by Robert Owen, is only 30 miles away.
Within easy reach of the cottage are also St. Andrews in Fife, Perthshire and its hills, the Trossachs, and the towns of the Scottish Borders (Peebles, Galashiels, Hawick, Jedburgh).
