These #photographs are of Linlithgow in Scotland on the 7th of June 2004.
For those who with an attachment to history and romance, Linlithgow is the birth place of Mary Queen of Scots and as such it's a much visited site by tourists from all over the world.
The setting is very lovely with a loch with sailing boats set within rolling green hills and not far at all from Edinburgh in today's modern transport.
Linlithgow was the last place on James' highland tour before he returned to the Capital and left for Amsterdam on Continental Europe.
The Gallery, Above, contains a selection of curated camera proofs for narrative context and your viewing pleasure.
The ruins of Linlithgow Palace are located in the town of Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland, 15 miles (24 km) west of Edinburgh. The palace was one of the principal residences of the monarchs of Scotland in the 15th and 16th centuries. Although maintained after Scotland's monarchs left for England in 1603, the palace was little used, and was burned out in 1746. It is now a visitor attraction in the care of Historic Environment Scotland.
In 1424, the town of Linlithgow was partially destroyed in a great fire. King James I started the rebuilding of the palace as a grand residence for Scottish royalty, also beginning the rebuilding of the Church of St Michael immediately to the south of the palace: the earlier church had been used as a storeroom during Edward's occupation. James I set out to build a palace rather than a heavily fortified castle, perhaps inspired by Sheen Palace which he probably visited in England. Mary of Guelders, the widow of James II and mother of James III, made improvements in 1461, for the visit of the exiled Henry VI of England. Over the following century the palace developed into a formal courtyard structure, with significant additions by James III and James IV.
Mary, Queen of Scots, was born at Linlithgow Palace in December 1542 and lived at the palace for a time. In January 1543 Viscount Lisle heard that she was kept with her mother, "and nursed in her own chamber". In March 1543 the English ambassador Ralph Sadler rode from Edinburgh to see her for the first time. Mary of Guise showed him the queen out of her swaddling and Sadler wrote that the infant was "as goodly a child I have seen, and like to live". Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox came to see the infant queen on 5 April 1543.
The blacksmith William Hill was employed at this time to increase the security of the palace by fitting iron window grills, called yetts. Alexander Livingston, 5th Lord Livingston was paid £813 for keeping the infant queen in the palace. Regent Arran was worried his enemies, including Cardinal Beaton, would take Mary in July 1543. He came with Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus and brought his artillery. He considered putting the queen in Blackness Castle, a stronger fortress. Henry VIII hoped that Mary would be separated from her mother and taken to Tantallon Castle. Mary was teething and plans to move her were delayed.
Supporters of the Auld Alliance at Linlithgow signed the "Secret Bond" pledging to prevent Mary marrying Prince Edward. Following lengthy negotiations between the armed factions at Linlithgow, Mary was taken to Stirling Castle by her mother on 26 July 1543, escorted by the Earl of Lennox, and an armed force described as a "great army". Arran employed a carpenter from Linlithgow, Thomas Milne, to make three wooden chandeliers to hang in the palace in January 1546.
As an adult Queen Mary often visited Linlithgow, but did not commission new building work at the palace. She returned on 14 January 1562 with her half-brother Lord James Stewart and received James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran as a guest. She returned to Edinburgh on 30 January after visiting Cumbernauld Castle. Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, her second husband, played tennis at Linlithgow. Mary came to Linlithgow in December 1565 to take the air and have a quiet time with few visitors, but her husband Lord Darnley was expected. She was pregnant and was carried to Linlithgow in a horse-litter. She had a bed at Linlithgow of crimson velvet and damask embroidered with love knots.
From: Wikipedia
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