Linlithgow Palace

For St. Andrew's Day, we decided to view Linlithgow Palace, birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots and home to the Royal Stewarts. It has some lovely sculptural decoration still extant and most of the walls are still intact. You can climb to the top of the watchtower and see stunning views of Linlithgow Loch which stretches beside the castle.

Unfortunately, I had problems with my camera, so the photos I have all came from my phone, a poor substitute at the best of times. Several of these also came from the phone of my partner, so I cannot claim credit for the entire series.

The entranceway to the Palace

Windows of the Banquet Hall as seen from the courtyard

The courtyard fountain

Detail from the fountain

Detail from the fountain

Detail from the fountain

Admiring the view

The loch as seen from the palace

The palace and town from the watchtower, including St. Michael's Kirk tower (rt)

The palace from the peel

The cobbled road leading to the palace

Leaving the palace and entering the town

Salisbury Crags

Yesterday afternoon was so sunny and beautiful that I decided to get out and do a little hill-walking. I took the bus towards the City Centre and got off on Princes Street, the closest I could come to Holyrood Park without waiting an hour for another bus or losing myself in a flurry of bus transfers. From there I walked westward to Regents Street past Regent Gardens and the observatory and monuments up there. I briefly detoured through Calton Cemetery, hoping to find a shortcut through to Calton Road, but the lower gate was locked.

Arthur's Seat and Salisbury Crags as seen from Calton Cemetery.
To the right you can see the Parliament Building and to the left, in the distance,  Holyrood Palace.

So I climbed back up to Regents Road and walked down to Abbymount through a path in Regents Gardens. From there it was a short walk to Holyrood Park where Salisbury Crags and Arthur's Seat are located.

Queen Mary's Bath House. Apparently this was once part of the garden wall and enjoyed as a
wee rest spot by the Royal Tudors. It not known if it ever contained a bath.

I circumnavigated Holyrood Palace, the Queen's residence when she is visiting the area, and once on the other side I began my climb. The nearest path was the Radical Road which starts with a stone stairway and continues as a very steep path. Although steep, it was wide and gave way to great views. In a relatively short time the path eased into a gentle incline, which gradually led to the top area of the crags. I stopped several times to take in the views and catch a breather.

The view of Edinburgh Castle and the City Centre from Salisbury Crags.

One of the denizens of the Crags. A young hawk of some sort or other.

Arthurs Seat, looking through the Crags.

By the time I reached the far side of the Crags, I had realized that I brought no water with me and that this was a poor decision on my part. The day was clear, sunny and dry and I was beginning to feel a bit thirsty. I'd been up walking for almost an hour and figured it was time to head back; I would walk Arthur's Seat another day.

Whiney Hill and part of Arthur's Seat as seen from the interior of  Salisbury Crags, looking across Hunter's Bog.

Between Salisbury Crags and Arthur's Seat is a low-lying area known as Hunter's Bog. There are paths around and through here and I chose the one which follows the inside of the Crags,  rather than going down the center of the bog to St. Margaret's Well. From that point I was back on paved and manicured walkways and roads.

I walked back around the Palace to the beginning of the Royal Mile and a little ways up that to find a pub. On the way, I got some water to re-hydrate.

After a pint of Caledonian Autumn Red and some bread and butter, I was refreshed and headed home. All in all a good day out.