Bird watching at Linlithgow

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: Feathered ones, by the way. Given that it is only 20 miles west of Edinburgh, Linlithgow is an extremely popular day-trip from the Scottish capital. I recently decided to visit it and see what the fuss was all about. Being in weather-unpredictable UK, I know not to see the weather websites the previous day and instead make the decision on the morning of the trip itself. That particular day seemed like a sunny one (a rarity), so after a bit of self-deliberation, I decided to take the plunge. But this early-morning indecision about whether to go or not resulted in my doing impressions of vintage Seb Coe or Milkha Singh on the streets of Edinburgh as I just about caught the bus to Linlithgow.

The first few minutes on the bus (when I was purchasing the ticket) reminded me yet again of how difficult a thick Scottish accent can be to crack. After a long (only because of the misunderstanding) discussion with the driver regarding the change for the ticket, I was off on the one-hour bus journey to Linlithgow. Any ride through the Scottish countryside is always a feast for the eyes — gently rolling green hills, dotted with sheep and cows, with the occasional castle and church completing the picture postcard-ness of the ambience. The only noteworthy incident of the bus ride was that the driver honked once (yes, he honked). I even noted the time (10:41 am) and the place (Kirklisten) of this momentous occurrence.

Linlithgow’s claim to fame is that Mary, Queen of Scots was born here. There is a beautiful palace (“Linlithgow Palace”. Duh?) built in the early 15th century that dominates the town. This palace was destroyed in a fire in 1746. However, walking through the remains of the palace, one can feel its glory and grandeur during its heydays. The galleries of the Great Hall were breathtaking and the courtyard of the palace has an elaborate fountain that is thought to be Britain’s oldest surviving fountain, commissioned in 1537. In the past, this fountain used to flow with wine on special occasions. Unfortunately no such spirit materialised the day I was there.