King James I was responsible for starting work on the royal palace at Linlithgow in 1425, and by the time of his death some 12 years later it was substantially habitable. Linlithgow Palace was built on the site of a 12th century manor house, which was transformed into a military stronghold at the beginning of the 14th century by James of St George. When the English garrison deserted the castle after the Battle of Bannockburn, it stood neglected for two decades, but was restored in subsequent years for the occasional courts of the Scottish kings.

By 1513 a modern residential palace stood proudly beside the loch at Linlithgow. During his short reign, the young James IV completely renovated and remodelled the existing three ranges, extended Linlithgow Palace with a western range of royal apartments, and built a new chapel. Linlithgow Palace was later given to his bride, Margaret Tudor, as a dower house. Just two years later, Queen Margaret deserted Linlithgow Palace and, once again, it remained empty for several years until her son came of age. Improvements and alterations were carried out at Linlithgow Palace throughout the 1530s, and it became a monument of extravagance. With the death of James V, came the birth of his daughter, Mary. Like her father before her, Mary was born at Linlithgow Palace but left with her mother and did not return for some 20 years. Even when she returned as Mary, Queen of Scots, she resided only occasionally at Linlithgow Palace, and by 1570 the estate was again sadly neglected.

In the reign of James VI, little work was carried out at Linlithgow Palace initially, but in 1618 the north range was rebuilt to accommodate him and his entourage after the Union of the Crowns of Scotland and England. Despite its ruinous state now, in its time the building displayed one of the finest Renaissance façades in Scotland and demonstrated the extraordinary masonry skills of William Wallace. The shame of it all was that James never did return to Linlithgow Palace, and a subsequent royal visit did not take place for another 15 years. Charles I stayed at the palace for several weeks during 1633, but he was the last monarch to do so although it remained Crown property into the reign of Queen Victoria.

Through a succession of keepers and tenants, Linlithgow Palace received minimal maintenance and it gradually fell into disrepair. By 1746 it was a deserted, roofless shell. For the visitor today Linlithgow Palace is something of a misnomer. It is a ruin, and a vast one at that, but its walls are so complete, and the amount of carved detail surviving is quite remarkable. If you want to explore the whole site - and there is plenty to see - do allow a few hours to do so. Every room is fully described on the information boards around the site, and this not only helps build a picture of the formerly magnificent palace at Linlithgow, but it also gives an understanding of the turbulent history between the royal houses of Scotland and England.