Linlithgow, West Lothian and Inchcolm: royal palace and island monastery

This tour’s first stop is the royal palace of Linlithgow, birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, a hulking ruin situated between the old burgh of Linlithgow and the eponymous loch (British *lin). We will then explore some of the lesser-known corners of West Lothian, with a lunch-stop in the attractive village of South Queensferry, named after its founder, Queen Margaret of Scotland (died 1094), the ferry now superseded by the Forth Bridges, which dominate the view. In the afternoon we take the boat from beside the Hawes Inn, directly below the famous Forth Railway Bridge for a ¾ hr. voyage to Inchcolm, an island in the Forth with ruins of an Augustinian abbey dedicated to St Columba, the best preserved of all medieval monasteries in Scotland. We will have 1 hr. 30 minutes on Inchcolm, before returning to South Queensferry, then back to Glasgow for about 18.30. Lunch at own expense in South Queensferry. Led by Dr Simon Taylor, whose historical novel Mortimer’s Deep is set on Inchcolm.

Arrive back in Glasgow (University Avenue) approx. 18.30.

Access: sturdy footwear recommended for exploration of Inchcolm abbey and island.

Cost £40 (does not include lunch)

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