Linlithgow

Classification and Statistics Settlement Type: small town Population (2001): 13370     (1991): 11866 (1981): 9544 (Combined with Linlithgow Br.) (1971): 5684 (1961): 5154 (1951): 3929 (1881): 3913 (1871): 3690 (1861): 3843 (1831): 3187 (1811): 2557 Tourist Rating: Text of Entry Updated: 09-APR-2009

Location Latitude: 55.9765°N Longitude: 3.5976°W National Grid Reference: NT 004 771 Show Maps:           Get directions by entering the UK postcode of your location, home or hotel here eg. EH1 3YT

History

Linlithgow was represented in the Scottish Parliament from 1366 and two years later it joined the Court of the Four Burghs. The original group included Edinburgh, Stirling, Berwick and Roxburgh, yet the last two were then in English hands requiring others to join. The town also had the sole rights to the coastal trade along the south shore of the Forth between the Cramond and the Avon rivers.

Linlithgow grew rich principally through customs duties: in 1369 its yields were second only to Edinburgh's. In the 19th Century, it attempted to reassert these rights by levying duties on goods transported by rail. The resulting litigation went to the House of Lords and bankrupted the town. It instead had to rely on its industries of leather, paper and calico printing.

The memorial (1875) to James Stuart, Regent of Scotland and Earl of Moray (1531 - 1570), who was murdered in Linlithgow, which can be found on the High Street, includes a relief bust by Amelia Paton, wife of the noted pioneer of photography David Octavius Hill (1802 - 1870). More unusually, a plaque was unveiled in 2007 to honour Irish-Canadian actor James Doohan, whose character in the epic sci-fi series Star Trek, Chief Engineer Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott, is supposed to have been born here in the year 2222.

St Magdalene Distillery was founded in the late 18th century but closed in 1983, with the main building subsequently converted into flats. Linlithgow Academy was founded in 1894.

References and Further Reading

Dennison, E. Patricia and Russel Coleman (2000) Historic Linlithgow. Historic Scotland, Edinburgh
Hendrie, William F. (1989) Linlithgow. Six hundred years a Royal Burgh. Edinburgh, John Donald
Linlithgow Community Council (ed.) (1988) Linlithgow Town Guide. Linlithgow Community Council / West Lothian District Council
Smith, Ronald (ed.) (2002) Linlithgow Old and New. Linlithgow Civic Trust

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