Linlithgow Palace
Linlithgow lies roughly midway between Edinburgh and Stirling. The ruins of the palace stand beside St Michael's parish church (right) on a natural hillock, which overlooks the town to the south and extends as a promontory into Linlithgow loch on the north (below). A royal manor house probably existed on this site from the mid-twelfth century, when Kind David I founded the burgh. Linlithgow's position made it an ideal site for a military base, and in 1302 the English king set about transforming it into a secure stronghold built mostly of earth and wood. The promontory was cut off from the town by a deep ditch, behind which was erected a "pele" or stockade, made of split tree trunks. After the battle of Bannockburn in 1314, the castle returned to Scottish hands. Nothing remains today of the early manor house except the name, the "Peel" which today applies to the whole of the Royal Park surrounding the palace. Mary Queen of Scots was born at Linlitgow Palace on 8th of December 1542 and was christened shortly after at St Michael's.
Question 1: Looking at the noticeboard the palace keeper was instructed to plant Trees for Mary's what? (3 words)
Question 2: Looking at the statue to your right, how many thistles and fleurs-de-lys adorn the statue of Mary?
Task 1: Standing beside Mary. Take a picture of yourself, or your hand with St Michaels church in the background.
Ladies Rock
This rocky spot is said to derive its name from its proximity to the original ‘Valley’, a hollow (now part of the graveyard) reputed to have been used for tournaments and sporting events throughout the reigns of the Stuart monarchs. Ladies of the Royal Court in Stirling Castle used this convenient observatory from where they could safely watch the sporting spectaculars. Perhaps Mary herself once stood where you are now!
Question 3: Looking at the viewpoint information, what does it say about Mary?
Question 4: How many circles are carved on the viewpoint pillar, and whatmaterial is the pillar made from?
Task 2: Take a picture of yourself or your hand from Ladies Rock with Stirling Castle in the background. Be sure to show the cream Grand hall in the background.
Mary spent the first few years of her life, from 27 July 1543 within the safe confines of this castle and in the hands of her guardian Lord Erskine. It is here, in the Old Chapel (not visable but it is just to the left of the Grand Hall), that Mary was crowned Queen of Scots on 9th September 1543 aged only 9 months.
Mary was sent to France at the age of 5 and raised in the French court until her marriage to Francis. Upon the death of his father a year later she became Queen of France . Following the death of her husband in 1560 she returned to Scotland to claim her throne.
Mary’s second husband was Henry Stuart Lord Darnley, her cousin. The wedding took place on 29 July 1565 in the chapel of Holyrood Palace. Within two months of the wedding, Mary was pregnant with the future King James VI. Not only had Darnley’s arrogant behaviour during the early months of the marriage angered many of the Scottish nobles, but it had also incurred the displeasure of Queen Elizabeth I of England, who was angry to see her English subject, marry the Queen of Scots, as any offspring would have a strong claim to the throne of England. On 9 February 1567, Darnley was found dead outside a dwelling in Kirk o’Field, Edinburgh, following an explosion. The king consort had been murdered and many believed Mary had played a part in his death. The fact that she married her third husband, the Earl of Bothwell (chief suspect in his murder), shortly after the murder, did little to help her cause.
Stirling Castle was a crown palace and Mary spent quite some time there. A month in summer 1562 and most of September, October and November the following year, April and May of 1565, and some days in September and December of 1566 when her son was lodged there in the care of John Erskine, Earl of Mar and son of Mary's own former guardian.
John Knox
Before Mary returned to Scotland, she had agreed with her half-brother, Lord James, that she would not attempt to over-turn the Protestant Reformation. She herself would continue to hear the Catholic mass in her own household, but that would be the extent of religious change. Mary had had several audiances with Knox on the topic.
Question 5: What has been removed from the statue and who was the sculpture?
Querstion 6: How many metal posts surround the rock gargen in front of the statue?
Church of the Holy Rude
The name Church of the Holy Rude was first given to a church that stood on this site in the 1130s. "Holy Rude" means Holy Cross, giving it the same origin as Holyrood in Edinburgh. Its close proximity to Stirling Castle led the church to its almost unique place in history. The infant James VI was crowned King of Scotland in Holy Rude following the forced abdication of his mother, Mary Queen of Scots. The hastily arranged Protestant coronation ceremony included a sermon by John Knox. Guests didn't include James' mother who was imprisoned in Lochleven Castle with her husband Boswell. As a result the Church of the Holy Rude can lay claim to being the only active church in the United Kingdom, apart from Westminster Abbey, to have held a coronation.
Question 7: From the information board. When was King James the 6th crowned? What did Cromwells troops leave here?
Question 8Looking down the hill you will notice number 39 Bothwell house. On the ground is the word London. What Man's name also appears?
In 1568, she escaped from captivity and raised a substantial army but was defeated and fled to England. Queen Elizabeth initially welcomed Mary but was soon forced to put her friend under house arrest after Mary became the focus of various English Catholic and Spanish plots to overthrow Elizabeth. Nineteen years later, in 1586, a major plot to murder Elizabeth was reported, and Mary was brought to trial. She was convicted for complicity and sentenced to death. On February 8, 1587, Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded for treason. Her son, King James VI of Scotland, calmly accepted his mother’s execution, and upon Queen Elizabeth’s death in 1603 he became king of England, Scotland, and Ireland.
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Virtual Rewards 2.0 - 2019/2020
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between June 4, 2019 and June 4, 2020. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 2.0 on the Geocaching Blog.