Linlithgow

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There is something strangely ironic in the fact that Linlithgow was the location of Scotland's first ever petrol pump in 1919. It is ironic because while this is clearly an interesting historical snippet, Linlithgow's High Street is now blighted by an unending bumper-to-bumper procession of traffic. It is horrendous. These old buildings were not designed to withstand so much vibration. They are in danger of falling down. There is surely a case for banning all vehicles from the High Street?
Vehicles aside, Linlithgow is a charming royal town. It's High Street is lined with jumbly ancient structures, each of which exudes its own crumbly character. Go through to see them now, before the whole place collapses in a heap.
If your name is Mary, then you'll find Linlithgow quite agreeable, because there are a lot of Marys around. The best tavern in the town is called the Four Marys, named after the four ladies-in-waiting to Mary, Queen of Scots, who were all called Mary. Weird, huh?
Our queen was in fact born in Linlithgow Palace. Apart from being able to sit on a stone ledge that may once have supported the regal rear end, you can also see pubs with peculiar names like Th' Auld Hole I' Th' Wa' (long long ago there was a national shortage of letters and a surplus of apostrophes), and the Black Bitch Tavern (named after the dog in the town's crest).