Burgh Beautiful Linlithgow
Town Centre Flower Beds
Our flower beds are prominent features of the town centre of Linlithgow, from one end of the High Street to the other. The beds highlighted in this section are, working from east to west, those at Low Port, the Vennel, the Serpentine bed, the ‘Physic Garden’ in front of the Health Centre and the flower beds on the south side of West Port (near Katie Wearie’s Tree and sculpture). Also in this area are the Water Yett bed (see ‘Community Gardening’) and the flower bed maintained by the Rotary Club of Linlithgow Grange at the corner of West Port and St Ninian’s Road (see ‘Working with Other Groups’); also a large triangular bed at St John’s Avenue planted and maintained by the New Hopetoun Gardens garden centre.
Serpentine Bed
Possibly the most impressive of our beds, through its sheer scale and ambition, is the centrally-situated Serpentine bed, between the High Street and Linlithgow Loch, which delights the eye over the summer months with its striking sinuous display of begonias and insect-friendly blue salvia. It is maintained by around eight volunteers, supplemented at planting time by helpers from local firm Calnex and volunteers from the local branch of the charity, Cycling Without Age. Watering is facilitated through the very welcome and generous help of the Linlithgow Loch Fishery (FAFA), which is based nearby.
Left and below: The Serpentine Bed.
Vennel Bed
Another popular, centrally-situated flower bed is the large rectangular display at The Vennel normally devoted to the promotion of environmental issues, although it has traditionally featured displays celebrating notable events or anniversaries.
Accordingly, in 2023, the bed was used to celebrate the benefits of cycling, while the 2024 summer display had as its theme: ‘Gardening in a Changing Climate’. For 2025, the dedicated group of Burgh Beautiful volunteers are demonstrating ‘A Year in the Vegetable Garden’ as shown in the photograph on right, while, going back to the celebration of notable, Linlithgow-related anniversaries, the 2026 display is planned to commemorate the the anniversary of the Battle of Linlithgow Bridge.
Throughout the course of the 2025, the ‘Vegetable Garden’ display will include potatoes, leeks, onions, beans, peas, carrots, beetroot, lettuce, kale, broccoli, pumpkin, courgette and rhubarb, along with options of other vegetables also. There are four raised beds, as well as planting at ground level. The additional features of a ‘garden shed’ canopy and a water butt remain in place to enhance the impression of a working vegetable garden or allotment.
Low Port Displays
At the east end of the High Street, the various beds at Low Port are planted throughout the year and, in summer particularly, they display a riot of colour. The beds in front of Low Port Primary School provide a worthy setting for the recently-installed St Michael sculpture and contain an attractive mix of permanent and annual planting, some of the perennials having been upgraded in 2024. The bed in front of the Low Port Centre has a mix of annuals exhibiting a golden theme in celebration of Linlithgow’s past success in winning ‘Gold’ and ‘Town’ trophies in the Beautiful Scotland competition and in Britain in Bloom. All these major flower beds are very generously sponsored by the Rotary Club of Linlithgow & Bo’ness. Completing the scene are two birch trees, three tubs containing seasonal planting and permanent borders.
On the opposite side of the road, facing the roundabout, are beds of shrubs and herbaceous plants (with annuals to add extra colour). Featuring a multi-stemmed birch tree, this was one of Burgh Beautiful’s first displays but, since 2020, it has been completely refurbished with new planting.
Left: This flower bed at Low Port provides a magnificent setting for the sculpture of St Michael.
Above: Photographs of the various flower beds in the Low Port area.
The Physic Garden
Perhaps relatively unnoticed, our Physic Garden, appropriately situated in front of Linlithgow Health Centre, has been an important part of the Burgh Beautiful ‘portfolio’ for many years, having been planted and maintained by committed individual volunteers. There are two raised beds, one on each side of the entrance. They contain an impressive selection of labelled plants, nearly all of which have either medicinal, culinary, cosmetic or aromatic attributes. Originally stocked with herb plants from Great Britain, the remit has expanded over time to include some plants from the rest of the world, and some which simply provide more colour.
There is also a key to the beds’ content on the left-hand side of the entrance lobby of the Health Centre.
Right: The Physic Garden in front of the Health Centre.
Below: Herbaceous bed providing a fine setting for the Katie Wearie sculpture at West Port.
Flower Beds near the Katie Wearie Sculpture
Close to Katie Wearie’s Tree at West Port is a large flower bed containing herbaceous plants and grasses, providing a fine setting for the statue of Katie Wearie and its associated seating. This statue, which was created by Tim Chalk and commissioned by West Lothian Council, is regularly maintained by Burgh Beautiful volunteers. The bed itself was created in place of a former overgrown heather bed, using plants supplied by Binny Plants of nearby Ecclesmachan, maintenance now being done exclusively by Burgh Beautiful volunteers.
A little to the east is another flower bed, forming the greater part of a circle, the rest being occupied by a small area of cobbles set in concrete and a small, stone lectern-like structure. One of Burgh Beautiful’s earliest ventures, it is still maintained by our volunteers, mainly for shrubs and other permanent planting, but also including some annuals to provide some colour in this shaded area.