Linlithgow Civic Trust
Events, Visits, & Talks
Future Talks
More talks coming in the Autumn.
Past Events
Ribbon of Wildness - discovering Scotland's watershed
On Thursday 25 April 2024, the final talk of this season was given by polymath Peter Wright, local resident and an author with a passion for wild places. Peter told the tale of his strenuous, meandering 745-mile walk along Scotland’s watershed from Peel Fell on the border to Duncansby Head near John O’ Groats in Caithness illustrated by numerous photographs of the majestic landscape.
Priests, Protestants & PowerPoint
On Thursday 21 March 2024, the penultimate talk of this season was given by Rev Dr Liam Jerrold Fraser, Minister of St Michael’s Parish Church. Liam told an attentive and appreciative audience of fifty about the centuries of political and spiritual conflict witnessed by St Michael's and reflected on what the building’s past can tell us about its possible future.
The Millennium Link & The Falkirk Wheel
On Thursday 22 February 2024, the fourth of this season's talks was given by George McBurnie, Senior Project Manager with Scottish Canals. George told the story of the engineering works to reopen the Lowland Canals and the development and realisation of the world’s first and only rotating boat lift to an appreciative audience of around 50 which included members of the Linlithgow Union Canal Society.
Linlithgow’s ‘Munitionettes’ of WW1 and WW2
On Thursday 18 January 2024, the third of this season’s talks was presented by Kathryn Welch - a woman fascinated by the connections between community, creativity and activism. Kathryn entertained and informed an audience of nearly 120 with fascinating stories of the women, some of whom lost their lives, working with dangerous and poisonous chemicals to make munitions during the two world wars.
Plague & Pestilence in Linlithgow & Beyond
On Wednesday 29 November 2023, the second of this season’s talks was presented by Bruce Jamieson, raconteur, local historian, and author of Linlithgow Through Time, Linlithgow Lives and many other publications. Bruce presented a fully illustrated account of the effects of the various pandemics that have spread across Europe over the centuries – and their impact on Linlithgow.
The Renovation of the Spire of St Michael’s Parish Church
An appreciative audience of nearly fifty attended the first of this season’s illustrated talks which was presented by Brian Lightbody, a former senior partner in Michael Laird Architects and an elder of St Michael’s Parish Church.
Brian, the kirk’s lead project manager for the restoration work explained, graphically, the background to the restoration work, how the extensive repairs are being carried out, as well as bringing us up to date with progress.
Linlithgow Civic Trust Talk March 2023
The third of the Trust’s 2022/23 winter lecture series was given on Wednesday 29th March at the Adam Room by Jon Cooper PhD, researcher, battle historian, author, tutor in history at Glasgow University.
Jon is a former resident of Linlithgow and expert on the historically important Battle of Linlithgow Bridge.
With great panache, Jon explored the background to the Battle of Linlithgow Bridge which was fought between John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox and James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran on 4 September 1526.
The battlefield covers a wide area from the now ruined Manuel Nunnery in the west and includes the Avon Lagoon, Kettil’stoun Mains field and Peace/Pace Hill. The former sand and gravel quarry has re-sculpted much of the original landscape but this has since been re-wilded and has become a popular recreational resource.
Much of the area is potentially under the threat of housing development. Local resident, Helen Morrison, outlined the campaign to protect the remains of the battlefield and to preserve this hugely important greenspace for the benefit of the townspeople.
Linlithgow Civic Trust Talk 2023 - What is the future for Linlithgow Palace?
The first of our 2023 talks - 'The Future of Linlithgow Palace', by Historic Environment Scotland Chief Executive, Alex Paterson was a well attended meeting and created much interest.
Many people in Linlithgow are very concerned that the Palace has been closed to visitors for so long. Over the winter months, Historic Environment Scotland have undertaken a detailed survey of the palaces stonework, which has been deemed as unsafe and dangerous. For this talk, the Chief Executive of HES gave an update of the survey’s findings, and reveal the plans for the future of Linlithgow Palace.
Autumn Lecture Series - The Renovation of the Spire of St Michael’s Parish Church
The second of our 2022 Autumn lecture series, 'The Renovation of the Spire of St Michael’s Parish Church', was held on Thursday, 13th October, at the Queen Margaret's Hall in Linlithgow.The distinctive spire on St Michael’s Parish Church is loved, or loathed, by Linlithgow’s townsfolk.
The structure is certainly ‘iconic’ and its shape has been adopted by organisations and clubs within the town.
After over fifty years exposure to the elements, the crown spire requires major repairs.
Unfortuantely the retired architect, Brian Lightbody, was unable to give the talk. Committee member, Chris Long, gave the talk in Brian's place.
Autumn Lecture Series - Kinneil: Over 2,000 Years of Scotland's History
In a change to previously advertised dates, the first of our 2022 Autumn lecture series was 'Kinneil: Over 2,000 Years of Scotland's History', by the chair of local volunteer group Friends of Kinneil, Ian Shearer.
Ian, who conducted our recent tour of Kinneil House, unpeeled the layers of over 2,000 years history on our doorstep which include;
- The turf defence which stretched across Scotland, known as the Antonine Wall, one of six UNESCO World Heritage sites in Scotland
- The now lost medieval village of Kinneil which sat high up overlooking the River Forth
- Kinneil House, once home of the Hamiltons, a notable Scottish family, which still contain unique domestic wall paintings of the mid-16th and 17th centuries
- The humble structure in which James Watt carried out experiments which led to the industrial revolution.
Ian spoke to over 40 members about the fascinating history of what was once one of Linlithgowshire's finest residences.
Kinneil Visit Saturday 21st May 2022
Members of the Trust enjoyed an excellent visit to Kinneil on Saturday 21st May 2022. We were privileged to hear Ian Shearer, Chairman of the Friends of Kinneil, guide us, unpeel the layers of hundreds of years of history in the most northerly part of the old ‘Linlithgowshire’.
We saw the remains of one of the most easterly fortlets along the Antonine Wall; viewed the remains of the ancient Kinneil Church, looked for the vanished village of Kinneil; visited the remains of the home of the notable Scottish family: the Hamiltons, including what are considered to be Scotland’s finest domestic wall paintings of the mid-16th and 17th centuries as well as seeing where James Watt conducted important experiments that led to the industrial revolution.
We are grateful for the representative from Historic Environment Scotland who gave us access inside the house to enable us to look at the outstanding murals.
LCT Annual Lecture 2021
Local historian Bruce Jamieson gave a new illustrated talk on-line via Zoom on “Disaster at Darien” (The scheme, its failure and the impact on Scotland and Linlithgow).
Click here to view a recording of the talk.
Future Programme
Linlithgow Civic Trust organises events throught the year. Talks and lectures are arranged during the autumn and winter and there are visits to places of interest in spring and summer.
If you have any suggestions of places to visit or speakers, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..