FOURTH TOUR. EDINBURGH—LINLITHGOW—FALKIRK—STIRLING. Leaving Edinburgh by Princes Street, the tourist passes along the side of Corstorphine Hill, richly wooded and studded with villas, and, four miles from Edinburgh, reaches the village of Corstorphine. At the seventh milestone the road crosses Almond water, and enters Linlithgowshire. A short way farther on is the village of Kirkliston. Near the village is Newliston, (Hog, Esq.) formerly the seat of the great Earl of Stair, who is said to have caused the woods around the house to be planted so as to resemble the position of the troops at the battle of Dettingen, where he commanded under George II.* * During the rebellion of 1745, the route of the Highland army having brought them near Newliston, an alarm arose in the Councils of Prince Charles, lest the MacDonalds of Glencoe should seize the opportunity of marking their recollection of the massacre of Glencoe, by burning or plundering the house of the descendant of their persecutor; and it was agreed that a guard should be posted, to protect the house of Lord Stair. MacDonald of Glencoe heard the resolution, and deemed his honour and that of his clan concerned. He demanded an audience of Charles Edward, and, admitting the propriety of placing a guard on a house so obnoxious to the feelings of the Highland army, and to those of his own clan in particular, he demanded, as a matter of right rather than of favour, that the protecting guard should be supplied by the MacDonalds of Glencoe. The request of the high-spirited chieftain was granted, and the MacDonalds guarded from the slightest injury the house of the cruel and crafty statesman who had devised and directed the massacre of their ancestor."-Tales of a Grandfather, vol. iv., p. 23. It was in the family of the first Lord Stair, that the tragic incident occurred which forms the groundwork of Sir Walter Scott's tale of the "Bride of Lammermuir." A short distance beyond, to the left, are the ruins of Niddry Castle, where Queen Mary passed the first night after her escape from Lochleven. It was at that time the property of the Earl of Seton,-it now belongs to the Earl of Hopetoun. The road now passes through the village of Winchburgh, where Edward II. first halted. in his flight from the battle of Bannockburn. About the sixteenth mile-stone, the road crosses the Union Canal, under an aqueduct bridge, and a short way farther on enters LINLITHGOW,* an ancient royal burgh, and the county town of Linlithgowshire, situated in a hollow, along the borders of a beautiful lake. So early as the beginning of the twelfth century, Linlithgow was one of the principal burghs in the kingdom. It contains a considerable number of old fashioned houses, many of which belonged of old to the knights of St. John, who had their preceptory at Torphichen, in this county. The most interesting object in Linlithgow is the Palace, a massive quadrangular edifice, situated upon an eminence which advances a little way into the lake. It occupies about an acre of ground, and, though in ruins, is still a picturesque and beautiful object. The inter * Popularly denominated "the faithful town of Linlithgow." "Of all the palaces so fair Built for the royal dwelling In Scotland, far beyond compare And in its park, in genial June, How blythe the blackbird's lay! The wild buck bells from thorny brake, Marmion, c. iv., st. 15. nal architecture is extremely elegant, but the exterior has a heavy appearance from the want of windows. Over the interior of the grand gate is a niche which was formerly filled by a statue of Pope Julius II., who presented James V. with the sword of state, which still forms part of the regalia. It was destroyed during the last century by a blacksmith, who had heard popery inveighed against in the neighbouring church. Above this entrance was the Parliament Hall,—once a splendid apartment, with a beautifully ornamented chimney at one end, and underneath it has been a magnificent piazza. This part of the palace is understood to have been begun by James IV., and finished and ornamented by his successor. The west side of the palace is the most ancient, and it contains the room where the unfortunate Queen Mary was born.* In one of the vaults below, James III. found shelter when he was in danger of assassination from some of his rebellious subjects. The north side of the quadrangle is the most modern, having been built by James VI. shortly after his visit to Scotland in 1617. In the centre of the court are the elaborately carved ruins of the Palace Well, a once beautiful and ingenious work, erected by James V. It was destroyed by the royal army in 1746. The nucleus of the Palace seems to have been a tower or fort, first built by Edward I., who inhabited it in person a whole winter. It was taken and demolished by Bruce in 1307.† It appears, however, to have been *Her father, who then lay on his deathbed at Falkland, on being told of her birth, replied, "Is it so?" reflecting on the alliance which had placed the Stewart family on the throne, "then God's will be done! It came with a lass, and it will go with a lass." With these words he turned his face to the wall, and died of a broken heart. It was taken in the following remarkable way :-The garrison was supplied with hay by a neighbouring rustic, of the name of Binnock or Binning, who rebuilt by the English during the minority of David II., but was again burnt down in 1424. The Palace was finally reduced to its present ruinous condition by Hawley's dragoons, who were quartered in it on the night of the 31st of January 1746. In the morning, when they were preparing to depart, the dastardly scoundrels were observed deliberately throwing the ashes of the fires into the straw on which they had lain. The whole Palace was speedily in a blaze, and it has ever since remained an empty and blackened ruin.* seen. favoured the interest of Bruce. "Binnock had been ordered by the English governor to furnish some cart-loads of hay, of which they were in want. He promised to bring it accordingly; but the night before he drove the hay to the castle, he stationed a party of his friends, as well armed as possible, near the entrance, where they could not be seen by the garrison, and gave them directions that they should come to his assistance as soon as they should hear him cry a signal, which was to be,— Call all, call all!' Then he loaded a great waggon with hay. But in the waggon he placed eight strong men, well armed, lying flat on their breasts, and covered over with hay, so that they could not be He himself walked carelessly beside the waggon; and he chose the stoutest and bravest of his servants to be the driver, who carried at his belt a strong axe or hatchet. In this way Binnock approached the castle, early in the morning; and the watchman, who only saw two men, Binnock being one of them, with a cart of hay, which they expected, opened the gates, and raised up the portcullis, to permit them to enter the castle. But as soon as the cart had gotten under the gateway, Binnock made a sign to his servant, who, with his axe, suddenly cut asunder the soam, that is, the yoke which fastens the horses to the cart, and the horses, finding themselves free, naturally started forward, the cart remaining behind under the arch of the gate. At the same moment, Binnock cried, as loud as he could, Call all, call all!' and, drawing the sword which he had under his country habit, he killed the porter. The armed men then jumped up from under the hay where they lay concealed, and rushed on the English guard. The Englishmen tried to shut the gates, but they could not, because the cart of hay remained in the gateway, and prevented the foldingdoors from being closed. The portcullis was also let fall, but the grating was caught on the cart, and so could not drop to the ground. The men who were in ambush near the gate, hearing the cry, 'Call all, call all!' ran to assist those who had leaped out from amongst the hay; the castle was taken, and all the Englishmen killed or made prisoners. King Robert rewarded Binnock, by bestowing on him an estate, which his posterity long afterwards enjoyed." The Binnings of Wallyford, descended from that person, still bear in their coatarmorial a wain loaded with hay, with the motto, "Virtute doloque."—Tales of a Grandfather, vol. i., p. 139. * "They halted at Linlithgow, distinguished by its ancient palace, which, sixty years since, was entire and habitable, and whose venerable ruins, not The Church, a venerable and impressive structure, stands between the Palace and the town, and may be regarded as one of the finest and most entire specimens of Gothic architecture in Scotland. It was dedicated to the archangel Michael, who was also considered the patron saint of the town. The Church was founded by David I., but was ornamented chiefly by George Crichton, bishop of Dunkeld. It is now divided by a partitionwall, and the eastern half alone is used as a place of worship. It was in an aisle in this Church, according to tradition, that James IV. was sitting when he saw the strange apparition which warned him against his fatal expedition to England.* In front of the Town-house quite sixty years since, very narrowly escaped the unworthy fate of being converted into a barrack for French prisoners. May repose and blessings attend the ashes of the patriotic statesman (President Blair) who, amongst his last services to Scotland, interposed to prevent this profanation."-Waverley, vol. i., p. 92. *The story is told by Pitscottie with characteristic simplicity :—" The king came to Lithgow, where he happened to be for the time at the Council, very sad and dolorous, making his devotion to God to send him good chance and fortune in his voyage. In this meantime, there came a man, clad in a blue gown, in at the kirk door, and belted about him in a roll of linen cloth; a pair of brotikings (buskins) on his feet, to the great of his legs; with all other hose and clothes conformed thereto; but he had nothing on his head, but syde (long) red yellow hair behind, and on his haffets (cheeks) which wan down to his shoulders; but his forehead was bald and bare. He seemed to be a man of two-and-fifty years, with a great pike-staff in his hand, and came first forward among the lords, crying and spiering (asking) for the king, saying, he desired to speak with him. While, at the last, he came where the king was sitting in the desk at his prayers; but, when he saw the king, he made him little reverence or salutation, but leaned down grofling on the desk before him, and said to him in this manner, as after follows:— Sir king, my mother hath sent me to you, desiring you not to pass, at this time, where thou art purposed; for if thou does, thou wilt not fare well in thy journey, nor none that passeth with thee. Further, she bade thee mell (meddle) with no woman, nor use their counsel, nor let them touch thy body, nor thou theirs; for if thou do it, thou wilt be confounded and brought to shame.' "By this man had spoken thir words unto the king's grace, the evening song was near done, and the king paused on thir words, studying to give him an answer; but, in the mean time, before the king's eyes, and in the presence of all the lords that were about him for the time, this man vanished away, and could no wise be seen or comprehended, but vanished away as he had been a blink of the sun, or a whip of the whirlwind, and could no more be seen. I |