The West Port Hotel in Linlithgow was another unplanned place we stayed due to Storm Amy. As mentioned, we heeded the weather warnings and stayed in the south of Scotland to avoid the worst of the storm.

Again we were very fortunate to have found lovely alternative accommodation to book at the last minute. The West Port Hotel was a traditional Scottish pub established in 1790 and recently renovated, right in the heart of Linlithgow, part way between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Being a Saturday night the bistro and bar area were very busy with live music playing. We treated ourselves to a pub meal and enjoyed the distinctly Scottish atmosphere. We also enjoyed a hearty Scottish breakfast in the bistro the following morning.

I had heard of Linlithgow but did not know much about it as we had not expected to visit here. Its settlement dates back 2,000 years to the Romans, and it was declared a Royal Burgh by King Robert II (Robert the Bruce’s grandson) in 1388.

In 1542 Mary Queen of Scots was born in Linlithgow Palace, which was home to many Scottish monarchs during the 15th and 16th centuries. The palace is now open to tourists so is definitely one to come back to!