Scotland has so many lovely areas to explore and I’m lucky to call it home. There’s nothing I enjoy more than visiting my favourite nature spots and discovering new locations. One of my top picks is Linlithgow Loch, a wheelchair accessible walk in West Lothian, Scotland.
Linlithgow Palace and Loch
Linlithgow reminds me of my childhood when my parents would take my sisters and me for a ‘run in the car’ on a summer’s night. We would feed the ducks, play in the park, and walk up to Linlithgow Palace before getting chips and a ‘99’ ice cream cone.
Ah, those were the days. But even now as an adult, I still enjoy visiting Linlithgow Loch. Nowadays I take my nephew and hope to carry on those childhood memories with him. He loves it too.
Linlithgow is a small town in West Lothian, Scotland with so much history. Most known for the Palace and the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, who became queen at six days old after her father, King James V of Scotland died.
Well, I can’t promise that you’ll feel like a royal visiting this ancient town, but I can promise you a beautifully tranquil wander around the grounds of Linlithgow Palace and Loch.
A Wheelchair Accessible Walk Around Linlithgow Loch
It’s not a huge car park, and it was quite full when we arrived, but we found a parking bay in St Ninian’s Way car park. Once parked, you can either turn right and head towards Linlithgow Palace, which involves some steep paths, or take a left and enjoy a flatter walk around the loch.
We started by turning left, as I was keen to explore and see how far we could make it around the loch before encountering any access issues.
There is a wide range of trees, including my favourite, the willow tree (which we named one of our kittens after). The trees line the paths on both sides, and it’s really lovely.
For the most part, the pathways are grand. A mix of tarmac and hard-compacted fine gravel, which would be ideal in both wet and dry conditions.
Linlithgow Palace sits on the hill overlooking the loch, surrounded by lots of greenery. I love how you can enjoy views of the Palace across the Loch the entire way around the 2.3-mile circular loop.
There are two ‘cattle-style gates’ to go through, which I managed to access in my power wheelchair. I also saw a manual wheelchair user in front of me who was able to get through the gates as well. I can’t be 100% certain, but it may be slightly more difficult for powered scooter users that are larger in size.
Going through the second gate takes you onto a path with a road alongside. This street is called Blackness Road, and there is a lane on the right that we went down, which is on a slight slope. This took us to the grassy area below Linlithgow Palace.
There are paths up to the Palace, but we continued walking on the lower section beside the water. We were able to look up at the Palace the entire time. We then followed the sloped paths down to the loch level.
We sat in the sun eating our chips from the Golden Chip, and it was great. I usually have cutlery in my bag, but for some reason, it wasn’t in there. So because I can’t lift my arms up to my mouth, I used my metal straw instead, and although it took a lot of patience to pierce each chip (the chips kept breaking), it worked great as a fork alternative.
It was the perfect way to end a perfect day reliving my childhood with Allan, my mum, and my nephew.
Final Thoughts
A walk around Linlithgow Palace and Loch makes for a lovely day or evening. I particularly enjoy it when the weather is a little warmer. Linlithgow is an ancient town, and many of the shops that line the streets are on a smaller scale, so wheelchair access may be a little tricky at times.
I haven’t visited the inside of Linlithgow Palace since my childhood (before I was a power wheelchair user), so I can’t comment on the accessibility at this time. This Euan’s Guide review is very helpful though. However, I’m happy to share my thoughts and experience of the walk around the Loch, which I found to be manageable and pleasant in my wheelchair. If you are looking for a wheelchair accessible scenic walk with lots of wildlife, then you may want to consider Linlithgow Loch.
Have you been to Linlithgow Loch? Do you have a favourite wheelchair accessible walk?
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