We discovered the ancient and historic church of St. Michael's Church, Linlithgow on a recent day out to Linlithgow Palace. Only 32 miles from Appletree Cottage, Linlithgow Palace was easy to get to.
Situated behind the magnificent Burgh Halls, the church is easy to spot with its golden modernistic crown gleaming atop the church tower. The aluminium crown, which replaces an old stone crown, was designed by Geoffrey Clarke, installed in 1964 and visible from miles away.
Entrance to the church is free as is the parking just beyond the entrance gate to the palace. However, on the day we visited, viewing closed at 1pm, so it may be worth checking that the building will be open for your proposed visiting time.
The entrance to the church is at the foot of the tower.
St. Michael is Linlithgow’s patron saint, the town’s motto being: “St. Michael is kinde to strangers”
King David 1st of Scotland granted a charter for the establishment of a church in 1138, and St. Michael’s church was consecrated in 1242. It replaced an earlier church on the site. However, following a fire in 1424 most of the present building dates from the 15th century, being finally completed in 1540.
Being adjacent to Linlithgow Palace, the church was a favoured place of worship by Scottish royalty.
The church was originally catholic, but in 1559 the protestant Lords of the Congregation obliterated many traces of Roman Catholicism, smashing statues, alters and the holy water stoop.
By the early 1800s, the church was in a very poor state and a major refurbishment was enacted.
Unfortunately, this removed many more of the historic features of the church including the “Crown Tower”. The current aluminium crown, designed by Geoffrey Clarke was installed in 1964.
The church has two notable stained glass windows. Behind the altar is the massive window designed by the local oceanic explorer Charles Wyville Thomson, installed in 1885. On the south side in the St. Katherine's aisle is the stunning Crear McCartney-designed window, installed in 1992 to commemorate the 750th anniversary of the church.
Church in the 1700s and 1800s could be a tough time for parishioners who strayed from the path of righteousness. A passage from the Church’s website gives details…
The church was equipped with a repentance stool, on which any wrongdoer had to sit in full view of the congregation, and a set of jougs at the church door to chain up by the neck anyone guilty of repeated transgressions. The Kirk Session minutes are full of references to such moral lapses: drunkenness, adultery, whistling, working or washing clothes on the Lord's Day or not "keeping elders’ hours". A typical church service lasted up to four hours. A sand-glass was attached to the minister’s pulpit in order to ensure that he spoke (extempore, for all notes were frowned upon) for at least two hours. Singing was led by the precentor and was unaccompanied as music in the church was frowned on and an organ was referred to scathingly as a "kist o’ whistles".
For more information about St. Michael's Church see here: https://www.stmichaelsparish.org.uk/about/the-history-of-st.-michaels-parish-church