Queen Margaret’s Palace

~ Lisa Divita
  • “Lisa brings history alive … a marvelous panoramic view of a young princess’s life in the eleventh century … a fascinating read and a marvelous addition to historical fiction.”

– Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Reader’s Favorite

  • ” … before Lisa’s book, Margaret could never have been understood as the complex figure she was … Lisa Di Vita has succeeded in presenting her holistically as the robust, energetic, holy and courageous woman she truly was.”

– The Very Reverend Canon John E. Crean, Jr., Ph.D

  • “A perfect book for readers longing to be transported to another time. This enthralling eleventh-century saga is filled with all the color and historical details needed to enter palace intrigue and understand that powerful life forces remain constant no matter the civilization.”

– Nan Rae, Internationally recognized Chinese Brush Painter, Author of “The Ch’i of the Brush.”

Welcome to Dunfermline! It is the town from which Malcolm and Margaret ruled Scotland. The original palace would have been made of wood. Beginning with King Malcolm III in the eleventh century, (soon to be joined by Margaret), it became the royal residence of Scotland.

Before approaching the palace, I needed to pause and take in the fact that I was really here.




I’d like to know what the stone mason was drinking when he laid these. Whoopee!
I must say, it’s festive.



The entrance to the church. As I walked up the steps, I spied some gorgeous detail.
I photographed one on my right. See it just below:
This image is on my iPhone screen – regal, yet joyous.



My husband, Chuck, who’s never without a camera, is standing just inside the door of the church. This newer version of the church encloses the space of the original. Malcolm and Margaret were married not far from where Chuck’s standing. In the eleventh century, not everyone was married in church, but Margaret would’ve insisted. Plus, they were royalty.



More of the old church. We’re getting into Romanesque arches here.
Note the graphic designs on the back two columns.



Now we’re down below the church, where the Benedictine abbey was located. Every monk had to take his turn in the kitchen, with blazing fires that likely caused a lot of accidental burns. That’s Colin Hewitt pointing to the kitchen chimney. You’ll learn about Colin and the rest of the Hewitt family in my next blog. I met them more than thirty years ago, and they’ve remained dear to my heart all these years. This will be a story about the kindness of strangers.



The abbey. If these magical stones could talk … think of the history they’d relate.
An attached guest house was located down here, as well.




One of the places I was most excited about seeing in the town of Dunfermline was Queen Margaret’s Cave, where she liked to pray. I guess it was a medieval version of a “she-shed.” But sadly, not only was it located in a parking lot, but the door was locked.
Then I turned around …



… and there was a stream, not twenty steps away! If you’re reading “As a Deer Yearns for Running Streams,” you’ll know the significance of streams to Margaret. How often did she come here, to the cave or the stream? This private place must have brought her peace. Her duties comprised a heavy load to carry – she likely rejuvenated right here.


You’re invited to enjoy eleventh-century history in Book One of a trilogy about
“The Pearl of Scotland,” Margaret of Wessex.

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