HORSES, knights and lances are being readied for a tournament celebrating Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology.

Spectacular Jousting is returning to Linlithgow Palace on July 1 and 2, and visitors can take part in a festival of horsemanship, pageantry and music with a host of colourful historic characters battling it out to be crowned the King’s Champion.

Visitors can also meet the knights, try their hand at hobby horse jousting and wander through their camps on Linlithgow’s Peel to learn about medieval life from the knights and their aides.

There will be opportunities to learn about medieval hunting from the court falconer, impressive displays of medieval archery and a court jester.

A collection of objects spanning more than 500 years of Scotland’s history are to be on show. Visitors will have the opportunity to put on a pair of white gloves and handle the real artefacts.