Holyrood Palace/Palace of Holyroodhouse Reviews (Edinburgh, Scotland)

A gorgeous palace and medievel abbey

CA1 1LA, England, United Kingdom

May 29, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo The Royal Palace of Holyrood is the Queen's official residence when she is in the Scottish Capital and is located right at the bottom of the Royal Mile so makes a great place to finish your tour of the Royal Miles attractions. It is located near to ...Read more The Royal Palace of Holyrood is the Queen's official residence when she is in the Scottish Capital and is located right at the bottom of the Royal Mile so makes a great place to finish your tour of the Royal Miles attractions. It is located near to the Scottish parlament building and also the Dynamic Earth exhibition so you can do all these sights in an aternoon.

I am a huge fan of historic buildings so I was in my element in Edinburgh and the Holyrood Palace was certainly striking and absolutley beautiful.
As part of the Edinburgh pass we had free entry to the Queens Gallery which is located at Holyrood and if you are a fan of classic paintings then this is definately worth seeing. The actual Palace wasn't included in the pass so we had to pay for this and it cost £10.50 each. There is a combined ticket to the Palace and the Queens Gallery and this costs £14.85.

Included in the price of entry was an audio guide which I highly recommend you take so that you can get the most out of your visit. The guide is fascinating and told me so many things about the history of the Palace that I was unfamiliar with previously.
The inside is just as lavish as you might expect and the tapestries and artwork on the walls are better and more impressive than most museums.

The Royal apartments were especially interesting and it was strange to think this is where the Queen stays when in town. For me the best part of the tour was seeing the apartments of Mary Queen of Scots and hearing some interesting tidbits about her from the audio guide as she has always been a figure of interest for me.

The tour around the Palace isn't really all that long but there is so much to see that you will want at least an hour to take it all in.
Although the Palace is absolutely stunning and has some beautiful furniture and art work I was slightly disapointed just in the fact that everything is so pristine that I couldn't really get a feel for the history of the Palace and that's a shame when the history is as interesting as Holyrood's.

My favourie part of the tour of Holyrood was actually outside the Palace and in the gardens. They were stunning but they also contain the ruins of the Holyrood Abbey which dates back to 1128. The sense of history that I was missing from inside certainly wasn't lacking here and it has such a magical feeling to it that you can actually picture just how everything must have looked hundreds of years ago.

For me Holyrood Palace was well worth visiting. It might not be as big as some of the other European Palaces but that certainly doesn't make it any less impressive and in fact it actually outshines a lot of them.
For any people who love history and anythign to do with the royals then Holyrood is an absolute must see in Edinburgh and in a city teeming with history Holyrrood has some of the most interesting. Close

From journal Weekend trip to the Scottish capital pt2

A Visit to Edinburgh Means a Visit to Holyroodhouse

by NiceGinna

Evanston, Illinois

April 4, 2009

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The first day we tried to go to Holyroodhouse, we were so disappointed to find that there was an emissary from the Queen in residence and the palace was therefore closed to the public. Luckily, we were in town for 2 weeks and the emissary would be ...Read more

From journal Three Busy Weeks or So in the United Kingdom

Holyrood Palace

by Drever

Ayr, Scotland, United Kingdom

May 16, 2008

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Best of IgoUgo Holyrood Palace, sitting at the end of the Royal Mile against the spectacular backdrop of Arthur’s Seat, has witnessed Scotland's turbulent past. Within its walls kings planned wars, royals danced deep into the night, murders occurred. In contrast ...Read more Holyrood Palace, sitting at the end of the Royal Mile against the spectacular backdrop of Arthur’s Seat, has witnessed Scotland's turbulent past. Within its walls kings planned wars, royals danced deep into the night, murders occurred. In contrast today, the Palace is the setting for State ceremonies, garden parties and official entertaining.

The State Apartments have magnificent plasterwork ceilings and collections of tapestries. The longest and largest room in the Palace is the Great Gallery - decorated with 89 of the original 110 Jacob de Wet portraits of the real and legendary kings of Scotland, from Fergus I to Charles II.

The room has served many purposes. Here the election of Scotland's representative peers took place after the Union of Parliaments in 1707. George V made the room into the State Dining Room, and today it hosts receptions, State occasions and Investitures.

The Palace is best known as the home of Mary Queen of Scots (1542-67). She married the heir to the French throne, the Dauphin of France, at 15 and became a widow at 19. Returning to Scotland she took up her duties as the Queen of Scots after a crowning ceremony at the Palace.

A group led by her second husband Lord Darnley believing she was having an affair with Rizzio, her private secretary, stabbed him to death in her private rooms. Lord Darnley in turn suffered a gruesome death following which Mary acquired yet another husband. Her subjects could take no more. Mary escaping captivity fled to England to the protection of her cousin Queen Elizabeth I. Suspected of treason Mary suffered in turn a gruesome death - at the hands of an axe man.

In 1501 James IV built his Palace beside Holyrood Abbey. Later kings added extensions until a building resulted with classical facades built round a central quadrangle. Although external appearance of the apartments to the east matches those towards the west the construction is different. The earlier west side has thick walls for defence while the later east is of a residential construction.

Mary's son became James I of England and Scotland (1603-25) following the union of the crowns and moved to England leaving the Palace empty. During the Civil War Oliver Cromwell's troops billeted at the Palace caused extensive fire damage.

Following restoring of the monarchy in 1660, Charles II (1660-85) added to the Palace. These additions included the new Royal apartment to the east, the Abbey Church made into the Chapel Royal and accommodation on the second floor for the Court during the sovereign's visit, and for officers of state at other times.

After the Union of Parliaments in the early eighteenth century the Palace become a sanctuary for poor and distressed 'noblemen'. In 1745 royalty returned when the Young Pretender, Prince Charles Edward Stuart, or Bonnie Prince Charlie, held court there during his attempt to reclaim the throne for his father. The Duke of Cumberland whose troops suppressed the Jacobean Rebellion of 1745 followed.

George IV's visit to Scotland on 15 August 1822 provided the impetus for further improvements and the preserving of the apartments of Mary, Queen of Scots as in her time - these are open to visitors.

It was Queen Victoria who reintroduced the custom of staying at Holyrood making the Palace once again Scotland's premier royal residence. In the 20th century, King George V and Queen Mary modernised the Palace by installed bathrooms, electricity and lifts to make it a proper family home. They also began the tradition of hosting Garden Parties at the Palace.

My wife and I have been invited twice and attended the once. It is not at all elitist for otherwise we wouldn’t have been there. It is a colourful occasion with the beverage of choice being iced tea.
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From journal Exploring Edinburgh and Glasgow

Palace of Holyroodhouse

by Taylor Shelby

Charleston, South Carolina

March 18, 2005

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Best of IgoUgo Holyroodhouse was probably my single most enjoyable activity in Edinburgh. I think I am probably most attached to it because it was in the gift shop of this palace that I bought my first book about Mary Queen of Scots (It has gone on to be quite an ...Read more Holyroodhouse was probably my single most enjoyable activity in Edinburgh. I think I am probably most attached to it because it was in the gift shop of this palace that I bought my first book about Mary Queen of Scots (It has gone on to be quite an eventful affair - I wrote my senior history thesis about her, and now I'm researching a book about her mother, Marie de Guise). Needless to say, it had quite an impact.

The palace is quite different from the castle in that, while they are both royal residences, Holyrood was built as a palace, not a defensive fort. Today, it is the official residence of the Queen when she is in Scotland, and if she or the royal family is in town, the palace is closed. You will probably know if they are around, but make sure to ask ahead.

Originally it was the site of the Abby of Holyrood (rood is the word for cross), and there was a small guesthouse attached, but during the reign of King James IV, the home was enlarged to be used as a royal palace. James V added many more improvements for his wife Marie in the 1540s. It was further improved by their daughter, Mary Queen of Scots, and you can see her fascinating bedchamber on the tour.

The tour is a free audio tour that you can take at your own pace, which I really enjoyed. A surprisingly large portion of the home is on tour, including the Great Gallery, which houses many pictures of rulers of Scotland, the state chambers, and the ruins of the abbey.

The most famous part of the tour is the apartments of Mary Queen of Scots. She lived here during her short rule of Scotland in the 1560s, and included on the tour is the small room in which her wretched husband held a pregnant Mary at gunpoint and murdered her favorite secretary, Riccio, right in front of her. You can also see the spot where he bled to death. This is almost certainly apocryphal, but it is a neat little story.

My favorite part was actually the ancient abbey, first built in the 1100s. Today, it is ruined (thanks, John Knox), but you can still tell what a beautiful spot it must have been. In it you can see the broken tombs of Marie de Guise's two dead princes and James V's first wife, the young, beautiful Princess Madeline. It is a very peaceful, inspiring place.

The grounds of the palace are also open, and you can get a wonderful view of Arthur's Seat from the back of the palace.

Admission to the palace is £8.50 for adults and £4.50 for those under 17. You can also visit the queen's art gallery for an extra charge.

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From journal Enchanting Edinburgh

Holyrood Palace

by Javag

Brisbane, undefined, Australia

July 21, 2003

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This is the Queen's official scottish residence and was built in 1529 for James V. The Royal Apartments, Throne Room, and Royal Dining Room are open to the public as long as the Queen isn't in residence. The rest of the castle is a museum and is ...Read more

From journal Exciting Edinburgh

Holyroodhouse Palace

by Kate06

Union, New Jersey

January 1, 2006

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The tour of the palace is a self-guided audio tour. During the winter, the tour is solely of the interior of the palace. During the summer, the tour includes the grounds and gardens. When I visited, the Mary Queen of Scots rooms were unavailable due ...Read more

From journal December in Scotland

Holyrood Palace

by jl32

Chicago, Illinois

September 16, 2005

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The royals don't let us down. When the Windsors live, they live large, and Holyrood Palace is no exception. It's a must-see for its expansive courtyards, ornate ceilings, and heavily embellished living spaces. It's an Edinburgh staple, so be sure to ...Read more

From journal History and Future Collide in Edinburgh

A Royal Residence

by Cindy Grant

Petersburg, Virginia

June 26, 2011

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Holyrood Palace sits at the opposite end of the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle. It's the Queen's official residence when she is in Scotland, which is always one week in the summer. It was also once the home of Mary Queen of Scots. There is no ...Read more

From journal The Scotland Ghostour

Palace of HolyroodHouse

by barbara

Atlanta, Georgia

June 26, 2007

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Holyroodhouse is still an official residence of the reigning British queen. It was the preferred palace of Scottish monarchs in Edinburgh because it is much more comfortable than Ediburgh Castle, which is better fortified and higher up on an ...Read more Holyroodhouse is still an official residence of the reigning British queen. It was the preferred palace of Scottish monarchs in Edinburgh because it is much more comfortable than Ediburgh Castle, which is better fortified and higher up on an imposing granite hill. In contrast, surrounded by green, Holyroodhouse is located just a stone's throw from the beautiful Arthur's Seat that one can climb, if so inclined. It is across the street from the very modern building that houses the Scottish parliament. It is beside the Abbey that was founded in homage to God in 1128 by a king who had a vision of a stag with a cross between his antlers.

I wanted to visit Holyroodhouse because I have always been fascinated by Tudor history, and Mary, Queen of Scots certainly factors into Queen Elizabeth I's story. It was in Holyroodhouse that Mary set up residence after returning to her country from France. It was also here that this ill-fated queen saw her private secretary—an Italian musician—murdered under the gaze of her cousin and second husband who wished to have more power as king. From that point, Mary made many political mistakes that resulted in her fleeing to England for help. What she got from Elizabeth I was imprisonment and (eventually) execution.

So what was my visit like?
I had a very nice time walking through the rooms at Holyroodhouse with a tour wand that explained everything I was seeing in the royal apartments. I could understand why royals find this palace more intimate than some other, bigger palace homes in Britain. Yet Holyroodhouse is still quite grand. In addition to walking through Mary, Queen of Scots' private chambers, I found it interesting to see a portrait of the first king who wore tartan again upon a visit to Scotland after a ban on this traditional clothing had been in place for many decades because of the unsuccessful Jacobite rising and the crushing of Highlander power by the English. Though it was overcast and wet, I also liked wandering in the pretty garden by the abbey ruins. The whole thing made for a pleasant couple of hours. (You could go faster—an hour—if you don't linger.)

Cost?
My ticket was £9.50. Seniors are £8.50. Kids under 17 are £5.50. Under fives are free.

Hours
November-March, 9:30am-4:30pm.
April-October, 9:30am-6pm.

Other things to see
You can get a "combo" ticket that allows you entry into The Queen's Gallery at Holyroodhouse. Exhibits change here but are all part of the Royal Collection. Close

From journal Excellent Edinburgh

Holyrood Palace

by artslover

Calgary, Alberta

April 8, 2006

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Best of IgoUgo Holyrood Palace, sometimes called Holyroodhouse, is the Queen’s official residence when in Edinburgh. On one trip to Edinburgh, we could not go to visit Holyrood because one of the members of the royal family was in residence at "the wee house" as ...Read more Holyrood Palace, sometimes called Holyroodhouse, is the Queen’s official residence when in Edinburgh. On one trip to Edinburgh, we could not go to visit Holyrood because one of the members of the royal family was in residence at "the wee house" as one server at a restaurant explained. A visitor may want to check that Holyrood is open before visiting. Admission includes an audio tour. We opted not to use the audio tour since our knowledge of Scottish history is fairly good, but those who haven't read up on Scottish history, especially Mary Queen of Scots, might find the audio tour informative.The Palace is located at the east end of the Royal Mile and is very accessible from the city centre.The Palace was founded in the late 15th century, but is most historically famous for its connection to Mary Queen of Scots. She was crowned at Holyrood and her Italian secretary was stabbed within its walls. Even when there are no royals in residence, not everywhere is open to visitors, but Mary Queen of Scots’ apartments are. Also open to the public are large rooms with massive fireplaces and tapestries which look very authentic. I thought it gives a feeling of what life might have been like many centuries ago. I certainly decided that people were small back then. Mary Queen of Scots' bed is unbelievably tiny and unless you are short, like me, you need to duck to get through the doors. Holyrood Abbey, which is adjacent to the Palace, can also be visited as part of the admission. It is now a ruin but was once the site of many royal events. The Palace is by Holyrood Park, the largest park in Edinburgh where the extinct volcano, Arthur’s Seat, is located.The Queen's Gallery is also located in Holyrood Park. It displays some of the Queen's art collection. Located in an old church and school house, the interior has a very modern feel with some high tech equipment and is well set up for visitors. A computer can be used to see the Queen's art collection which is not on display. She certainly owns a lot of good art.Admission to the Gallery is in addition to the Palace. A ticket for a family of four for both is £31.50. Close

From journal Endlessly Fascinating Edinburgh

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