Palace of Holyroodhouse

The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland, standing at the foot of the Royal Mile at the opposite end from Edinburgh Castle. Its gardens run into Holyrood Park, with Arthur's Seat rising behind. James IV built the first Gothic palace here between 1501 and 1505, beside an Augustinian abbey founded by David I in 1128, and much of what you see today dates from the rebuilding of 1671 to 1678 under the architect Sir William Bruce. The King still stays here for a week at the start of summer, and the palace is used for state occasions and official entertaining.

The standard visit takes in the State Apartments, used today for royal ceremonies, and the historic apartments of Mary, Queen of Scots, who lived here between 1561 and 1567. Her Outer Chamber is where she held audiences with John Knox and where her secretary David Rizzio was murdered in 1566, a story that still draws many visitors to these small panelled rooms. A spiral stair links them to Lord Darnley's rooms below. The ruined nave of Holyrood Abbey stands beside the palace, and the King's Gallery near the entrance, opened in 2002, shows exhibitions from the Royal Collection.

A free multimedia guide, which lasts around an hour, is included with admission and is available with British Sign Language and subtitles, plus an audio-descriptive version for blind and partially sighted visitors. Admission also covers the palace garden. The Café at the Palace serves seasonal home-made dishes using local produce, and its accessible toilets can be used without a ticket.

The palace is open through the year, but it closes when members of the Royal Family are in residence, so check the Royal Collection Trust website before you go. Edinburgh Bus Tours also notes that the palace is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 15 September 2026 to 31 May 2027. Most of the route is accessible, with some restrictions in Mary, Queen of Scots' rooms, and a free companion ticket for disabled visitors can be booked online. Accessible parking is available on Horse Wynd on a first come, first served basis. Allow around one and a half to two hours including the abbey and garden.

The palace suits history lovers and anyone following the Royal Mile from top to bottom. Combine it with a walk in Holyrood Park or a climb of Arthur's Seat, and look at the Scottish Parliament building directly opposite. The Canongate, the lower stretch of the Royal Mile, leads back uphill towards the Old Town's closes and museums.