Overview
Founded as Holyrood Abbey by David I in the 12th century and expanded into a palace by James IV in the 16th, Holyroodhouse is the British monarch's official residence in Scotland. It's open to the public year-round except for 'Holyrood Week' each summer when King Charles III stays. Visitors can see the chambers of Mary, Queen of Scots and the spot where her secretary David Rizzio was murdered before her eyes in 1566 (a stain said to be his blood is still visible) — the most dramatic site in Scottish royal history. The atmospheric ruins of Holyrood Abbey behind the palace are also beautiful, and the palace marks the entrance to Holyrood Park, leading up to Arthur's Seat. Admission about GBP 21. At the eastern end of the Royal Mile (Edinburgh Castle at the western end).
Opening Hours
09:30-18:00 (until 16:30 November-March; closed during royal events)
Travel Tips
Visit at the end of your Royal Mile walk for a natural finish. The palace may close during the king's late-July to early-August visit.
Hotels near Palace of Holyroodhouse
Hotels and guesthouses in Edinburgh, Holyrood, Edinburgh
Other attractions in Edinburgh
Edinburgh Castle
An imposing fortress perched on volcanic rock and home to Scotland's Crown Jewels.
Royal Mile
Edinburgh's historic main street linking Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Arthur's Seat
An extinct volcano in the heart of Edinburgh — 360-degree views of the city and sea from the 251m summit.
Calton Hill
A Greek-styled monument hill in the New Town — Edinburgh's most photogenic viewpoint.
National Museum of Scotland
A free national museum covering Scotland's history, nature, and science.
Grassmarket & Victoria Street
The curving, brightly-painted street said to have inspired Harry Potter's Diagon Alley.
Dean Village
A fairytale 19th-century former milling village along the Water of Leith.