About
The Palace of Holyroodhouse stands at the foot of Edinburgh's Royal Mile, serving as the official residence of His Majesty The King in Scotland and a working royal palace with a history spanning over 500 years. Originally founded as a monastery in 1128, the site developed into a royal residence in the late 15th century and remains intimately connected to Scottish royal history, most famously associated with Mary, Queen of Scots, who lived here during some of the most dramatic and tragic events of her reign.
The palace as visitors see it today largely dates from the 1670s when Charles II commissioned architect Sir William Bruce to create a magnificent Baroque royal residence, though incorporates earlier tower houses including the 16th-century northwest tower where Mary Queen of Scots' apartments are preserved. The State Apartments feature stunning baroque architecture, elaborate plasterwork ceilings, fine tapestries from the 17th century, and the Great Gallery displaying 89 portraits of Scottish monarchs (real and legendary) commissioned by Charles II. The Historic Apartments in the northwest tower preserve the chambers where Mary lived, including the bedchamber where her secretary David Rizzio was murdered in 1566.
Managed by the Royal Collection Trust, the palace functions as both a historic monument and working royal residence. The King holds official audiences, ceremonies, and garden parties here during Holyrood Week each summer. When the royal family is not in residence, the State Apartments, Historic Apartments, Palace Gardens, and ruins of the 12th-century Holyrood Abbey are open to visitors. The abbey ruins, with their soaring Gothic arches open to the sky, create an atmospheric counterpoint to the baroque splendor of the palace interiors.
With its combination of dramatic royal history, architectural magnificence, significant art collections, and continuing royal function, the Palace of Holyroodhouse offers one of Britain's most compelling royal experiences, bringing five centuries of Scottish monarchy vividly to life in the heart of Edinburgh.
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Annual Visitors (2019)
400,000
Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
📅 Best Times to Visit
Quietest: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Busiest: Saturday, Sunday
💡 Visit early morning (opening time) or mid-afternoon on weekdays for quietest experience. Avoid late June/early July when palace closed for royal residence.
💡 Visitor Tips
- Book tickets online in advance, especially for summer visits and weekends. Timed entry slots help manage visitor flow but can sell out during peak season.
- Allow minimum 2-2.5 hours for comprehensive palace visit including State Apartments, Historic Apartments, abbey ruins, and gardens (when open May-November). Audio guide included with admission provides detailed room-by-room commentary.
- Palace may close at short notice for royal visits or state functions. Check website before traveling, especially during late June/early July when The King typically resides during Holyrood Week.
- Photography prohibited inside palace but allowed in gardens and abbey ruins. Multimedia guide contains images of interiors for reference and memory.
- Combine palace visit with climb up Arthur's Seat (45 minutes to summit) for spectacular Edinburgh views. The volcanic hill is directly behind palace in Holyrood Park.
- Palace café near entrance serves afternoon tea, light lunches, and Scottish specialties. Good option before or after visit, though can be busy at peak times.
- Wear comfortable walking shoes as palace route involves walking through multiple rooms and stairs to upper floors (lift available to ground floor State Apartments only).
- Visit weekday mornings for quietest experience. Weekends and school holidays attract larger crowds, particularly in July-August peak tourist season. November-March winter season typically quieter.
Highlights
Mary Queen of Scots' Chambers
The 16th-century apartments of Mary, Queen of Scots, preserved in the northwest tower, are among Scotland's most historically significant rooms. These intimate chambers witnessed some of the most dramatic events in Scottish history, including the brutal murder of Mary's Italian secretary David Rizzio on March 9, 1566.
Rizzio was stabbed 56 times by conspirators led by Mary's husband Lord Darnley in an adjoining room while Mary, six months pregnant with the future James VI, was held at gunpoint.
The bedchamber features period furnishings recreating how rooms appeared during Mary's residency (1561-1567), tapestries, and portraits of key figures in her tragic story. A small adjoining chamber displays Mary's embroidery and personal possessions. Information panels explore Mary's complex political situation ruling Scotland during religious upheaval, her marriages, imprisonment, and eventual execution in England.
These rooms powerfully evoke one of history's most romantic and tragic royal figures.
The Great Gallery and Portraits of Scottish Kings
The spectacular Great Gallery runs the entire length of the palace's north range (150 feet long) and houses one of the most unusual royal portrait commissions in Britain – 89 paintings depicting Scotland's monarchs from legendary ancient times through to Charles II. Commissioned by Charles II in the 1680s from artist Jacob de Wet, this extraordinary series includes real historical monarchs like Mary Queen of Scots, James VI, and Charles I, alongside legendary and mythical kings including Fergus I (supposedly reigning 330 BC).
The gallery served as throne room for state occasions and still hosts royal ceremonies today.
The portraits, while varying in historical accuracy, represent Charles II's attempt to establish legitimacy by connecting himself to an ancient royal lineage stretching back over 2,000 years. The gallery's barrel-vaulted ceiling with elaborate plasterwork, massive scale, and regimented portrait displays create an overwhelming impression of royal continuity and dynastic power.
This unique collection has no parallel in any other British royal residence.
State Apartments and Baroque Interiors
The State Apartments, created for Charles II in the 1670s by architect William Bruce, showcase magnificent baroque design at its finest. These ceremonial rooms – including the Throne Room, Presence Chamber, Privy Chamber, and Royal Bedchamber – feature stunning plasterwork ceilings by John Houlbert depicting mythological scenes, royal emblems, and intricate decorative motifs.
Walls are hung with 17th-century tapestries including pieces from the Brussels workshop, fine portraits from the Royal Collection including works by Jacob de Wet and David Scougall, and period furnishings including ornate mirrors, gilded furniture, and state beds.
The suite follows traditional palace progression from public audience chambers to increasingly private royal spaces. Though Charles II never visited Holyroodhouse after commissioning these apartments, subsequent monarchs used them for state functions. Today they remain in use for royal audiences and ceremonies when The King is in residence, maintaining their original ceremonial function across three and a half centuries.
Holyrood Abbey Ruins
The hauntingly beautiful ruins of Holyrood Abbey stand adjacent to the palace, their roofless Gothic arches open to Edinburgh's skies. Founded by David I in 1128 for Augustinian canons, the abbey became one of Scotland's most important medieval religious houses and witnessed numerous royal ceremonies including coronations and marriages.
The abbey church's impressive nave survives with soaring pointed arches, ornate carved stonework, and the remains of the royal vault where Scottish monarchs were buried.
The abbey fell into ruin following the Reformation, abandonment of monastic life, and collapse of the roof in 1768. Today the atmospheric ruins, with their combination of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, provide powerful contrast to the baroque palace. Visitors can explore the nave, see burial vaults of Scottish royalty including David II and James II, and appreciate medieval craftsmanship in surviving stonework details.
The ruins embody centuries of Scottish religious and royal history predating the palace itself.
Collections
As the official Scottish residence of The King and a working royal palace, Holyroodhouse houses exceptional collections from the Royal Collection focused on Scottish royal history and baroque decorative arts. Holdings include 89 portraits of Scottish monarchs commissioned by Charles II, 17th-century tapestries from Brussels and Mortlake workshops, portraits by Jacob de Wet and David Scougall, baroque plasterwork by John Houlbert, period furnishings from the 17th and 18th centuries, royal dining silver and porcelain, and personal items associated with Mary, Queen of Scots.
The palace itself – combining 16th-century tower houses with baroque state apartments – constitutes a significant architectural collection documenting palace evolution.
The adjacent Holyrood Abbey ruins preserve medieval Gothic architecture and royal burial vaults. Collections are actively curated by Royal Collection Trust, with conservation maintaining historic interiors and fragile textiles.
While primarily a working palace rather than museum, collections are interpreted through multimedia guides and room displays during public opening periods, providing insight into royal ceremonial traditions, Scottish monarchy history, and baroque court culture.
State Apartments
The magnificent baroque State Apartments created for Charles II between 1671-1679 represent Scotland's finest 17th-century royal interiors. Designed by architect William Bruce, these ceremonial rooms follow the traditional palace progression from public audience chambers to private royal spaces. Visitors proceed through the Throne Room with its ornate canopy of state, the Presence Chamber where monarchs received visitors, the Privy Chamber for select audiences, and the Royal Bedchamber – paradoxically a semi-public space in baroque court protocol.
Each room features spectacular plasterwork ceilings, period tapestries, portraits from the Royal Collection, and furnishings reflecting original use. The apartments continue their ceremonial function when The King holds audiences during residence, maintaining living connection to baroque court traditions.
The suite provides exceptional examples of how royal power was architecturally expressed through progressive spatial sequences, rich decoration, and symbolic imagery.
📍 South Range, Ground and First Floors
Historic Apartments - Mary Queen of Scots' Chambers
Preserved in the northwest tower, these 16th-century rooms housed Mary, Queen of Scots during her Scottish reign (1561-1567). The intimate chambers witnessed dramatic historical events including the murder of David Rizzio in 1566. Period furnishings, tapestries, portraits, and interpretive displays recreate Mary's domestic environment and explore her complex political situation.
The bedchamber features reproduction bed hangings, oak furniture, and personal items. An adjoining supper room displays Mary's needlework. The chambers provide tangible connection to one of history's most famous and tragic queens, examining her marriages, religious conflicts, political intrigues, forced abdication, English imprisonment, and execution.
These rooms are among Scotland's most historically significant interiors, witnessing events that shaped British history.
📍 Northwest Tower, First Floor
Great Gallery and Scottish Monarchs Portraits
The 150-foot-long Great Gallery houses 89 portraits of Scottish monarchs commissioned by Charles II from Jacob de Wet in the 1680s. This unique series depicts Scotland's kings from legendary Fergus I (supposedly 330 BC) through real historical monarchs including Robert the Bruce, Mary Queen of Scots, and James VI, to Charles II himself.
While varying in historical accuracy, the commission represented Charles II's attempt to establish legitimacy through connection to ancient royal lineage.
The gallery served as throne room and still hosts royal ceremonies.
Its barrel-vaulted plasterwork ceiling, massive scale, and regimented portrait displays create overwhelming impression of dynastic continuity. This portrait series has no parallel in other British royal residences, making it a unique visual representation of Scotland's (real and legendary) royal history.
📍 North Range, First Floor
Palace Gardens
The 10-acre Palace Gardens blend formal geometric designs with naturalistic plantings, providing green sanctuary beneath Arthur's Seat. The Fountain Garden features seasonal bedding displays around a central fountain. Wider gardens include mature trees, herbaceous borders, and lawns where The King hosts summer garden parties.
The gardens connect the formal baroque palace to Edinburgh's dramatic volcanic landscape, with spectacular views of Arthur's Seat and Salisbury Crags. A small physic garden recreates period medicinal plant cultivation. Gardens provide rare public access to royal outdoor spaces normally reserved for official functions, offering peaceful conclusion to palace visits and appreciation of the palace's landscape setting.
📍 Rear of palace (May-November access)
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.