August 2021: Edinburgh: Palace of Holyroodhouse

The Palace

The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. The palace, directly beside the ruins of Holyrood Abbey, stands at the foot of the Royal Mile, opposite the Scottish Parliament and adjacent to the Queen’s Gallery, a converted church which stages around three exhibitions each year of items selected from the Royal Collection. The palace itself is built around a quadrangle, reflecting its monastic origins. Queen Elizabeth II bases herself there for one week each year in order to undertake a variety of official engagements. As you might expect, tourist visits are suspended when the building is being used for royal duties.

The palace is also heavily associated with another queen: Mary, Queen of Scots, who ruled Scotland from 1542 to 1587. The tourist route around the palace takes in Mary’s private chambers, including the place where her private secretary, David Rizzio, suffered a grisly death by multiple stabbings. Mary’s story is one of the most famous in history, culminating in her own eventual execution in England. Her only son, James VI of Scotland, became James I of England upon the death of Elizabeth I in 1603, thereby uniting the two crowns. It would take a further 104 years to merge the two parliaments – a measure now partially reversed with the advent of Scottish devolution.

(Note: As with similar place names in Wales, Northern Ireland and elsewhere in Scotland, the ‘holy’ is pronounced ‘holly’.)

The Abbey

Holyrood Abbey was founded in the 12th century and became one of the most magnificent monasteries in Scotland. It was downgraded to an ordinary parish church following the Scottish Reformation, keeping this role until the 17th century. It has been in a state of ruin since the 18th century. German composer Felix Mendelssohn visited the ruins in 1829 and sketched out what would later become the opening bars of his ‘Scottish’ symphony.

The Gardens

The final part of the visit, for those who want it, is a stroll through the palace gardens, part of Holyrood Park.