Palace of Holyroodhouse
Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DX
Tägl. 9:30–16:30 Uhr (Sommer bis 18 Uhr). Geschlossen bei royalen Besuchen.
Erwachsene: £18 (ca. 21€)
The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official Scottish residence of the British monarch — located at the lower end of the Royal Mile, at the foot of Arthur's Seat. Since the 15th century, it has been the seat of Scottish kings, and the palace is especially associated with one figure: Mary, Queen of Scots.
What you see
- Mary's Chambers: The rooms where Mary Stuart lived — and where her private secretary David Rizzio was murdered in 1566 before her eyes (allegedly with 56 stab wounds, by a group of nobles led by her own husband Lord Darnley). The bloodstain on the floor is legendary — whether real or repainted, no one knows anymore.
- The Great Gallery: 44 meters long, with 96 portraits of Scottish kings (real and legendary), painted by Jacob de Wet in the 17th century. Many of the portraits are fictional — but they tell the story Scotland wanted to tell itself.
- Holyrood Abbey: The ruin of the adjacent Augustinian abbey (founded in 1128) is atmospheric and photogenic — the open roof gives a view of the sky, the Gothic arches stand like skeletons. Included for free with the palace ticket.
- Queens Gallery: Changing exhibitions from the Royal Collection — art collected by the monarchy over centuries.
