Holyrood Palace
Scotland's working royal residence since the 1500s — the actual rooms where Mary, Queen of Scots lived are open to walk through.
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At the foot of the Royal Mile, directly opposite Edinburgh Castle, this palace has been Scotland's principal royal residence since the 16th century. The ruined abbey next door dates to 1128 and served as a site where Scottish kings were buried and crowned. King Charles III still spends one week here each early summer for official engagements.
What to look for
- The 16th-century apartments of Mary, Queen of Scots, open to the public throughout most of the year
- The ruined Holyrood Abbey (founded 1128), where James II was born, crowned, married, and buried
- The King's Gallery at the western entrance, opened in 2002 to exhibit works from the Royal Collection
Check dates before visiting — the palace closes to the public when members of the royal family are in residence, including King Charles III's annual week at the start of summer.
Holyrood Palace is one of 28 sights worth the detour in Edinburgh, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Edinburgh pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Edinburgh
- Edinburgh CastleAttacked 26 times over 1,100 years — research calls it the most besieged place in Great Britain.
- The National (Scottish National Gallery)Since 1912, two near-identical neoclassical buildings have stood side by side on The Mound — visitors have been walking into the wrong one ever since.
- National Museum of ScotlandDolly the sheep, one of Elton John's extravagant suits, and a Victorian cast-iron hall — all under one free roof on Chambers Street.
- Murrayfield StadiumScotland's largest stadium opened in 1925 with a Grand Slam win — 70,000 people watched it happen.
- St Giles' CathedralA prayer book read here in 1637 caused a riot that sparked a rebellion pulling three kingdoms into war.
- Holyrood AbbeyA king nearly gored by a charging hart founded this abbey in thanksgiving — the ruin now stands beside the palace that grew from its own guesthouse.