The Palace of Holyroodhouse began as the guest house of an abbey. King David I founded Holyrood Abbey in 1128 — according to legend after a stag with a glowing cross between its antlers spared his life while he hunted here — and Scottish kings preferred its comfortable lodgings to the draughty castle up the hill. James IV and James V turned them into a palace; Charles II rebuilt it in the 1670s into the building you see today.
It is still a working royal residence. The King stays here each summer for Holyrood Week, and the palace closes to visitors during royal and state occasions. At other times you can walk through the State Apartments, the Great Gallery with its 100-odd portraits of real and legendary Scottish kings, and the small tower rooms where Mary, Queen of Scots lived — and where her secretary David Rizzio was murdered in front of her in 1566.
The abbey church lost its roof in the 18th century and has stood as a romantic ruin ever since. Behind the palace, the gardens open straight onto the view of Arthur’s Seat and the crags: the royal park really is the palace’s back garden.
Top things to do at Palace of Holyroodhouse & Abbey
Tour the State Apartments
A multimedia guide is included with the ticket and leads you through rooms still used for investitures and state dinners. Allow an hour to an hour and a half.
Climb to Mary, Queen of Scots’ chambers
A narrow spiral stair leads to the oldest part of the palace: the queen’s bedchamber and the tiny supper room from which Rizzio was dragged. It is the most atmospheric corner of the building.
Walk the abbey ruins and gardens
The nave of the abbey church is included in the visit, as are the gardens in the warmer months. Look back at the palace with Arthur’s Seat rising behind it.
Combine it with the hill
The classic day is the hill first, while you are fresh and the light is good, then the palace after lunch. The paths up Arthur’s Seat start across the road from the palace car park.
How to get to Palace of Holyroodhouse & Abbey
- On foot: the palace is at the bottom of the Royal Mile, 15–20 minutes’ walk downhill from the castle or from Waverley station.
- By bus: Lothian services run along the Canongate and Holyrood Road, and the hop-on hop-off sightseeing buses all stop here.
- By car: the pay car park at Broad Pavement, beside the palace, is also the main car park for Holyrood Park.
Insider tips
- Check opening dates before you go. The palace closes for royal visits (notably around late June and early July) and on certain days in winter.
- Book online in advance in summer; tickets are for a timed entry.
- The café in the Mews courtyard is open to non-ticket-holders and is the closest good coffee to the start of the hill paths.
Best tours & tickets for Palace of Holyroodhouse & Abbey
These top-rated experiences pair well with a visit to Palace of Holyroodhouse & Abbey:
Entry ticket from €26 Edinburgh: Palace of Holyroodhouse Entry Ticket
The King’s official residence in Scotland stands at the very foot of Arthur’s Seat, which makes it the natural pairing for the climb. The ticket covers the State Apartments, the rooms where Mary, Queen of Scots lived, the roofless 12th-century abbey and the gardens. The palace closes during royal visits — check dates when you book.
- The State Apartments and Mary, Queen of Scots’ chambers
- The ruins of Holyrood Abbey and the gardens
- Multimedia guide included
Distillery tour from €32 Edinburgh: Holyrood Distillery Whisky & Gin Tour
A working single malt and gin distillery in a converted Victorian railway building on the edge of Holyrood Park — close enough that you can walk off the hill and straight into a tasting. An hour-long guided tour with samples; over a thousand reviews.
- A working distillery beside Holyrood Park
- Guided tour with tastings
- Five minutes from the Salisbury Crags paths
Bus tour from €21 Edinburgh: City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
The open-top loop from Waverley Bridge passes the castle, the Grassmarket and the New Town and stops at Holyrood by the palace and Dynamic Earth — a short walk from the start of the paths up Arthur’s Seat. Useful if you want to save your legs for the hill itself.
- Stops at Holyrood, beside the park entrance
- Castle, Royal Mile, New Town and Grassmarket
- Audio commentary in several languages
