Palace of Holyrood House

The Palace of Holyroodhouse is located at the end of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile and is the main residence of Queen Elizabeth II in Scotland. At the start of every summer, the Queen will spend one week at the palace and carries out several engagements and ceremonies here.  Medieval legend is thought to believe that the Abbey was constructed approximately 900 years ago by David I of Scotland. It is said that one day while David was hunting he say a stag with a shining cross between his antlers and believed that this was a message sent from God and therefore he built the abbey on that very location. The abbey is called ‘Holy Rood’ and the Palace actually means ‘Holy Cross’. Over 35 years ago many other buildings were added to the Palace as it was just thought to be too small for the community it was providing for and therefore monastic buildings such as a chapter house, a refectory and cloisters were constructed. Highlights of the Palace include the State Apartments with their magnificent ceilings and range of French and Flemish tapestries, the Throne Room, the Palace Gardens, the Palace Treasures and the Great Gallery. Today, the Queen stays at the Palace throughout ‘Holyrood Week’ at the end of June and goes to various meeting and visits. There is a café at the Palace offering homemade dishes and a shop where you can purchase the Royal Collection.