Palace of Holyrood House

Together with its neighboring abbey, Holyrood Palace has been the traditional residence of the Scottish monarchy for centuries, witnessing countless coronations, weddings, births and burials. The palace continues to host the British royal family each summer when the Queen spends her annual week entertaining in Edinburgh.

According to legend, Holyrood Abbey stands in the very place where King David I of Scotland was nearly gored to death by a wild stag in 1128. He founded the abbey as a gesture of gratitude for his miraculous rescue, attributed to the sudden apparition of a radiant cross, hence the name "Holyrood” (“rood” being an archaic word for “cross”). Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, David’s successors contributed a series of additional wings and towers, among them the former apartments of Mary Queen of Scots. Visitors can see where Mary witnessed the brutal stabbing of her private secretary, David Rizzio.

Both the palace and lovely ruined abbey are open to the public throughout the year, except when the Queen is in residence, traditionally during the last week of June.