Scotland Tourist Attractions
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Palace of Holyroodhouse
Edinburgh
Standing at the bottom of the Royal Mile street in Edinburgh, with Arthur's Seat
in the background, is the Palace of Holyroodhouse - the official Scotland residence
of Her Majesty The Queen.
Founded as a monastery in 1128 by David I, the Palace of Holyroodhouse has served
as the main residence of the Kings and Queens of Scots since the 15th century, including
Mary Queen of Scots between 1561 and 1567.
Today, the Palace is the setting for State ceremonies and official entertaining
and the Queen stays here when she is in Scotland for State occasions.
When the Queen is elsewhere and there are no other members of the Royal Family in
residence, parts of the building are open to the public. The Royal Apartments are
renowned for their fine plasterwork ceilings and magnificent furnishings and reflect
the changing tastes of successive monarchs. The exceptional collection of Brussels
tapestries is worth seeing, as is the Great Gallery, hung with Jacob de Wet's portraits
of the real and legendary kings of Scotland. An audio tour details the history of
the rooms, and from 1 April to 31 October the gardens can be included as part of
a visit to the Palace of Holyroodhouse (visitors must keep to the paths).
The new Queen's Gallery at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh hosts a programme
of changing exhibitions from the Royal Collection. The intricate and ornate entrance
to the Queen's Gallery leads most visitors to expect a rather grand, ornate and
old-fashioned room; in fact, the interior is surprisingly contemporary. Made up
of a series of flexible spaces, the gallery hosts a changing programme of exhibitions
from the Royal Collection, with a focus on works from the Royal Library at Windsor
Castle. There's also computer access to an e-Gallery, with interactive online exhibition
catalogues and details of other works from the collection.
Address
Palace of Holyroodhouse
Royal Mile
Edinburgh
EH8 8DX
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