Scotland Events, Exhibitions & Shows for 2012

Scotland Tourist Attractions
Tourist Attractions in Scotland:- » Edinburgh Castle » Edinburgh Zoo » Gallery of Modern Art » Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum » Museum of Transport » National Gallery of Scotland » National Museum of Scotland » Palace of Holyroodhouse » Royal Botanic Gardens » Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Museum » Royal Yacht Britannia

Click here to follow us with

for the latest special offers for Scotland.

Scotland / Scotland Tourist Attractions / Palace of Holyroodhouse

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