The Palace of Holyroodhouse (or Holyrood palace), as many of you probably already know, is the queen's official residence in Scotland. And whilst it is a 30 odd minute walk from home, up until recently we did not get around to exploring it properly ( other than walking past it every so often). My mum's visit over the summer finally gave us a reason to do so.
Holyrood Palace is a stunning piece of baroque architecture and beautifully symmetric. We started our exploration of the palace at the quadrangle with perfectly manicured lawns where we stood and observed the different levels (floors) of the palace and learned about their significance. The Royal accommodation is on the second floor as was the place where Mary Queen of Scots took residence during her eventful stay here.
Photography was not allowed inside the palace but the Queen's chambers, the royal dining room as well as the chambers occupied by Mary Queen of Scots were fascinating to see and learn about. Mary Queen of Scots lived here for about six years until the murder of David Rizzio and her forced abdication. The listening guides we borrowed were very useful in bringing to life the rich and sometimes dark history of the palace.
After our tour of the palace interiors, we were led to what is left of Holyrood Abbey. Despite the ruins, the abbey is a beautiful place and what remains of the architecture is very impressive. It was built in 1128 as per the orders of King David I of Scotland. A lot of early Scottish history is closely linked with this Abbey.
The palace is surrounded by beautiful gardens that are also well worth exploring but as we were happening a typically Edinburgh weather day with light drizzle and cool winds, we cut short that part of the tour. We hope to be back on a drier day to walk around the gardens some more.
All in all, I think the palace is great place to explore some European and British history. As we managed to get a year along entry pass when we bought our tickets ( I'm not sure but I think its what happens with all tickets), we will be back to explore it some more.
For more of my photos from the day, check out my Instagram page. Hope you are having a lovely week! Ann x
Wearing: Petit Bateau dress, Muubaa jacket, Bloch ballerinas, Wolford tights and Longchamp bag
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