Holyroodhouse, The Royal Residence In Scotland

Edinburgh stands out for its medieval heritage. A wonderful city with corners of enormous beauty. On this occasion, we stop at Holyroodhouse, the residence of the Queen of England when she visits Scotland for official events. Come with us to tour it!

The history of Holyroodhouse

This palace was actually born as an abbey, the remains of which can still be seen. A legend tells us about its origin. It tells that in the year 1127, King David I of Scotland was hunting when he was surprised and attacked by a giant deer.

One version tells that a cross appeared between the antlers of the deer that emitted a flash that allowed the king to flee. The other assures that it was a crucifix that appeared in the king’s hands and allowed him to defend himself.

Whichever is true, the fact was that the king was able to avoid danger. For this reason, he  wanted to thank the apparition and founded the Abbey of the Holy Cross, Holyrood Abbey.

Next to it was a guest house that royalty frequented. This was a quiet place in nature, perfect for relaxing and isolating yourself from the tumult of the city of Edinburgh, already of some importance. In addition, it offered much more privacy than the castle.

Building the palace

This house was highly frequented, but it was not enough to satisfy the needs of royalty. And it is that already in the XV century this place was considered a royal residence. For this reason, in 1501 a palace began to be built.

It was James IV who ordered the construction of the new residence west of the abbey cloister. But that building would be expanded over the years to become the Holyroodhouse palace that we know.

Unfortunately, very little remains of the abbey that gave rise to the palace today. Hardly one of the entrances and the Gothic nave are preserved. Still, visiting the ruins is most evocative.

More about Holyroodhouse

The renovations that the palace underwent left a mark on its form and architecture. Although there were many kings who had to do with them, the most important were carried out during the reign of Carlos II, who insisted on reforming a large part of the building.

However, the original essence of this palace remained intact and continues to preserve that mysticism from medieval times. Inside you can still see the ostentation of the royalty of that time. Impossible not to notice its walls with tapestries and intricate moldings on the ceilings or in its imposing rooms and halls.

Its most famous guests

Many royals have passed through this palace, including the current Queen of England, who uses it as her residence when taking part in official events in Scotland. But before her, she had tenants who have gone down in history for a variety of reasons.

María Estuardo was, without a doubt, his most famous guest. Mary was Queen of Scots from her birth in 1542 and for 25 years, until she was forced to abdicate her son.

And, in addition to its historical relevance, it also left its mark on Holyroodhouse by a terrible fact. Its protagonist is David Rizzio, supposed lover of the queen, who was assassinated by the outraged husband. Legend has it that his ghost has been roaming the corridors of the palace ever since.

He is not the only disembodied “tenant” of the palace. There is another ghost, that of a soldier. He was apparently tasked with searching for the existence of a secret passageway between Holyroodhouse and Edinburgh Castle. But he was never heard from again. Since then, they say, sad songs have been heard between the palace walls.

You see that the Palace of Holyroodhouse has many real and unreal stories to tell. Therefore, it has become an essential visit in Edinburgh. We recommend that you don’t miss it either. Of course, when the queen is staying in it, tourist visits are closed.