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An Apollonaut travel guide
The palace behind the story.
An abbey, the royal residents who lived beside it and a palace still in use offer several ways into the story of the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
On this page
Holyrood Abbey
Holyrood Abbey, an Augustinian abbey, was founded in 1128 by David I. Its choir and transepts were pulled down in 1570, and its nave was kept as a parish church.
The ruins stand beside the palace today, and the palace’s name still recalls the abbey of the Holy Rood.
A royal residence
Beside the abbey stood the palace of James IV and James V, the home of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the building Charles II had rebuilt from 1671.
It remains the monarch’s official residence in Scotland, used for official engagements, and as a working palace it can close to visitors at short notice.
A listed building
The palace was designated a Category A listed building on 13 December 1970.
This history belongs to the palace and the people who shaped it. The History page offers a longer introduction, and the timeline gives a short route through selected milestones.
Read at the source
Sources & further reading
Links lead to the original publishers.
