Palace of Holyroodhouse

This is the Queen’s official residence in Edinburgh and is the home of Scottish royal history. The State Apartments are used regularly by The Queen for State ceremonies and official entertaining. The Queen lives at the Palace of Holyroodhouse while attending meetings and visiting Scottish regions. Her Majesty’s stay in Edinburgh usually takes place from the end of June to the beginning of July. Then the Scottish variant of the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom is flown, then you know the Queen is in residence and the Palace is closed to visitors.

At the Palace of Holyroodhouse, visitors can explore 14 magnificent historic and State Apartments, the ruins of the 12th-century Holyrood Abbey and the royal gardens. One of Scotland’s most well-known historic figure Bonnie Prince Charlie is also associated with the palace. But it is probably best known, is Mary, Queen of Scots, the Palace was the setting for many dramatic episodes in her short reign and was featured in the 2019 Universal Pictures movie Mary, Queen of Scots.  The entry tickets includes a multimedia guide available in English, Gaelic, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Mandarin and British Sign Language and there is also a multimedia guide for families. You can visit the Palace of Holyroodhouse at your leisure using the complimentary multimedia tour, which lasts approximately 1 hour. Please be aware that photography is not permitted inside the Palace. If you are looking for a quick bite to eat the Café at the Palace offers simple, home-made dishes from fresh, locally-sourced produce. If you’re looking for something special they also offer Afternoon Tea. Please be aware that eating and drinking is also not allowed inside the Palace. Toilets and baby-care facilities are located in the Café at the Palace. For safety reasons, pushchairs cannot be taken into the Palace. They need to be checked in at the entrance and collected at the end of your visit

Palace Opening times: April – October 09:30-18:00 (last admission 16:30) November – March 09:30-16:30 (last admission 15:15)The Palace of Holyroodhouse is closed  14 – 25  May, 25 – 26 December and during royal visits.

Admission prices: Palace of Holyroodhouse

Adult £15.00, Over 60/Student (with valid ID) £13.00, Under 17 £8.70, Under 5 Free, Family (2 adults, 3 under 17s) £38.70

Combined Visit: Palace and Gallery
 Adult £20.20, Over 60 £18.40, Student (with valid ID) £17.90, Under 17 £11.20, Under 5 Free, Family (2 adults, 3 under 17s) £51.80

For more information, visit https://www.rct.uk/visit/palace-of-holyroodhouse