Palace of Holyrood, Edinburgh

Advantages: Fascinating history, Clear and interesting interpretation
Disadvantages: Expensive, Gardens closed in winter, Poor signposting

...the opportunity to visit the Palace of Holyroodhouse*. Anyone who knows me knows that I love visiting historic properties; there is something deeply and endlessly appealing in being able to nose around other people’s houses, especially when those houses are cram packed with history and hung with impressive works of art. However, unlike the majority of such buildings I have had the pleasure of touring, this one stands out as being both a working ...
...and lasting notoriety. The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence in Scotland of the monarch – in other words, it is where the Queen stays when she visits Edinburgh. The palace is situated in the Holyrood area of the city, the historic royal quarter that also includes Holyrood Park, a large area of semi-wild parkland, and Arthur’s Seat, the extinct volcano that rises above the city to give Edinburgh one of its most visible ... Read review

Advantages: Great historical interest
Disadvantages: none

...to know about visiting The Palace of Holyroodhouse. How do I get there? By train the Palace is roughly fifteen minutes walk from Waverly Station. Many buses from the centre of Edinburgh pass by. The open top bus tour stops there How much does it cost? Adults £6.50 Over 60’s £5 Under 17 £3.30 Under 5 Free Family £16.30 When is it open? 1 April to 31 October 09.30 to 1800 (last admission 17.15) 1 November to 31 March 09.30 16.30 ...
...December. What is the Palace of Holyrood? It is the official residence of Her Majesty the Queen in Scotland. The royal apartments are used regularly by The Queen for official entertaining and State ceremonies. They are all beautifully decorated with many works of art from the royal collection. It is set in the large Queens Park where the Queen hosts a garden party in July every year .The year I was offered the chance to go unfortunately coincided ... Read review

Advantages: Davinci collection in the the Queen's gallery
Disadvantages: Our tour guide

...class. I visited the Palace of Holyrood and the Queen's Gallery. I'm a Scot with a degree in History (mostly Scottish History) so I was looking forward to seeing somewhere that has been mentioned in my studies. The Palace of Holyrood has been the main royal residence in Edinburgh since the time of the Stewart Kings. It was built by James V of Scotland and Mary Queen of Scots often used the palace. Prices The cost of the ticket was quite expensive. ...
...Joint ticket Palace and Gallery Adult £9.00 Over 60s £7.00 Under 17s £4.00 Under 5s Free Family £22.00 (2 adults, 3 under 17's). I was expecting a lot for my money. The Queen's Gallery The Queen's Gallery was superb. The exhibition at that time was the largest collection of Da Vinci sketches shown in Scotland. I'm not a big fan of the Mona Lisa so I was surprised how good the exhibition was. I loved the grotesque faces. They were macabre but funny. ... Read review

Advantages: Very historical, some interesting artifacts
Disadvantages: Lack of description, relatively high cost

First and foremost, Holyrood Palace is still a Royal residence. You can feel it from the moment you step inside, there is very much a feel of a grand house whose owner has merely stepped out for a while. Not that I am saying the place feels homely or personal, just that you feel something of an intruder as not much effort is made to make you feel welcome. For your entrance fee (of the order of £5), you get to view a selection of rooms. For the most ...
...though it is difficult to tell. There are no signs or plaques to tell you about the rooms, all you can do is ask one of the guides and hope they are feeling chatty. Somewhat more informative are the rooms associated with Mary, Queen of Scots and the ill-fated Rizzio. Here there are exhibits and an attempt has been made to retell the story, but they could still benefit from a more "user-friendly" facade. Holyrood Abbey, to the rear, is also interesting ... Read review

Advantages: see explanation
Disadvantages: see explanation

...by senility I confused Holyrood Palace with Linlithgow Palace. I am sure Holyrood is fantastic but I have never been there. Unfortunately at the moment it is not possible to alter my first report although the guys at ciao have told me we will be able to shortly. It would be helpful when we can because it is so easy to notice faults after the event. In addition it will mean that we can update reports when this is appropriate. ... Read review

Advantages: History and architecture
Disadvantages: lots of walking and hills

...Edinburgh's Old Town centre's around the Royal Mile, stretching between the Palace of Holyrood and Edinburgh Castle. This part of Edinburgh has thankfully not been touched to any great extent by modern developers and retains the look and feel of a sixteenth century town. Beyond the modern pubs and tourist shops on the Royal Mile, lie narrow winding closes reminisent of the days of the bodysnatchers. This area of Edinburgh is perfectly safe during the day but before you venture into the more out of the way areas at night I recommend you join one of the many tours which leave from near St Giles Cathedral. That way, your guide can also relive the often bloody past of this fascinating town. If you can, arrange to be shown around the underground vaults and closes - if you thought the Old Town above ground was strange, wait till you... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: very interesting
Disadvantages: none

...After you have done the Castle, Holyrood Palace and the rest of the Edinburgh tourist trail in Edinburgh, leave time to visit the Royal Yacht Brittannia moored in Leith. It makes a fascinating half day out for all ages. It certainly brings out the voyeur in the visitor as you peer in at the Queen’s bedroom, the rom in which Charles and Diana spent their honeymoon, the deck where the Royal children used to play, the dining room and the magnificent ballroom complete with grand piano. The Brittania can be combined with a trip to Harry Ramsden’s or if fish and chips is not your scene, buy a picnic from the famous Italian Deli Valvona and Crolla in Elm Row (near Leith Walk)... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: kind people, wonderful places
Disadvantages: too far from my home

...and the Holyrood Palace. From Edinburgh is possible to book some journey trip for other part of Scotland (inverness, Stirling and stuff). The airport is not far from the city, there is a coach who leaves from the airport every 15 mniutes and stop in different points of the city, the last one is Weaverly bridge. I know Edinburgh is a wonderful place, and I m sorry for my short comment, but I'm limited because of my English 'cause I' italian :)... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful