Palace of Holyroodhouse

Mary Queen of Scots' rooms and a roofless abbey

⚠ Closed Tue & Wed

Hours: Thu–Mon 9:30am–6pm (last admission 4:30pm); Nov–Mar 9:30am–4:30pm (last 3:15pm). Closed Tue & Wed; daily in summer (late May–mid Sep) (2026, per third-party listings; check rct.uk)
Tickets: Adult £22 in advance / £26 on the day; 18–24 £14/£17; 5–17 £11/£13; under 5 free. Audio guide and abbey included. Book at rct.uk (2026, per third-party guide)
Address: At the foot of the Royal Mile (Canongate), opposite the Scottish Parliament

This is still the monarch's official residence in Scotland. With the audio guide you move through the gilded state rooms, then climb a tight spiral stair to Mary Queen of Scots' chambers, where her secretary Rizzio was murdered in 1566; it's the story everyone remembers. The route ends in the roofless ruins of Holyrood Abbey, with sky and Arthur's Seat showing through the arches.