Holyrood

In the beginning, we weren’t sure if we even wanted to do this. These were some of the last tickets I purchased before coming out here, and even then we weren’t entirely sure it’d be worth our time.
For those that have never heard of it, Holyroodhouse is the Queen’s Scotland estate — basically, where she resides in the summer months. It’s a working palace, so there are only so many places that we could visit, but the rooms that we saw (accompanied by yet another free audio guide) were interesting for many different reasons.
Pictures aren’t allowed in Holyroodhouse, so once again we have to rely on our fading, booze-​laden memories.
However, one memory that is not likely to die at any point is this: we were in a room that was detailing the Order of the Thistle — there were details about the Order, as well as a display of regalia and such. We were standing next to a velvet rope in front of the glass case that holds Queen Elizabeth’s robes when I accidentally stepped too far, bumped the velvet rope, which swung out and broke a beam, which immediately set off an alarm. A very loud, obnoxious alarm.
Hands up, a look of guilt on my face, I turned to look at the warder working that room, who made eye contact with me and addressed the room to tell everybody it was okay, while also calling in a guard to deactivate the alarm. He then turned to me and said I had gotten too close, and set off the laser. I wanted to argue that it was the velvet rope that had broken the beam, but I don’t think he would have seen my point. Plus, you know — the rope can’t move on its own.
Whatever — the guard came in and reset the alarm, and we continued on with the tour, but I was absolutely more careful about where I put my fat self from there on out.
I was most fascinated by Mary, Queen of Scots quarters. Not just for her sad history, but also for the memorabilia they had in there. Because I’m still firmly entrenched in the «Outlander» series, I was immediately drawn to all the references to Bonnie Prince Charlie. And there were a ton. His jewels, two of his pistols (they were so small they looked like toys), locks of his hair, letters he had written — it’s quite the collection!
The weather was nice enough to allow us a chance to walk through the gardens, which has a path that leads from the ruins of the Abbey. The Abbey ruins are at once impressive and sad, but definitely worth a visit.
I enjoyed our time here a lot more than I anticipated. It’s a nice stroll down the Royal Mile to the gates of Holyrood, and from there you’ve got a great view of Arthur’s Seat and Calton Hill. There’s plenty to do and see, and of course they have a café and gift shop on premises.

I can’t believe I almost passed this up. I thought to myself, I’ve seen Edinburgh Castle. You’ve seen one castle… you’ve seen them all! NOT TRUE.
The most interesting part of this castle, was to see how England, Scotland and even America, are all interconnected so deeply. How one country’s triumph was another country’s failure. All a matter of perspective I suppose. And to think many turning points in Scotland and England’s history and current state affairs came/​come to fruition where I walked this past August. Though its no Versailles, or not even a Hearst Castle, Holyrood has its own charms.
The audio-​guides were helpful in painting a picture of what the original purpose of the room was and how they are utilized today. I’m a history person, so I love learning about how things were back when kings and queens weren’t simply heads of state.
I do wish I was able to take pictures. If I had more time, I would have liked to climb Arthur’s Seat, which isn’t to far from the Holyrood gates.
Holyrood has to be one of the top 5 things to see when visiting Edinburgh. It also doesn’t take a lot of time to tour either, maybe 1 – 2 hours tops, so there really is no reason to miss this gem.

A bit of a maze really, Holyrood is a definite must see for tourists and locals alike, and a worthwhile way to spend a good few hours.
The Scottish Parliament, Dynamic Earth and of course Holyrood Palace are all in this area, so as well as a great day out, it’s also an expensive one. The admission to Holyrood Palace is £10.25, and to me that is just way too expensive. Yes it was interesting, but honestly, the best part about the place was the giftshop. It was top class.
So go and experience it, have a wander around, get the feel for the place but it will probably be a one off experience that will leave you feeling a bit peeved at the price!

Holyrood is unmissable. If you missed it during your time in Edinburgh then you were either walking around with your eyes closed or in Glasgow.
It’s well worth a visit, but unless you know where you are going it can be a little tricky to navigate through. I do, however, fortunately have some tips on getting the best out of a visit to Holyrood.
My advice is to start near Holyrood Palace where there is a car park. Then head either up Sailsbury Crag or head left and up towards the old chapel (St Anthony’s) just above the loch. Here you will find great views from St Anthony’s and then from here you can head up and left and you will see Arthur’s Seat. The climb from here isn’t too demanding and you should soon be at the top appreciating the view.

Just a few minutes from the city centre, accidentally walking into the Holyrood area can often seem a bit odd as it will quite literally feel as if you’ve arrived in the middle of nowhere.
That’s not a criticism. The looming presence of Arthur’s Seat is very impressive, and there are few city centres in the world graced with rugged natural beauty on the doorstep.
In terms of actual civilisation, there’s the hapless parliament, and tourist attractions such as Dynamic Earth and unsurprisingly, Holyrood Palace. The past few years have also seen a few moderately high-​profile companies open up offices in the area, yet in some ways it still feels a bit underdeveloped.
I quite like it this way though, one of the more peaceful locations within easy reach of the city centre.

It’s hard not to be bowled over by the sweeping Crags of the Holyrood area, and the immenseness of Arthur’s Seat at the centre of Holyrood Park. I’ve been running here a few times, and on one occasion there was this amazing fog and mist hanging over the large expanse of water on the route round Arthur’s Seat, and the whole area just felt absolutely haunting and amazing. I do feel we’re really lucky in Edinburgh to have places of such natural beauty, so close and accessible from the centre of town.
The Holyrood area also encompasses The Scottish Parliament, exhibition centre Dynamic Earth, and Holyrood Palace. I’m a little bit ashamed to say I’ve never been to Holyrood Palace, or maybe I did go on one of those school trips I can’t remember, but it’s one of those scenarios where I always say I will go, but when something’s on your doorstep, you put it off. However, I definitely have been to The Scottish Parliament, worth a look so you can form an opinion, if you wish, on the controversial expense of the architecture, but I more enjoyed peering into the Debating Chamber and chilling there for a while.

I’ve lived on Holyrood Road for over 2 years now, and it still never seems to get any better of livelier. At one point, we had a small (but successful) supermarket but was, sadly, short-​lived. Yeah there are two nice sandwich shops and a nice coffee shop. But that’s it. That’s where the liveliness ends. It drives me crazy that I have to get in the car for a pint of milk, and the nearest supermarket is about 10mins away by car. The area has so much potential and it drives me crazy to think that it’s just sitting there doing nothing! Whenever I see a tourist here I lingure a bit to see if they need directions — they must be lost.
It is next door to the Parliament, the Palace, Dynamic Earth and has great views of the Craggs and Arthurs Seat… yet it has nothing special about it. I wish it had a bit more life! It’s a famous road so it should have something more to offer than a couple coffee shops and a seedy housing estate!