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The Palace of Holyroodhouse

The Palace of Holyroodhouse, commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland.

The Palace Of Holyroodhouse

About The Palace of Holyroodhouse

The Palace of Holyroodhouse Canongate, Edinburgh East EH8 8DX
The Palace of Holyroodhouse Website
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Open throughout the year, the Palace of Holyroodhouse stands at the end of Edinburgh's Royal Mile.

Explore the Palace's close associations with some of Scotland’s most well-known historic figures such as Mary, Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie, and learn how today it is used by The King when carrying out official engagements in Scotland.

Upcoming Events at The Palace of Holyroodhouse

Guided Looking: An Artwork Audio Described

Selected dates between 20th February 2025 - 18th December 2025

Join Fiona Johnston, audio describer, as she describes various artwork and objects from the Royal Collection at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

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Palace Page Turners

Selected dates between 7th March 2025 - 5th December 2025

Many authors have been inspired to pick up their pen to write about the Palace of Holyroodhouse. These sessions will explore these literary works followed by a hearty discussion!

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Royal Rhyme Time

Selected dates between 1st September 2025 - 8th December 2025

Join us in the historic Abbey Strand Centre for our special Royal Rhyme Time sessions for toddlers.

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Drawing the Italian Renaissance

17th October 2025 - 1st March 2026

This exhibition at The Palace of Holyroodhouse, brings together a wide range of drawings from this revolutionary artistic period, including 45 drawings never exhibited in Scotland before.

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Beneath the Surface: King’s Gallery Short Talks

Selected dates between 23rd October 2025 - 26th February 2026

Join our team at the Palace of Holyroodhouse for weekly gallery talks as part of the exhibition Drawing the Italian Renaissance!

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The Edinburgh Sketcher at The King’s Gallery

22nd November 2025

Join Mark Kirkham, better known as the Edinburgh Sketcher, to explore Drawing the Italian Renaissance at The King’s Gallery, Edinburgh on 22nd November!

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Bookbug at Abbey Strand

28th November 2025

Come along to the very first Bookbug session in the historic Abbey Strand Centre at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on Friday 28th November!

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Family Drawing Workshop

Selected dates between 29th November 2025 - 20th February 2026

Take inspiration from drawings in our latest exhibition Drawing the Italian Renaissance and join us for a special family drawing workshop.

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Descriptive Tour: Drawing the Italian Renaissance - CANCELLED

29th November 2025

Join us for a special descriptive tour of the Drawing the Italian Renaissance exhibition at The King’s Gallery, Edinburgh, designed for visually impaired and blind visitors.

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Family Yoga: Mixed Age Group

29th November 2025

Taking inspiration from Drawing the Italian Renaissance, join us at The Palace of Holyroodhouse for a fun family yoga session full of movement, music, songs and stories.

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Festive Wreath Making at Holyroodhouse

1st December 2025

Join florist and Royal Warrant-holder Lottie Longman at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on 1st December to create your own festive wreath to take home!

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Drawing The Italian Renaissance: A Gallery Late - CANCELLED

5th December 2025

Step into the world of Renaissance artistry for a special evening event at our exhibition Drawing the Italian Renaissance.

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Drawing the Italian Renaissance: Curator’s Introduction

Selected dates between 5th December 2025 - 29th January 2026

Join exhibition curator Lauren Porter at The King's Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse as she discusses works from Drawing the Italian Renaissance!

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Carols at the Palace

9th December 2025

Enjoy seeing the beautifully decorated State Apartments of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, as you make your way to the Great Gallery to hear a wonderful concert of Christmas music.

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Descriptive tour: A Royal Christmas

13th December 2025

Join us for a special descriptive Christmas Tour at the Palace of Holyroodhouse designed for visually impaired visitors.

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BSL Interpreted Tour: Royal Christmas Traditions

13th December 2025

In this BSL guided festive tour, explore Royal Christmas traditions in the beautiful surroundings of the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

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Christmas Activity Day

13th December 2025

Join us at The Palace of Holyroodhouse on 13th December for a fun festive activity for the whole family to enjoy!

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Recitals for Wrigglers

16th December 2025

This Christmas, join Recitals for Wrigglers in the Great Gallery of the Palace of Holyroodhouse for a festive concert specially created for babies and toddlers.

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Drawing the Italian Renaissance: BSL Tour

31st January 2026

Join our British Sign Language tour of the Drawing the Italian Renaissance exhibition at The King's Gallery, Edinburgh.

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Conservator Talk: Conserving the Campi Cartoon

6th February 2026

Victoria Button, Royal Collection Trust’s Head of Paper Conservation, discusses her work in preparing drawings for presentation in Drawing The Italian Renaissance, on display at The King's Gallery.

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Family Yoga: Early Years

13th February 2026

Taking inspiration from Drawing the Italian Renaissance join us for a fun family yoga session full of movement, music, songs and stories. Suitable for children 16 months to 4 years old.

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Storytelling: Inspired by drawings

17th February 2026

Join storyteller Claire McNicol as she explores tales inspired by drawings of the Italian Renaissance in an exciting interactive storytelling session.

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Curatorial Talk: The Patrons of the Renaissance

27th February 2026

Join Martin Clayton, Head of Prints and Drawings at Royal Collection Trust, for this lunchtime lecture as he discusses the vital role of patrons in the creation of Italian Renaissance art.

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More History and Culture in Edinburgh

National Museum of Flight Scotland

National Museum of Flight Scotland East Fortune Airfield, EH39 5LF

Head off on a journey of discovery at this former airfield as you explore the history of aviation from the First World War to the present day

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Panmure House

4 Lochend Close, Edinburgh Old Town EH8 8BL

Panmure House is a 17th-century townhouse located in Edinburgh's Canongate. It is the only surviving residence of renowned Scottish philosopher Adam Smith, who lived there between 1778 and 1790.

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Blackness Castle

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Blackness Castle stands by the Firth of Forth, at the port that served the royal burgh of Linlithgow in medieval times.

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The Royal Yacht Britannia

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Rated Scotland’s Best Visitor Attraction for 12 years by national tourism agency VisitScotland, Britannia was home to Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family for over 40 years.

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Newbattle Abbey

NA Newbattle Road, Dalkeith EH22 3LL

Newbattle Abbey is set in 125 acres of beautiful parkland just outside Edinburgh and contains a wealth of Scottish history.

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The Edinburgh Dungeon

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The Edinburgh Dungeon is the ultimate underground journey through Edinburgh's darkest history as you see, hear and errr smell Edinburgh’s murky past!

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Greyfriars Kirk

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Prestongrange Museum

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Prestongrange is a free open-air museum, that tells 700 years of industrial heritage history. Family friendly, with lots to see and do!

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Princes Street Gardens

Princes Street Gardens Princes Street, Edinburgh New Town EH2 2HG

Princes Street Gardens lies at centre of Edinburgh's World Heritage Site, within New Town and Old Town Outstanding Conservation Areas.

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The Real Mary Kings Close

2 Warriston's Close, Edinburgh Old Town EH1 1PG

Edinburgh's deepest secret, the Real Mary King’s Close is buried deep beneath the Royal Mile... a warren of hidden streets that has remained frozen in time since the 17th Century!

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Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

9 Queen Street, Edinburgh New Town EH2 1JQ

The RCPE is an independent standard-setting body and professional membership organisation. Our aim is to improve and maintain the quality of patient care.

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Lauriston Castle

2 Cramond Road South, Edinburgh West EH4 6AD

When you step inside Lauriston Castle, you see it just as it was in 1926, when it was left to the nation by the last private owner, Mrs Reid.

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Sponsored Links

Fayre Play
Salvation Army
The Chocolatarium
MNB
WST
Go Ape
Children's Classic Concerts
Hilton Glasgow
Mowgli
Hilton Glasgow
Kevin Quantum
Wonder & Co
Escape The Past
Tea Green

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