James IV of Scotland built Holyrood Palace- he started it in 1501 on the site of the old Holyrood Abbey that was founded in the 1100s. These days, it’s the official home of the Queen when she’s in Scotland. They close the castle to visitors when she’s in residence and they have this crazy, formal ceremony for her each summer when she comes to stay. It’s a ritual to hand her the keys. I told my son that I’d hate for people to make such a big fuss when I came home.
Luckily, the palace was open when we were there and we got to see some of the state apartments which are spectacular. There was no photography inside so I can’t share that with you. They even have Mary, Queen of Scots’ bed with the original hangings and tapestries in the room. Very intriguing. I had no idea either that she was super tall. You never hear that when you hear the legend of her and Elizabeth I.
Here’s a few outdoor pictures.
Jillian Chantal 
What a great place. We saw a lot of castles on our Baltic tour and my favorite was Catherine’s Palace and the Amber room.
By: Lavada Dee on November 9, 2012
at 4:40 pm
Oooh. I’ve always wanted to see that. Cool. The amber room had to be fantastic.
By: Jillian Chantal on November 9, 2012
at 7:04 pm