Frommer's Review
King James IV established this palace at the beginning of the 16th century adjacent to an abbey that King David I had founded in 1128. What you see today was mostly built for Charles II in the 1670s. The nave of the abbey church, now in ruins, still stands, though the north tower is the earliest bit of the palace that remains intact. This wing was the scene of Holyroodhouse's most dramatic incident when Mary Queen of Scots's Italian secretary, David Rizzio, was stabbed repeatedly by her jealous husband, Lord Darnley, and his accomplices. A plaque marks the spot where he died on March 9, 1566. And one of the more curious exhibits is a piece of needlework done by Mary depicting a cat-and-mouse scene. (Her cousin, Elizabeth I, is the cat.)
The palace suffered long periods of neglect, but it basked in brief glory during a ball thrown by Bonnie Prince Charlie in the mid-18th century, during the peak of his feverish (and doomed) rebellion to restore the Stuart line to monarchy. Later Holyrood's fortunes were revived -- as were other royal holdings in Scotland -- by Queen Victoria. Today the royal family stays here whenever they visit Edinburgh. When they're not in residence, the palace is open to visitors.
Highlights include the oldest surviving section, King James Tower, where Mary Queen of Scots lived on the second floor, with Lord Darnley's rooms below. Some of the rich tapestries, paneling, massive fireplaces, and antiques from the 1700s are still in place. The Picture Gallery boasts many portraits of Scottish monarchs. More recently, the Queen's Gallery (separate admission) opened to display works from the royal collection, whether Mughal art or Dutch paintings.
Behind Holyroodhouse is Holyrood Park, Edinburgh's largest. With rocky crags, a loch, sweeping meadows, and the ruins of a chapel, it's a wee bit of the Scottish countryside in the city, and a great place for a picnic. If you climb up Holyrood Park, you'll come to 250m-high (823-ft.) Arthur's Seat, from which the panorama is breathtaking. The name doesn't refer to King Arthur, as many people assume, but perhaps is a reference to Prince Arthur of Strathclyde or a corruption of Ard Thor, Gaelic for "height of Thor."
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