Of all of Britain’s cities, perhaps Edinburgh has the most picturesque views – from Calton Hill to Edinburgh Castle and Arthur’s Seat. Any of those places presents an opportunity to take in panoramic vistas, so as to include the two other high points and the city below with much history visibly contained within it.
That history begins with early human settlements in the area through the Bronze and Iron ages which eventually became home to a Brittonic Celtic tribe known as the Gododdin. The Gododdin, by the 7th Century AD, had built the hill fort of Din Eidyn or Etin and, therefore, provided the basis for what would become the name of the city. Upon being attacked by King Oswald of Northumbria in 638, the fortress and much of the Lothian region around it along the Firth of Forth was absorbed into the Anglian kingdom for the next three centuries. In 950, it was captured by the Kingdom of Alba in the reign of King Indulf. About two-hundred years later in 1125, David I of Scotland, granted Edinburgh its royal burgh charter; it gradually gained status as Scotland’s capital city and James III described it, in the 15th Century, as “the principal burgh of our kingdom.”
The city became the center for the Scottish Reformation and the religious conflicts of the 17th Century, which helped to lead to the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. And also, to the downfall of the House of Stuart with the execution of Charles I, whose father James VI had succeeded to the English throne in 1603, as James I. He, therefore, became the first man to rule all Britain in a personal union known as the Union of the Crowns, in which England and Scotland remained separate kingdoms. Scottish support for restoring Charles II (the son of Charles I) resulted in the occupation of Edinburgh by the New Model Army of Oliver Cromwell.
Following the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Edinburgh continued to be the capital of an independent Scotland, until the Acts of Union was passed by the English and Scottish parliaments in 1707. This act united England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain and triggered the merging of the two parliaments into the British Parliament in London.
Throughout the 18th Century, it continued to prosper and became an increasingly important banking center, though it remained densely populated and crowded, due to staying largely within its medieval boundaries.
Following the defeat of the Jacobite armies of Bonnie Prince Charlie, which had occupied it during the Rising of 1745, the city embarked to stimulate economic activity and affirm its loyalty to the Union, and to the Hanoverian monarch George III. This resulted in the development of the New Town to the north – which included elegant Georgian and neoclassical architecture and extensive planning (and was put on display for George IV during his historic visit in 1822).
This change, along with the city being at the heart of the Scottish Enlightenment and home to intellectuals, such as Adam Smith and David Hume, gained Edinburgh the nickname, “Athens of the North.” Among the lasting impacts of the Enlightenment, was the Encyclopædia Britannica, designed in Edinburgh by Colin Macfarquhar and Andrew Bell.
Through the 19th and early 20th centuries, Edinburgh continued to grow within the county of Midlothian (also known as Edinburghshire for its county town) and it was granted city status by Queen Victoria in 1889. Compared to other urban areas of the United Kingdom, it industrialized little and was overtaken by Glasgow as Scotland’s largest city, and the second city of the British Empire. Nonetheless, it still had some industry in the form of printing, brewing, distilling, engineering, and rubber works. The central area in the New Town developed into a significant center for business activity and shopping, while the Old Town was given a Victorian make-over and further improvements.
In the latter half of the 20th Century, the city went through a decline with the loss of some traditional industry. But it has undergone several regeneration projects, as well as taken other steps into the present, to solidify its position as the UK’s second-largest financial and administrative center, after London.
Today, the city is also the seat of the devolved Scottish Parliament, which was established in 1999 with some exclusive areas of responsibility for domestic policies affecting the people of Scotland within the United Kingdom.
With a population of 492,000, Edinburgh is Scotland’s second-largest city and the seventh-largest city in the UK. It is home several internationally-recognized landmarks and institutions, many of which are located in the Old Town and New Town sections, which together have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
It is also a center for education, law, arts and sciences, medicine, and engineering, as well as cultural attractions, such as the Edinburgh International Festival and Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Still further, it’s various historic sites also help to make the city the UK’s second-biggest tourist destination, after London.
Among these historic sites, is the Palace of Holyroodhouse (or Holyrood Palace), which has its origins in the 12th Century, when David I of Scotland established Holyrood Abbey on the present site. The abbey guesthouse became the foundation for the royal residence which, from the 16th Century forward, had become the principal residence for Scottish monarchs, and subsequently British monarchs, when carrying out official duties and activities in Scotland. This includes Queen Elizabeth II, who moves her court there for one week in the summer, known as Holyrood Week.
Located opposite of Edinburgh Castle at the foot of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh’s Old Town, the building is set in a quadrangle arrangement. The exterior of the palace, as it is known today, was largely built in the Baroque style of Sir William Bruce between 1671 and 1678, following the restoration of Charles II. The northwest tower was built over a hundred years earlier by James V. But Bruce provided for a matching tower to the southwest and the two were linked together within the overall plans, which blended the palace into an overall coherent design, especially with regard to its front façade.
Inside, the palace presents some of the most stately and well-appointed rooms in Britain. They reflect the tastes of successive monarchs over the centuries, with a rich variety of interior styles, artwork, and other furnishings. In terms of rooms still in use today by the Queen and other members of the Royal Family, there are the State Apartments, which include the Throne Room – used for receptions and ceremonies such as the installation of new Knights and Ladies of the Order of the Thistle, the highest order of chivalry in Scotland and second-highest in the UK. There’s also the Royal Dining Room and the Morning Drawing Room, where the Queen receives the First Minister of Scotland and other dignitaries, including foreign ones, for private audiences.
On the other side of the building, to the north, is the Great Galley. This is the largest room in the palace and is most notable as the place where the Queen carries out investitures for Scots bestowed with knighthoods and other honours, as well as other banquets and ceremonies. Within this room are portraits of Scottish monarchs, including both legendary and real ones. Indeed, there are many more portraits of monarchs and other royals up to the present day, throughout the building. Of particular interest are the portraits of both the deposed and defeated Stuarts, such as Bonnie Prince Charlie, along with those of their Hanoverian cousins, who emerged triumphant in the struggle for power during the 18th Century. Emblematic of the complicated and extraordinary history of the UK.
That history is seen in the form of the chambers and apartments of kings and queens from long ago. Among them, is the suite of rooms designed for Charles II, including the King’s Bedchamber, which – per the tastes of the Merry Monarch – is the most lavishly decorated room of the palace. It boasts richly carved woodwork and plastering, along with tapestries and the luxurious State Bed. In addition, there is the King’s Ante-Chamber, Wardrobe, and Closest. From here, the rooms are connected, via the Great Gallery, to the northwest tower. This is where the apartments of Mary, Queen of Scots and her husband Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley are located. These historic areas are among the least changed since Queen Mary’s time. Because of that, they give a sense of the tumultuous events which enveloped her short reign.
The first floor features the Darnley rooms, which are linked, via a spiral stair, to the identical set of rooms occupied by Mary, including her Outer Chamber, where she received visitors, and which now features a collection of Stuart and Jacobite artifacts.
This leads to her Inner Chamber, said to be the most famous bedroom in Scotland. Many of the paintings and other features date from Mary’s time and earlier, including the oak ceiling which bear the monograms MR and IR for her parents, Mary of Guise (Maria Regina) and James V (Jacobus Rex). Other items, such as the Flemish tapestries, are more recent, but still add to the mystique of this room and the infamous woman who occupied it.
Elsewhere in the palace complex is Holyrood Abbey, which is attached to the palace, but has been a ruin since 1768 when its roof collapsed. It still stands as a beautiful piece of Medieval architecture. The forecourt features a fountain, installed by Queen Victoria (which emulates a similar one at Linlithgow Palace), as well as a nearby statue of her son, Edward VII. This statue was unveiled by his son, George V, who brought the palace into the 20th Century by overseeing extensive improvements during his reign. Improvements such as the installation of central heating and electric lighting.
In addition, the Queen’s Gallery is located to the west of the palace and exhibits works from the Royal Collection. Next door to it, in the Mews Courtyard, is the Café at the Palace, which serves mostly light meals and – so quintessentially British – tea in the afternoons. The palace gift shop is also nearby to collect mementos. Furthermore, there are the overall grounds and gardens of the palace – where the Queen hosts garden parties – which expand into the vaster Holyrood Park (aka Queen’s Park) This includes Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags, whose peaks contain some of the best views of the area.
Back at the palace, audio tours are available via a device which allows visitors to listen to commentary on Holyroodhouse, and on the people who have lived there, as they make their way through the building. Admission is available for different levels of access to the palace and its surrounding areas, and in this year until October 16th, it includes access to a special exhibit in honor of the Queen’s 90th birthday. The exhibit is entitled ‘Fashioning a Reign: 90 Years of Style from The Queen’s Wardrobe.’ For larger groups, bookings are available for both private and personally guided tours by Scottish Blue Badge Guides. And there are special accommodations and features for school groups, children, and those with disabilities (except for Queen Mary’s apartments, which unfortunately cannot be accessed by wheelchairs).
Holyroodhouse is open year-round, save for Christmas and Boxing Day. However, it is still a working palace, so one ought to be mindful of any comings and goings by the Queen, other members of the Royal Family, and still others who are allowed use of the building – such as the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Such visits may affect the palace’s availability to visitors. Even in such circumstances, however, it would be fascinating to witness the palace being used for its stated purpose in the service of its Queen.
Indeed, Holyroodhouse is royal treasure of Scotland and of the whole United Kingdom, easily on par with Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. It is a must see for anyone visiting the country and, in particular, it can serve as a foundation for touring and getting to know the great city of Edinburgh.