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Historical Timeline of Holyrood Palace | Comprehensive Overview

Holyrood Palace Tickets

Holyrood Palace History

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Holyroodhouse Palace History Explained

Construction of the first palace

Occupation by English forces

Arrival of Mary, Queen of Scots

Murder of David Rizzio

Abdication of Mary, Queen of Scots

Rebuilding of the palace

Occupation by the Young Pretender

Visit of George IV

Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

Holyrood Palace Today

Delve into the comprehensive history of Holyrood Palace. Learn about its notable periods, architectural influences, & cultural impact over time.

Holyrood Palace History: Timeline, Key Events, Evolution

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Holyrood house palace history

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Book Holyrood Palace tickets at Headout. Enjoy a tour of the official Scottish residence of the Brtish Monarchy. Cancel for free and get 24/7 support.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh's royal sights are yours to see on this 48-hour hop-on hop-off tour with direct access to 3 popular attractions – your wallet will thank you later. 

Discover royal history at Edinburgh Castle and Holyroodhouse Palace and tour the floating Royal Yacht Britannia, all easily accessible on your HOHO route. 

Marvel at medieval rooms, precious jewels, and Mary, Queen of Scots' living spaces and peek into the Queen's private rooms and fancy tea areas. 

Explore Edinburgh your way with the flexible HOHO pass. Three routes and 50+ well-placed stops let you see top sights like the Parliament and the Botanic Garden. 

Catch a double-decker every 12-30 mins and pick from various language audio guides or enjoy lively English commentary on the green route. 

Entry to Edinburgh Castle (Close to stop 6, Red route & stop 8, Green route)

Entry to Royal Yacht Britannia (Close to stop 14, Blue route)

Entry to Palace of Holyroodhouse (Close to stops 11 & 13, Red route, stops 13 & 15, Green route & stop 3, Blue route)

Audio guide in 30 languages (Royal Yacht Britannia)

Audio guide in 9 languages (Palace of Holyroodhouse)

Audio guide in English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Japanese, Russian, Chinese, Scottish & Portuguese (Red & Blue routes)

Horrible Histories children’s commentary

Mobile app with a detailed map and live bus tracking

Please click here for detailed route maps and boarding points.

You can join the tour at any stop and hop on and off for the duration of your ticket.

First bus: 8:45 am from Waterloo Place (9am from Nov 3 to Apr 5, 2025)

Last bus: 5:57 pm from Waterloo Place (4pm from Nov 3 to Apr 5, 2025)

Popular stops: Edinburgh Castle, Old Town, Royal Mile

First bus: 8:51am from Waterloo Place (9:10am from Nov 3 to Apr 5, 2025)

Last bus: 5:51pm from Waterloo Place (3:40pm from Nov 3 to Apr 5, 2025)

Popular stops: Georgian New Town, Edinburgh Castle, Palace of Holyroodhouse

First bus: 8:40am from Waterloo Place (9:20am from Nov 3 to Apr 5, 2025)

Last bus: 5:25pm from Waterloo Place (3:50pm from Nov 3 to Apr 5, 2025)

Popular stops: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Royal Yacht Britannia, Palace of Holyroodhouse

Tip: Don't miss the Honours of Scotland exhibition at Edinburgh Castle, showcasing the oldest Crown jewels in the British Isles!

Parts of Edinburgh Castle and Palace of Holyroodhouse are wheelchair accessible. 

The Royal Yacht Britannia experience is wheelchair accessible. 

Note that the ticket lets you visit Edinburgh Castle and Royal Yacht Britannia within 48 hours. If you need to visit the Palace of Holyroodhouse outside of that timeframe, your ticket will still be valid.

Children aged 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult or senior citizen during their visit.

This experience is wheelchair accessible.

Mobility scooters are allowed if folded and stored as luggage.

Your guide dogs and pet dogs are welcome aboard.

You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

Tourists enjoying the City Sightseeing 24-Hr Hop-On Hop-Off Tour of Edinburgh, with a view of the iconic Edinburgh Castle in the background

Tourists exploring Edinburgh's royal attractions with skip-the-line tickets, enjoying a 48-hour hop-on hop-off bus tour

Tourists exploring Edinburgh's royal attractions with 48-hour hop-on hop-off bus tour tickets

Tourists exploring the Royal Edinburgh Tour, featuring iconic landmarks like the Edinburgh Castle, on a hop-on hop-off bus

Tourists exploring Edinburgh's royal attractions with 48-hour hop-on hop-off bus tour tickets, including a visit to the historic Edinburgh Castle

Royal Yacht Britannia docked in Edinburgh with visitors exploring the deck.

Tourists exploring the Royal Edinburgh Tour, featuring skip-the-line entry tickets to 3 royal attractions and hop-on hop-off bus tours

Visitors exploring the Royal Edinburgh Tour, featuring skip-the-line entry tickets to 3 royal attractions and hop-on hop-off bus tours

Book exclusive tours of museums, attractions, historical sites, and more in Edinburgh. Get 10% additional cashback, flexible cancelation, and 24/7 support on each booking.

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Tours

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Top-Rated Hop-On Hop-Off Tours in Edinburgh

HOHO

Edinburgh: Royal Attractions Tickets + 48-Hour Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

Was able to visit all the sites we wanted to see .. didn't need to drive our vehicle.. eliminated finding and paying for parking. Drivers were friendly .

When you do not have so much time, hop on hop off is a splendid way to see a lot in short time. We did the tour with granted acces to the Edinburgh castle, holyroodhouse and the Brittannia.
Validatie the tickets was easy, since the little offucehouse was  in front of our building g.
Good experience. Enjoyed it.


Bus tours were great! Informative and funny. Made it to the castle and palace quickly. Only knock I have is the need to make our way to Waterloo Place to validate our tickets. Required a Tram from the Ocean Terminal to St. Andrew's Square rather than catching the Tour at the Ocean Terminal.

Ease of hop on buses helpfulness of staff. Negative was Holyrood Was not open during our stay yet still paid for the entrance.

All 3 attractions were so interesting. The 3 different coloured buses were so regular and we have to mention our trip on the Green one with commentary from Joy and the bus driver David. It was really enjoyable, Joy was both informative and funny. A great way to see Edingburgh and would really recommend this trips.

Explore the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of His Majesty The King, in Scotland, and discover the royal world of intrigue and splendor.

Prepare for a royal tour of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, used by His Majesty for State ceremonies, and learn fascinating facts from your audio guide.

See the Bechamber, Supper Room, and Outer Chamber of Mary, Queen of Scots, which witnessed tragedy and murder during her turbulent reign.

Admire works of art from the Royal Collection in the State Apartments, whose decor reflects the changing tastes of the successive monarchs.

Upgrade your tickets to include a 48-hour hop-on-hop-off pass which includes entry to Edinburgh Castle and The Royal Yacht Britannia.

Audio guide in English, Brazilian Portuguese, French, Gaelic, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Russian and Spanish

48-hour hop-on-hop-off bus (as per option selected)

Entry to Edinburgh Castle and The Royal Yacht Britannia (as per option selected)

Audio guide on the bus (as per option selected)

Tip: Don't miss the Great Stair, which was built for Charles II, and the tapestries on the walls, which were sent by Prince Albert. 

Keep in mind that bags larger than 45cm × 20cm × 30cm are not allowed in this experience. Pack wisely!

Due to venue restrictions, pets cannot tag along for this experience.

Keep your camera tucked away – photography is strictly not allowed inside the State Apartments.

This experience is wheelchair and pram/stroller accessible, except in some parts of Mary, Queen of Scots' rooms.

Your guide dogs are welcome at the venue.

As the Palace of Holyroodhouse is a working royal palace, security, and opening arrangements may be subject to change at short notice.

You can cancel these tickets up to 36 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

Tourists exploring the historic Palace of Holyroodhouse entrance with tickets in hand, Edinburgh

Tourists exploring the historic Palace of Holyroodhouse in London, with entrance tickets and multimedia guide in hand

Tourists exploring the historic Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh, with entrance tickets and multimedia guide in hand

Tourists exploring the historic Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland, with multimedia guide, showcasing the grandeur of the palace entrance

Tourists exploring the historic Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh, with entrance tickets and multimedia guide

Tourists exploring the historic Palace of Holyroodhouse in London, available with multimedia guide entrance tickets

Tourists exploring the historic Palace of Holyroodhouse in London, available for booking with entrance tickets

Tourists exploring the historic Holyroodhouse Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland

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Tickets

Holyrood Palace

Save big on Edinburgh landmark tickets & tours. Enjoy skip-the-line access and guided tours to the most popular landmarks. Cancel for free.

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Palace of Holyroodhouse Entrance Tickets

Neither the iOS website nor the windows desktop software let you make a PDF of anything resembling a ticket you can use of your phone.  There is a message telling you that you need to print something to bring with you but it's very hard to figure out where to get it and there are two different formats.  One is more than 12 pages long.  The other was 5 pages. It took the person at Holyrud House a long time how to process it. She called it a voucher.  Please fix this confusion. You should send the document to the customer as an attachment or something that they could download that is a PDF that is clearly labeled at the top that "This is the voucher You need to print."  Better yet would be for it to be a PDF you could display your phone that contains all of the voucher information. This problem was unnecessarily stressful and It should not take 15 minutes to check in or for you to print 15 pages of papers.

The palace was beautiful and the audio tour was so much fun with the finding the hidden door or seeing how the palace looked during different times and hearing different voices, such as the gardener. 

I liked the audioguide, it was very interesting. The people who work at the castle are very nice, they explain to me how to collect my ticket.

Qualité du guide multimédia avec séquences de réalité virtuelle permettant d'apprécier et de bien comprendre ce trés beau château aux intérieurs d'un grand intérêt historique et cette abbaye   

High-quality multimedia guide with virtual reality sequences to fully appreciate and understand this beautiful château, with its interiors of great historical interest, and this abbey.

Being allowed to use the narrow stairs to MQS apartment without any health & Safety BS.

Can't add photos as I was not allowed to take any

Palace of Holyroodhouse

Step into Holyrood Palace, the official Scottish residence of the British monarch. Delve into history exploring the state apartments and the ruins of Holyrood Abbey.

Holyrood Palace Tickets | Headout

Free Cancellation

Instant Confirmation

Audio Guide

Visit the official residence of His Majesty The King, in Scotland, and discover historic secrets housed within the opulent walls of the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Mobile Ticket

Guided Tour

Dive into Edinburgh's regal wonders with a 48-hour hop-on, hop-off tour and get access to Edinburgh Castle, Royal Yacht Britannia &amp; Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Skip-the-line entry into Edinburgh Castle (optional)

Wireless audio system with headphones (optional)

Meet your expert English-speaking guide at Mercat Cross and get started on your journey to the Royal Mile.

As you walk past the iconic sites along this route, learn about the fascinating secrets and stories of the city.

Take a journey through time and explore the lives of Edinburgh residents like Mary Queen of Scots and Robert Burns, a Scottish poet and lyricist.

Upgrade your experience and add to your ticket a skip-the-line entry into Edinburgh Castle to learn about the many battles fought here such as the War of Independence.

See the oldest crown jewels here and pay a visit to the legendary Stone of Destiny where Scottish kings used to be anointed.

Tip: Take home souvenirs to remember this tour. Royal Mile is lined with shops that sell great souvenirs.

You can bring your own headphones or earphones to use with the audio system. It’s a standard 3.5 mm audio jack.

Walking Tour of Royal Mile with Optional Edinburgh Castle Tickets

Edinburgh Castle

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Walking Tours

Discover the spellbinding beauty of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile as you listen to your expert guide narrate true stories of the capital’s past.

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 A convenient, personalized transportation service for individuals or small groups, offering a comfortable and direct ride to and from an airport.

 A comfortable cost-effective transportation option in for multiple passengers traveling to or from an airport.

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Headout is a brand trusted by over 15 million guests that offers a curated selection of the best experiences. This is not the venue's website.

Headout is an authorised and trusted partner of the venue offering a curated selection of the best experiences to enjoy this attraction. This is not the venue's website.

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Enjoy a free waiting time of 45 minutes while you claim your baggage

2G regulations apply: access to accommodation, cultural institutions, and restaurants/bars, among others is only possible with proof of full vaccination or past infection. A negative Covid-19 test is no longer sufficient.

Visitors aged 16 and above must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or medical exemption. 

2G regulations apply: only fully-vaccinated and recovered guests with proof of the same will be granted access. Guests under 18 or those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons must present a negative COVID test result at the entrance. Those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons should also prove their inability to be vaccinated by means of a medical certificate at the entrance.

From 21 July 2021, all visitors aged 12 and above must present an EU COVID Certificate. 

This experience has been verified to follow best safety standards in compliance with local regulations and WHO

Any experience with this badge has been verified to follow the best safety standards as per the local government's health guidelines.

From 6 August 2021, all visitors aged 11 and above must present a Green Pass or EU COVID Certificate. 

This badge on an experience confirms that safety standards have been verified by Us

All equipments, vehicles and high-touch areas are sanitized after every single use. Just sit back and enjoy.

All the equipments available during your experience are thoroughly sanitized after every single use. Always.

All the vehicles available during your experience are thoroughly sanitized after every single use. Always

As a safe experience, you will have access to handwash and sanitation stations throughout your time here. We've got you covered. 

Masks are mandatory for all guests and staff members in this experience. This helps everyone have a great time with utmost safety.

Our partners who have been verified as a Safe Experience follow local regulations in place around face masks. If mandatory, all guests and staff members will wear masks. They take every step possible to ensure your comfort and safety.

Masks are mandatory for all guests in this experience. This helps everyone have a great time with utmost safety.

All staff members at this experience wear face masks to ensure you can have all the fun minus all the worry.

Social distancing guidelines are applicable throughout this experience. Capacity restrictions are in place to ensure social distancing.

Social distancing guidelines are applicable throughout this experience. Capacity restrictions are in place to ensure social distancing. In the same light, large groups aren't allowed here.

Social distancing guidelines are being adhered to at all times through this experience.

Social distancing guidelines are being adhered to at all times through this experience. To enforce this, there might be capacity restrictions and group limits in place. Breathe easy.

Holyrood Palace History: Timeline, Key Events, Evolution

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