Hidden Scotland
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The ruined west front and arcaded wall of Holyrood Abbey against a blue sky.
Edinburgh

Holyrood Abbey

The roofless nave of the abbey King David founded in 1128, beside the Palace of Holyroodhouse, with one of the finest Gothic fronts in Scotland.

Welcome

Behind the Palace of Holyroodhouse, at the very foot of the Royal Mile, stand the roofless walls of the abbey that gave the place its name.

King David founded it in 1128 for Augustinian canons and dedicated it to the Holy Cross, the Holy Rood.

The royal palace grew up in the abbey's cloister, and the nave survived the Reformation because it served as the parish church of the Canongate; the choir and transepts were pulled down in 1570. What stands now is the long, open nave, its tall arcades and window tracery framed against Salisbury Crags, and a royal vault where kings and canons are buried. The west front is counted among the most impressive Gothic facades in Scotland, and one doorway, the east processional door, survives from his first church.

The abbey is visited as part of the palace, with a ticket from the Royal Collection Trust.

Round the cornerThe Tolbooth TavernA tavern in part of the Canongate Tolbooth of 1591, where tolls were once collected, now serving Scottish food and whisky on the Royal Mile.1 min by roadSee itCanongate Tolbooth's turret and projecting clock rise above Edinburgh's Royal Mile
Before you go

The abbey is reached through the Palace of Holyroodhouse, run by the Royal Collection Trust: a ticket to the palace takes visitors on into the abbey nave and the gardens.

Where
The foot of the Royal Mile, beside the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Getting in
With a ticket to the palace.
Where it is

At the foot of the Royal Mile, behind the Palace of Holyroodhouse, under Salisbury Crags.

Close byThe palace, the Parliament and the park.
  1. Palace of HolyroodhousePalace of HolyroodhouseThe monarch's official residence in Scotland, at the foot of the Royal Mile.Under a mile1 min by road
  2. Scottish Parliament BuildingScottish Parliament BuildingEnric Miralles' Parliament, which won the Stirling Prize in 2005.Under a mile1 min by road
  3. White Horse CloseWhite Horse CloseA white-harled courtyard of crow-stepped houses at the foot of the Canongate.Under a mile1 min by road
  4. Dynamic EarthDynamic EarthEdinburgh's science centre under a white tented roof below the crags.Under a mile3 min by road
  5. Arthur’s SeatArthur’s SeatThe 251-metre summit of an old volcano in Holyrood Park.3 miles11 min by road
Directions
Canongate Tolbooth's turret and projecting clock rise above Edinburgh's Royal MileRestaurantsThe Tolbooth Tavern0.2 miles
Sandstone mansion with tall chimneys and turret, fronted by a lawnAttractionsLauriston Castle0.3 miles
Pink and pale blue hydrangea blooms among dense green leavesAttractionsDunbar's Close Gardens0.3 miles
Cobbled courtyard with trimmed box hedges beneath overhanging trees near stone buildingsAttractionsDunbar's Close Garden0.3 miles
Painted figure of a newsboy shouting above The People's Story signAttractionsThe People’s Story0.3 miles
Green shopfront sign reading Cadenhead's, Scotland's Oldest Independent Bottler, established 1842ShoppingCadenhead's0.3 miles
Antique plates and framed portraits line the walls of a lace-tabled tea roomCafeClarinda's Tearoom0.3 miles
Illuminated LOUDONS sign above dark glass entrance doors, reflecting nearby buildingsCafeLoudons New Waverley0.3 miles
Small statue mounted on a stone corner between an arched window and sash windowsAttractionsMorocco Land0.4 miles
Stay nearby

Places to stay near the abbey, and when each is next free.

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Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay in EdinburghAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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