Holyrood Palace, Royal palace in Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Holyrood Palace is the official royal residence in Scotland, set at the eastern end of Edinburgh's Royal Mile opposite Edinburgh Castle. It adjoins the ruined Holyrood Abbey, and its gardens lie within Holyrood Park. The palace is built around a quadrangle, with James V's Tower as the oldest surviving part.

Holyrood Abbey was founded in 1128 by King David I, and the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton was signed in its King's Chamber in 1328. James IV built a Gothic palace beside it from 1501, and Charles II had William Bruce rebuild it as a four-winged court between 1671 and 1679, keeping earlier fabric.

The palace is the monarch's official Scottish residence and hosts state occasions and official entertaining. The King's Gallery, converted from buildings at the western entrance, opened in 2002 to show works from the Royal Collection. The Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland also resides here during the annual meeting.

The visit typically begins in the state chambers and moves through several floors, with steps and staircases throughout. Those wishing to spend more time should plan at least two hours to explore the different rooms and the garden.

Mary, Queen of Scots, lived in the royal apartments of James V's Tower from 1561 until her forced abdication in 1567. On 9 March 1566 a group of nobles entered her private rooms by the stair linking them to Lord Darnley's chambers and killed her secretary David Rizzio with 56 knife wounds.