Holyrood is synonymous in Edinburgh with two things - Holyrood Park, the windswept, gorse-tangled hillside that is visible from around the city, and Holyrood Palace, the Royal residence in Scotland.

The Scottish Parliament is a stone-throw away from the Palace and, adjacent to the Parliament building, the nearby science centre Our Dynamic Earth. For a good view from above of these buildings take the path up the bank of Arthur's Seat.

Holyrood is to the East of the city, in the Old Town, and accessible from the foot of the Royal Mile.

History

Holyrood was integrated into the burgh of Canongate before the expansion of Edinburgh in 1856. Holyrood Park is a Royal Park.