We saw a message that the King would be in residence mid-May and sure enough, the week we would be there showed no tickets available for about 10 days. What can we see around Holyrood Palace when the King is there?
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4 helpful votes Not a lot. You can go up to the main gate and look at the palace across the courtyard and IIRC the Kings Gallery is open as it is in an ancillary building, with access from outside the palace courtyard but it can close at short notice for specific events.
The building on the other side of the road, has been reworked since I last visited - it used to house the ticket office/cafe/another historic exhibition but now I think it is the ticket office/shop and I think it is closed when he's there.
Can we visit the Abbey and the gardens? Our hotel is close by, so this would be a nice evening walk.
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4 helpful votes The main gardens, no as they are used for royal events, and I don't think the Abbey is open either - it used to have a separate entrance kiosk off the palace courtyard but the Abbey and Palace facilities were combined at the last renovation and I don't remember it ever being open when royals were in residence.
The New/smaller Garden on the Abbey Strand may be open though as it can be accessed without entering the Palace Grounds proper.
There are other walks down that way though, Holyrood Park/Scottish Parliament and below Salisbury Crags for two, plus that end of the Old Town/Canongate isn't as busy in the evenings as the other end of the Royal Mile, so it can be pleasant for having a stroll around.
Edited: 29 April 2024, 14:27
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124 helpful votes It's security as much as anything. You can't have strangers wandering around the king.
You can look at the building from outside and get some good photos. The area has some nice walks nearby.
Must be terrible for him, imagine being in Edinburgh and not being able to go out and do some sightseeing or look round the shops.
