Known today as Queen Elizabeth II’s official Scottish residence, the  Palace of Holyroodhouse was built by James IV in the grounds of an abbey in 1498. It was later the home of James V and his wife, Mary of Guise, and remodeled in the 1670s for Charles II. The Royal Apartments  (including the Throne Room and Royal Dining Room ) are used for investitures and for banquets whenever the Queen visits the palace.

The name Holyrood, which means “holy cross”, comes from an episode in the life of David I when, in 1128, he was knocked down from his horse by a stag while out hunting. Legend has it that a cross appeared miraculously in his hands to ward off the animal and, in thanksgiving, the king founded Holyrood Abbey.

Holyrood Park, adjacent to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, covers 2.6 sq km (1sq mile) of varying terrain, topped by a rugged 250-m hill. Known as Arthur’s Seat, the hill is actually a volcano that has been extinct for 350 million years. The area was a royal hunting ground from at least the time of King David I, who died in 1153, and a royal park since the 16^th century.

The park contains three small tochs:

• St Margaret’s, near the Palace, is the most romantic, with its resident swans and position under the ruins of St Anthony’s Chapel.
• Dunsapie Loch is the highest, sitting 112 m above sea level under Arthur’s Seat.
• On the south side of the park, pretty Duddingston Loch is home to swans, geese and wildfowl.