The Palace of Holyroodhouse is official Scottish seat of the reigning Monarch has its origins dating back to the early medieval period. Originally an Augustinian monastery founded in 1128 by David I, the substantial remains of the later church are clearly visible along the northern edge of the current buildings. Scottish Kings favoured the shelter of the abbey site against the vast, exposed Edinburgh Castle, and as the palace buildings were gradually extended they began to eclipse the abbey church. The buildings that survive today are largely the work of James V and Charles II, although an imposing gatehouse was built during the reign of James IV, but was later destroyed.

In 1528 James V ordered the building of the great tower to the south of the abbey church. This tower, on the left when viewed from across the forecourt, contains the royal apartments. A further wing was added to the tower in 1535 to form the west front of the present building. Famous for the dramatic events surrounding the life of Mary, Queen of Scots, the tower in the Palace of Holyroodhouse was where she married her second and third husbands. It was also the place from where she witnessed the gruesome murder of her secretary, David Rizzio. The state apartments have been left much as they were from that time, perhaps as a constant reminder of the grisly crime committed by her second husband, Lord Darnly, and his accomplices. At the death of the English Queen Elizabeth I, Mary's son, James VI of Scotland, became also James I of England. Abandoning the Scottish Palace and moving his court to London led to the inevitable decline of Holyroodhouse.

Following the execution of Charles I, his exiled son Charles II, made an attempt to regain the monarchy and was crowned as King at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in 1651. Although that attempt ended in defeat, at the Reformation in 1660 Charles undertook substantial work to enlarge and restore the palace. Three new wings in the Baroque style were added to the west front, forming the quadrangle, and the state apartments created within were lavishly decorated. Charles was also responsible for the replica of the great tower at the southern end of the west front, providing symmetry to the whole structure. In 1676 it was decided that the west front, previously heightened by Cromwell after the Civil War, should be completely rebuilt with a single storey classical Doric frontispiece.

In 1795 the Palace of Holyroodhouse was offered to the brother of the deposed Louis XVI, and much of the furniture seen today survives from that period. When George IV made his famous state visit to Scotland in 1827, attention was focussed on the Palace of Holyroodhouse, thereby making the necessary funds available for improvements. Consequently, various buildings in close proximity to the Palace were removed, giving it the grand, open outlook as seen to the present day.

No longer used as a permanent Royal residence, the Palace of Holyroodhouse began a new phase of life as a temporary lodging house during the reign of Queen Victoria. When the tradition of her annual visits to Balmoral became firmly established, the Palace of Holyroodhouse was the ideal place for the Queen to make a stopover on her long journey to the Highlands. George V adapted the palace for use in the 20th century, with the installation of the most modern comforts and conveniences expected in a Royal house. The present Royal Family continue to use the Palace of Holyroodhouse when undertaking any duties 'north of the border'.