Holyrood Palace

I headed to Holyrood Palace, which is just down the hill (the Royal Mile) from Edinburgh castle. The Scottish royal family moved there in about the 16th Century, and Edinburgh Castle was used more for military purposes.

Entrance to Holyrood Palace.

Fabulous fountain outside Holyrood Palace

Apparently the murder of poor David Rizzo looked something like this. Image from: https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/29633/murder-david-rizzio

The tour inside the palace was quite interesting, however, taking photos was not permitted. It's kind of a shame because some of it was quite interesting. From the narrow winding staircase up to the bedchamber of Mary Queen of Scots (she comes up a lot in Scottish history) there is the corner where her Secretary David Rizzo was brutally stabbed to death by a mob including the dissolute Lord Darnley (who was concerned at the influence that Rizzo had over Mary).  Poor chap. There is a faint mark on the wooden floor on the spot where he was murdered. Now, I am not exactly an expert on bloodstains, but this spot had a suspiciously pinkish and un-bloodstain-like colour. It turns out it has been painted on for years for the tourists!
Next to the Palace is a ruined Abbey. It was destroyed in the 16th century, but it is still an atmospheric place.

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