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Newbank House
3 South Trinity Rd
Edinburgh
EH5 3NU
The new Scottish Parliament building at HolyroodThe Parliament Building showing the famous windowsView of the Scottish Parliament buildingThe Parliament Building showing the famous windowsThe Scottish Parliament interior

 

Scottish Parliament Tours

 

A tour of the new Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, which was opened by the Queen in October 2004, cannot be overlooked during your stay in Edinburgh! Designed by the world-renowned Catalan architect, Enrich Miralles, the parliament is one of the most important buildings in the last hundred years of Scottish architecture.

Miralles wanted the building to “rise out of the land” rather than to “sit on top of it”. Nestling at the foot of Edinburgh’s famous Royal Mile, the building surges upwards and branches out towards the city’s highest volcano, Arthur’s Seat.

The building is a fascinating blend of design concepts which reflect Scotland’s past. The gigantic stone buttresses on the exterior are modern representations of the buttresses that prop up our beautiful Border Abbeys. Look up at the convex ceilings in the entrance lobby and you are reminded of the great vaulted ceilings in our medieval castles. The four tower buildings which dominate the complex are like upturned boats recalling the maritime history of Scotland. A headline in a national newspaper aptly described the parliament as “one hull of a building”!

Go into the debating chamber and marvel at the magnificent wooden ceiling inspired by the hammer beam ceilings in the Great Halls of Edinburgh and Stirling Castles.

One of the most controversial features of the new Parliament is the design of the exterior windows. Were they inspired by Henry Raeburn’s famous painting of the Reverend Walker skating on Duddingston Loch or do they represent stylised curtains? Some folk have suggested they are hair-dryers, triggers or even Elvis’ sideburns!

Enric Miralles wanted people to interpret the building in their own way. So go to the parliament, enjoy a fascinating tour and use your imagination to figure out the inspiration for his remarkable designs.