Scottish pride and palace

When Edinburgh became the capital of Scotland in 1437, successive monarchs found the royal chambers at the abbey far more comfortable than Edinburgh Castle.
Scottish pride and palace

HYDERABAD: The next day I set out early morning to explore Edinburgh further. Dougie the cab driver with a thick Scottish accent (that’s hard to follow), took me to Calton Hill. We could not get out of the car as it was drizzling. Instead, we drove around as I listened to his commentary intently and stared at the monuments while the rain slowly washed them in layers.

Edinburgh’s Acropolis

City’s major landmarks can be seen from here: Arthur’s Seat with the Crags behind Holyrood Palace and the Parliament, Leith and the Firth of Forth, Princess Street in its New Town grid and the Royal Mile climbing up towards the Castle. One of its most striking landmarks is the National Monument, inspired by the Parthenon in Athens. Intended to commemorate the Scottish servicemen who died in the Napoleonic Wars, it was never completed leaving just the twelve columns you see today: it is often called “Edinburgh’s disgrace”. Then there was the Nelson Monument, shaped like an up-turned telescope with the Time Ball that still drops at one o’clock six days a week; the City Observatory that looks like a Greek temple. Calton Hill is a favourite spot to watch Hogmanay fireworks. Many of the August festival events and the Beltane Fire Festival (reviving an old Celtic tradition) also take place here. It is also a mix of bustling commercial areas and quiet residential streets. Gay bars and casual eateries cluster around the top of the busy Leith Walk, where the Edinburgh Playhouse stages musicals and comedy. Locals frequent the bakeries, cafes and gift stores on vibrant Broughton Street.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse

It has been an important royal residence for centuries. With previous inhabitants including Mary Queen of Scots, it has witnessed many turbulent events in the complex relationship between England and Scotland. Founded as an Augustinian abbey in 1128 by King David I, legend says that it was built on the site where the royal had a vision of the Cross – the Holy Rood – glowing between the antlers of a stag, while out hunting on Holy Cross Day.

When Edinburgh became the capital of Scotland in 1437, successive monarchs found the royal chambers at the abbey far more comfortable than Edinburgh Castle. Keen to impress his new queen Margaret Tudor, James IV had the abbey guesthouse converted into a palace; developed the grounds; drained a loch (lake) in 1507 to accommodate gardens and sports such as tennis, hawking and archery. James V improved it further, added new lodgings in a huge tower protected by a moat and drawbridge.His fortifications proved a shrewd investment: Holyrood was attacked and burned more than once during the conflict with England through the 1540s, but the tower survived. Today the Palace of Holyroodhouse is used as a Royal Palace but is also open to the public all year round.

As I entered the majestic palace I was given an audio guide and thus my journey into Scottish history began on the ‘Processional Route’. The Grand Staircase was filled with erotic paintings; then I passed through the Dining Room, The Throne Room, The Evening Drawing Room – as I proceeded it was getting progressively grander and felt like being in a royal procession. The King’s Ante Chamber where a French harp from early 19th century attracted my attention followed the Morning Drawing Room (hung with French tapestries).

As I looked from the tall windows, the majestic gardens came into view where around eight thousand Scottish guests assemble in summer to celebrate Scottish history and culture during the ‘Holyrood Week’. With the Royal Company of Archers in attendance, the Queen entertains thousands of guests from all walks of Scottish life at these garden parties and an investiture ceremony. The King’s Bed Chamber with an elaborately decorated ceiling is the grandest of all and stands at the end of the ‘Processional Route’ through the Palace. The 17th century Brussels Tapestries made with wool and silk, coloured with vegetable dyes are protected by using only low light to retain the tints on them. The Great Gallery, decorated with 110 portraits of Scottish monarchs is the largest room in the palace, where ceremonial investitures take place: Sean Connery was knighted here.

The Queen’s Bed Chamber, of course, is magnificent. It was in the Northwest Tower that in 1566 Mary Queen Of Scots witnessed the brutal murder of David Rizzio, her Italian secretary and rumoured lover. Rizzio was stabbed 56 times (wonder who counted it so precisely!) by a group led by Mary’s husband Lord Darnley. Though it is claimed that his bloodstains can still be seen in the tower today, I didn’t find any.

Canaletto in The Queen’s Gallery

Part of the Palace of Holyrood complex, the gallery offers changing exhibitions from the Royal Collection, featuring old masters, rare furniture, decorative arts and images from the vast photograph collection. It is open to the public daily. To my good fortune, one of my favourite masters, Canaletto’s exhibition was going on at that time. I spent a long time gazing at the beautiful views of Venice and Rome as Dougie waited patiently in the parking.From there, I headed straight to see “Dolly”. Dolly, who? You can either guess or wait till my next story to know about Dolly!

(The author is a documentary filmmaker and travel writer; she blogs at vijayaprataptravelandbeyond.com)

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