About The Queen’s Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse

The Queen's Gallery, Edinburgh ©
The Queen's Gallery was built in the shell of the former Holyrood Free Church and Duchess of Gordon’s School at the entrance to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The buildings were originally constructed in the 1840s with funds from the Duchess of Gordon, but fell into disuse in the late 19th century.
Plans for the new Gallery began in October 1999, with an architectural design by Benjamin Tindall Architects, to complement the original 19th-century architecture. A new stone arched entrance was created opposite the new Scottish Parliament building. The use of a stone archway, with a courtyard beyond, is a traditional style in Scottish architecture. The large stone lettering above the entrance are cut from single pieces of stone and sit below Scotland’s heraldic lion. The monumental entrance doors are made of oak, with gilded bronze hinges.
Continuing the heraldic theme, the main hinges are decorated with the Scottish lion and unicorn. The upper hinges are made as golden boughs of flowering native trees – chestnut and laburnum, oak, rowan and hawthorn.
The Queen’s Gallery was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 29 November 2002, as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations. It hosts a programme of changing exhibitions from the Royal Collection. See the latest exhibition on our main Gallery page, or look for specific events taking place at the Gallery.

Queen Elizabeth II opened the gallery in November 2002. ©PA