Schools

The Palace of Holyroodhouse

The Queen's Gallery, Edinburgh

The Education Centre
All pre-booked school groups have the use of facilities in the Education Centre during their visit. Group leaders receive a teachers’ pack on confirmation of their booking.

In the Education Centre you have a safe place to leave coats and bags; a room to eat packed lunches; and badges for your group. Lavatories are available on site.

Teaching Resources
We offer a varied learning programme for pupils from pre-school to S6 including introductory talks, guided tours, workshops and handling sessions. Our teaching resources can be tailored to meet the requirements of your group and provide links to many areas of the curriculum.

The teachers’ pack offers ideas for classroom activities before and after the visit, and practical advice about visiting the Palace.

Special Educational and Access Needs
Our education programme is designed to be accessible to all pupils.  Most of our sessions can be adapted to meet any special educational needs your group may have.  Please ask for details when booking.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of Her Majesty The Queen in Scotland. Spanning 10 centuries of history, from its foundation as an Augustinian monastery to its role today, the Palace is an ideal focus for a wide range of school studies. 

My First Visit
Pre-school to P1
Links to Communication and Language, Emotional, Personal and Social Development, Knowledge and Understanding of the World.

Using the objects and stories of Holyroodhouse, this session is designed to give children the opportunity to explore a new environment and practice existing skills.  From choosing food for a royal tea party, counting steps on a giant staircase to finding animals hidden high up in the ceilings, My First Visit provides a fun and stimulating experience in a real life palace!

Duration: 1.5 hour session (1 hour session without art activity)
Session Time: On arrival
Available: Monday to Friday

Pupils follows the adventures of Morag the Chambermaid, a time travelling servant, to discover the stories of some of the kings and queens who have lived at the Palace in the past. This storytelling session offers a fun and unique opportunity for pupils to find out about life in a royal household; how the kings and queens entertained, the food they ate, the special events that took place here and the roles of those who worked at Holyroodhouse.

Duration: 1.5 hour session
Session Time: On arrival
Available: Monday to Friday

Pupils looking at people’s lives and lifestyles can explore the Palace as a home and a working place. Pupils use a handling collection including domestic Victorian objects in the Education Centre followed by a guided tour of the Palace.

By drawing comparisons with their own homes, pupils consider what life was like at the Palace over 100 years ago as well as exploring its present day role as The Queen’s official home in Scotland.

Duration: 1.5 hour session
Session Time: On arrival
Available: Monday to Friday

From Medieval to Modern: Exploring Holyroodhouse
P4 to P7
Links to Environmental Studies (People in the Past, People in Society), Expressive Arts (Art and Design)

Pupils learn about the Palace’s history, from its medieval foundations in Holyrood Abbey to its present day use by Her Majesty The Queen. Following an introductory talk, pupils explore the Palace with a member of the Education team to find out about the lives of some of our most famous residents including Mary, Queen of Scots, Bonnie Prince Charlie and Queen Victoria.

In the Education Centre, pupils decorate their own miniature palace with drawings of their discoveries.

Duration: 2 hour session (1.5 hour session without art activity)
Session Time: On arrival
Available: Monday to Friday

Mary, Queen of Scots: Life at Court
P4 to P7
Links to Environmental Studies (People in the Past, People in Society)

Using two replica costumes from the mid-to-late 1500s, this session is designed to help pupils explore the differences between rich and poor during the time of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Pupils use shoes, hats, ruffs and other objects to discover the contrasting lives of The Queen, her court and her servants at the Palace. A guided tour of the Palace after the handling session further explores these themes and sets them in the context of Edinburgh in the 1560s.

Duration: 2 hour session
Session Time: On arrival
Available: Monday to Friday

On our guided tour find out about Mary, Queen of Scots’ life at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Discover what life was like for the queen and her court, explore the apartments in which she lived and find clues about Mary’s life using objects inside the Palace. In the Education Centre, pupils create their own newspaper cover, telling the story of some of the dramatic events that happened while Mary lived at the Palace.

Duration: 2 hour session (1.5 hour session without art activity)
Session Time: On arrival
Available: Monday to Friday

Visit both the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Edinburgh Castle to gather evidence of Mary, Queen of Scots’ life in Edinburgh in this one-day workshop. Please telephone our Education bookings team for more details.

Duration: 2 hour session at each site
Session Time: 10:00 or 13:00
Available: Please contact the Education bookings team to discuss available dates
Cost of Session: £2.50 per pupil

Holyrood past and present meet in an exciting mix of history, imagination and poetry during this joint session with the Scottish Poetry Library.  Pupils explore the stories of the past hidden in walls, stairs, rooms and artefacts as they tour the Palace and Abbey with their own poet and guide. 

The tour is followed by a poetry workshop providing pupils with an opportunity to explore language and make poetry from their discoveries and observations. Teachers’ poetry pack included.

Duration: 3 hour session
Session Time: Please contact the Education bookings team to discuss available dates
Available: 16 September, 28 October, 18 November, and 9 December
Cost of Session: £2.50 per pupil

An Introduction to the Palace of Holyroodhouse
S1 to S6
Links to History

Pupils learn about the Palace of Holyroodhouse’s history, from its origins in 1128 to the present day.  Find out about past royal residents and discover some of the famous events that have taken place within the Palace walls.

The visit, which includes an introductory session in the Education Centre and guided tour of the Palace, can be tailored to reflect the individual objectives of your group.  Subjects covered include: Medieval Edinburgh, the Renaissance and Reformation, The Stuarts and the Union of the Crowns, and The Jacobites.

Duration: 1.5 hour session
Session Time: On arrival
Available: Monday to Friday

Monarchy Past and Present
S1 to S6
Links to History, Modern Studies

The Palace of Holyroodhouse has been a royal residence for over 500 years but how has the role of the sovereign changed in this time?

During an introductory talk and guided tour of the Palace and Abbey, pupils discuss the changing role of monarchy: the ways different sovereigns lived; how the Palace has changed to accommodate new monarchs and the differences in ruling Scotland today and in the past.

Duration: 1.5 hour session
Session Time: On arrival
Available: Monday to Friday

Joint Visit with the Scottish Poetry Library
Personalised Poetry Workshops
S1 to S6
Links to English, History

Designed to support curriculum coursework, pupils work with their very own poet and guide and use the Palace and Abbey as a stimulus for their own creative writing.  Pupils explore stories of the past as they tour the site and gather notes based on their observations and findings.

The tour is followed by a poetry workshop providing pupils with an opportunity to explore language and make poetry from their discoveries.  Teachers’ poetry pack included.

Duration: 3 hour session
Session Time: Please contact the Education bookings team to discuss available dates
Available: 16 September, 28 October, 18 November, and 9 December
Cost of Session: £2.50 per pupil

The Queen's Gallery, Edinburgh

Set within the Palace Mews, The Queen’s Gallery shows changing exhibitions of works of art from the Royal Collection. The Gallery provide state-of-the-art facilities to enable changing exhibitions of the most delicate works of art from the Royal Collection to be shown.

Special explore features show automata in motion, how objects were originally used, the complex workings of scientific instruments, hidden drawers in furniture or how conservation has uncovered original compositions in paintings. Contextual material is provided by the Royal Archives and Royal Photograph Collection and the zoom feature allows for close inspection of the objects.

Visit the e-Gallery online. 

Events for Teachers

Our free events for teachers give you the opportunity to meet the Education team and to find out more about our learning programmes and facilities for schools; discuss your groups particular needs; take a tour of the Palace or Gallery and explore ideas for cross-curricular study and follow-up work in the classroom.

Download our Schools Programme Brochure (376 KB)

For further information and to book, please contact:

Education Bookings Team
Ticket Sales and Information Office
The Official Residences of The Queen
London SW1A 1AA
Telephone (+44) (0)131 557 2500
Fax (+44) (0)20 7930 9625