Holyrood Abbey facts for kids
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Holyrood Abbey is an ancient, ruined abbey in Edinburgh, Scotland. An abbey is a type of monastery where Canons Regular (a group of religious people) lived. King David I of Scotland started it in 1128.
Over time, a guesthouse at the abbey became a royal home. After the Scottish Reformation (a big change in religion), this home grew into the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The abbey church was used as a local church until the 1600s. It has been a ruin since the 1700s. The remaining walls of the abbey are right next to the palace. They are at the end of Edinburgh's famous Royal Mile. This historic site is now a protected monument.
Contents
What Does Holyrood Mean?
The word "Rood" means a cross, like the one Jesus Christ was crucified on. So, the name Holyrood means "Holy Cross."
A Look Back in Time
How the Abbey Began
A legend says that in 1127, King David I was hunting near Edinburgh. A deer startled his horse, and he fell off. The story says he was saved from the charging deer in a miraculous way. Either a holy cross appeared from the sky, or sunlight reflected from a crucifix between the deer's antlers.
To show his thanks for being saved, King David I founded Holyrood Abbey in 1128 on that very spot.
The Black Rood of Scotland
Inside the church, there was a special golden container. It held a piece of what was said to be the True Cross. King David's mother, St. Margaret, had brought it from Waltham Abbey. This relic became known as the Black Rood of Scotland.
However, during the Battle of Neville's Cross in 1346, the English captured this precious relic. It was placed in Durham Cathedral. It then disappeared during the Reformation.
Early Days and Changes
The abbey was first run by Augustinian Canons Regular from Merton Priory. The original church at Holyrood was likely designed like the church at Merton Priory. We only know about it from old digs.
The abbey church was mostly rebuilt between 1195 and 1230. The new building had a large choir, transepts (arms of the cross shape) with a central tower, and a long nave (main part) with two towers at the front. The stonework was sometimes rough, especially in the aisle vaults.
Kings David I and II were important supporters of Holyrood Abbey. Also, Robert, Bishop of St. Andrews, and Fergus, Lord of Galloway, helped the abbey a lot.
The Abbey Sanctuary
Around the abbey was a special five-mile area called a "sanctuary." This was a safe place for people who owed money or were accused of crimes. They could ask the Bailie of Holyroodhouse for protection there. Brass stones mark the boundary of this sanctuary on the Royal Mile. People who found safety there were sometimes called 'Abbey Lairds'.
A Royal Connection
The Parliament of Scotland met at the abbey many times, starting in 1256. In 1326, Robert the Bruce held parliament here. By 1329, Holyrood was already being used as a royal home. The Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton (1328), which ended a war, was signed here by Robert I.
Because the abbey was close to Edinburgh Castle, Scottish kings often visited. They stayed in the guesthouse next to the abbey. In the mid-1400s, Edinburgh became the main city and royal court. So, the kings used Holyrood more and more for non-religious events. James II and his twin brother were born there in 1430. James was also crowned and married there.
Between 1498 and 1501, James IV built a royal palace next to the abbey. The abbey's dining hall became a Great Hall for the palace. New guards, called the High Constables and Guard of Honour of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, were created to protect the king and keep order.
Changes and Decline
Royal power over the abbey grew. In 1538, Robert Stewart, the young, unofficial son of James V, was put in charge of Holyrood.
During a conflict called the Rough Wooing, English armies damaged Holyrood Abbey in 1544 and 1547. They took lead from the roof, removed bells, and stole things. In 1559, during the Scottish Reformation, a crowd caused more damage. They destroyed altars and looted the church.
After the Reformation, the eastern part of the abbey church was no longer needed. In 1569, Adam Bothwell, who was in charge, said it was so damaged that it should be pulled down. This happened the next year. Only the nave (the main part of the church) was kept. It was used as the local church for Canongate.
The Final Collapse
The abbey was changed a lot in 1633 for the crowning of Charles I. In 1686, James VII started a Jesuit college at Holyrood Palace. The next year, the Protestant church moved to the new Kirk of the Canongate. The abbey became a Roman Catholic Chapel Royal and the chapel for the Order of the Thistle.
However, in 1688, after the Glorious Revolution, a mob broke into the abbey. They damaged the royal tombs.
The church became less important. In 1758–60, the old wooden roof was replaced with heavy stone vaults. This was a bad idea. The walls could not hold the heavy stone. On December 2, 1768, the roof collapsed. This left the abbey as the roofless ruin we see today.
People have suggested restoring the abbey many times since the 1700s. But these plans were never carried out.
In 1829, the composer Felix Mendelssohn visited the ruins of Holyrood Chapel. His visit inspired him to write his famous Scottish Symphony.
Royal Events at Holyrood Abbey
Coronations
Holyrood Abbey was the place where several Scottish monarchs were crowned:
- James II in 1437
- Margaret Tudor in 1503
- Mary of Guise in 1540
- Anne of Denmark in 1590
- Charles I in 1633
Weddings
Many royal weddings took place at the abbey:
- James II and Mary of Guelders in 1449
- James III and Margaret of Denmark in 1469
- James IV and Margaret Tudor in 1503
Births
- James II was born here in 1430.
Burials
Many royals were buried at the abbey, mostly in the "Royal Vault" in the south aisle. Those buried here include:
- King David II in 1371
- King James II in 1460
- Arthur, Duke of Rothesay (James IV's second son) in 1510
- Madeleine of Valois in 1537 (James V's young wife)
- James, Duke of Rothesay (James V's eldest son) in 1541
- Arthur, Duke of Albany (James V's second son) in 1541
- King James V in 1542
- Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley in 1567
- Margaret (James VI's second daughter) in 1600
- Mary of Guelders in 1463 (Mary was first buried somewhere else)
Other important people buried or remembered here include:
- Fergus of Galloway
- Alexander Mylne (died 1643), a master builder.
- Robert Douglas, Viscount Belhaven (died 1639), with a marble statue.
- Bishop George Wishart (died 1671).
- George Gordon, 15th Earl of Sutherland (died 1703).
- Adam Bothwell (died 1593), a bishop, and his son John Bothwell, Lord Holyroodhouse.
- Sir John Sinclair, 1st Baronet (1754–1835).
Holyrood Abbey in Art and Stories
The abbey ruins are shown in a 19th-century painting called The Ruins of Holyrood Chapel by the French artist Louis Daguerre.
In March 1825, a moonlit scene of the 'Ruins of Holyrood Chapel' was displayed in London. This inspired a poem called 'Holyrood' by Letitia Elizabeth Landon.
See also
In Spanish: Abadía de Holyrood para niños
- Abbeys and priories in Scotland
- Abbot of Holyrood, for a list of abbots and commendators
- Kirk of the Canongate
- Oldest buildings in the United Kingdom
