☰Holyrood Abbey

Holyrood Abbey was founded in 1128 by King David I of Scotland, who according to legend was saved from a stag attack by a vision of the Holy Rood. The abbey church served the royal court for centuries — Mary Queen of Scots was married here in 1565 — before falling into ruin during the Reformation. The roofless nave that survives is one of Edinburgh's great atmospheric spaces: skeletal Gothic arches framing the sky, the stonework worn by seven centuries of Scottish weather. The royal burial vault contains the remains of several Scottish kings. Access is through the Palace of Holyroodhouse ticket.