Does the King stay at Holyrood Palace?
Holyrood Week
Each summer the King takes up residence for a programme of Scottish engagements, including the Garden Party held in the palace gardens — the same gardens you walk through on an ordinary visit. Queen Elizabeth II kept the identical rhythm, staying at Holyrood every year of her reign. The tradition is the whole reason the state rooms feel inhabited rather than curated: the throne room and drawing rooms on the visitor route are still in working use.
Holyrood or Balmoral?
People conflate the two. Holyrood is the official residence — state business, engagements, the Garden Party. Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire is the family’s privately owned Scottish home, where the longer summer holiday happens. One is the office with staterooms; the other is the house they chose.
What it means for your visit
Simply: check the dates. The palace is fully closed to visitors 16–25 May and 27 June–5 July 2026, on top of its usual Tuesday and Wednesday closures outside high summer — the full calendar is on my best time to visit page.
Visit the King’s Scottish residence
Frequently asked questions
Can you visit Holyrood Palace while the King is there?
No — the palace closes to visitors when the court is in residence, which in 2026 means 27 June to 5 July and also 16 to 25 May. The full closure calendar is on the best time to visit page.
Where does the royal family actually live in Scotland?
Two answers: Holyrood is the official residence, used for state business and Holyrood Week each summer, while Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire is the privately owned family home. Only Holyrood opens its state rooms to visitors — here is what you see inside.
Did Queen Elizabeth II stay at Holyrood Palace?
Every year of her reign, keeping the same summer residence week that King Charles continues. It is part of why the palace reads as a working house — and part of the honest case on my is it worth it page.