The Palace of Holyroodhouse

One of Scotland’s most important historic buildings

The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh is one of the unsung stars of heritage in the UK. It is one of Scotland’s most important buildings, with a royal history stretching back 900 years. It is best known as the home of Mary Queen of Scots and where her courtier, David Rizzio, was murdered. After a competitive tender, ATS was appointed to work with the Royal Collection to develop a multimedia tour of Holyrood which would not only improve the visitor experience at this historic site but transform the way its story is told.   

Challenge:  One of the key aims of the project for the Royal Collection, was to highlight that there is so much more to the palace’s history than visitors expect. Our challenge was to show visitors that the fascinating story of Mary Queen of Scots is only one of the fascinating stories that Holyrood has to tell. ATS worked closely with both the curators and the Visitor Services team to develop the tour and train and support staff in its distribution and management. 

Our solution:  Using our expert storytelling skills we brought to life the 900 year royal and political history of Holyrood using a full range of multimedia, including virtual reality, ‘Rubaways’, aerial drone shots, animation, interactives, games and film. We created tours for adults and families that allow visitors to explore the site from its origins as a royal Abbey to today when it is still the official base for The Queen in Scotland. Visitors can access interviews with experts who look after Holyrood and its collection, they can focus on objects that interest them and they can hear members of the Royal Family talking about how the palace is a crucial base for the monarchy in Scotland. The tour has been very well received and in particular our VR recreation of Holyrood Abbey which has amazed visitors and shown them just how far the history of the site goes back. 

If you would like to learn more about our past projects with palaces and castles, please continue to look through our extensive portfolio page or alternatively contact our team by phone 023 9259 5000 or email us at enquiries@ats-heritage.co.uk