Publication Account
Date 1951
Event ID 1097880
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1097880
The Palace of Holyroodhouse.
From the time of the accession of the House of Stewart Edinburgh gradually rose in importance until, in 1452, it became officially the chief burgh of the realm. During the frequent minorities of the Stewart dynasty its castle was not only the royal dwelling but also frequently the refuge of royal persons, although by the turn of the 15th and 16th-centuries that "wyndy and richt unpleasand castell and royk," as Bishop Gavin Douglas called it, had become quite out of date. Like many another religious house the Abbey of Holyrood had accommodated royalty from time to time, yet little or nothing is known of any permanent royal residence existing there until the year 1473, when the Queen's "chalmire" is specifically mentioned in the accounts of the Lord High Treasurer. It was James IV who, in preparation for his marriage to Margaret Tudor, began, in 1501, to build a palace in the outer court of the Abbey, the superintendent of the work being Master Leonard Logie and the master mason Walter Merlioun. No doubt such of the Abbey buildings as were suitable were merely repaired and included in the scheme, but a new tower, hall, chapel and gatehouse are mentioned in a further series of the same accounts. John Younger, Somerset Herald, a member of the Queen's English retinue, in his minute description of the wedding festivities of 1503 mentions several of the apartments in this palace. For example, the dining-room is spoken of as richly dressed with red and blue hangings and as containing a canopy of state, a "riche bed of astat, and a riche dressor, after the guyse of the countre." The Great Chamber was hung with tapestry representing “the ystory of Troy towne,” the King's Chamber " was haunged about with the story of Hercules, togeder with other ystorys," the King's Hall was "haunged of th' ystory of the old Troy," while a fifth room had another tapestry of the Hercules series.** Then came the tragedy of Flodden. Although James IV did not live to see his work completed it was continued until 1530, in which year no less a sum than £1,568 was expended in "building and reparation of the new hous" probably under the immediate direction of John, Duke of Albany, who had been recalled from France in 1515. Pitscottie, indeed, attributes the whole of the work to James V, who, however, had only attained the age of seventeen when it was stopped (1).
James IV's tower, the walls of which had been finished as early as 1505, can still be seen at the N.W. corner of the present building, but the rest of the 16th-century palace, excepting a fragment of the gatehouse, has been swept away in the course of several reconstructions. Some idea of its appearance can, however, be gained from the drawing reproduced in Fig. 59; this can be referred to 1544 as it shows the destruction caused by Hertford's forces in that year (2). Drawn from the slopes of the Calton Hill, which rises on the N.W. of the Abbey, this sketch shows nothing of the Abbey cloister, which Younger mentions. At Holyrood, as elsewhere, the communal dwelling had probably now been abandoned in favour of manses, two of which seem to be represented on the N. side of the choir. There is a range shown in the position of the cellarium, but at some little distance from the church; while another runs from the S.W. tower of the church to abut on James IV's tower, which is turreted at three, if not at all four, corners*** and projects outwards from the N.W. corner of the whole. From James IV's tower an irregular series of buildings extends southwards to meet others grouped round a small inner court. From the nature of the entries in the Lord High Treasurer's accounts it would appear that several of the buildings were of wood.
The architectural significance of this 16th-century palace escaped notice until Dr. W. Douglas Simpson (3) recently showed its affinity to Tattershall Castle, in England, the building of which was in progress between 1434 and 1446, and to other palatia on the Continent. As he suggests, the direct ancestor of this Scottish palace is probably to be sought in France. At Holyrood the principal constituent, the tower, was no doubt the King's private residence and the new hall one of several intended for the general use of the household - the whole constituting a suitable and up-to-date establishment for a sovereign. The Seigneur de Brantome, a member of Queen Mary's suite and one who was presumably familiar with the best contemporary architecture of France, pronounced it to be "undoubtedly a fine building, little in keeping with the country” (4).
The manner in which the Gothic palace of 1544 gave way to an orderly Renaissance lay-out can be clearly seen from Gordon of Rothiemay's map, of 1647, and from a survey prepared in 1663 by John Mylne, King's Master Mason, and now preserved in the Bodleian Library. The two courtyards of the earlier plan were retained, but a third was built on the E. side of the smaller one, while James IV's tower was left projecting at the N. end of the façade - Charles I had proposed to build a similar tower at the opposite end to balance it, but the scheme was not carried out until his son was restored to the throne. The S.W. tower of the church, shown roofless in 1647, had disappeared by 1660; and by 1663 the cloister-garth had become the Privy Garden, while the site of the conventual frater was now occupied by the Bishop's house.
In November 1650 the palace took fire while it was occupied by Cromwell's troops, but it cannot have suffered extensive damage as it was again occupied in 1655 and no steps were taken for its rebuilding until 1658. The repairs and additions then made would seem, moreover, to have been confined to the upper part of the front, seeing that Sir William Bruce's warrant of appointment, dated 1676 (see infra) authorised him "to take down the buildings and rooms built by the usurpers above the front of the West quarter of His Majestie's Palace of Holyroodhouse." The extent and appearance of Cromwell's additions can be gauged by comparing Gordon of Rothiemay's drawing, which shows the facade as it stood about 1647, with that of Hollar, prepared shortly after 1660.
After his restoration Charles II resolved to rebuild Holyroodhouse. In 1671 Sir William Bruce of Balcaskie, an eminent architect as well as a staunch Royalist, submitted sketch plans, made by Robert Mylne, King's Master Mason, for the reconstruction. Some of these are still extant and have been reproduced by the Rev. R. S. Mylne in The Master Masons to the Crown of Scotland (5). The king's comments upon Bruce's scheme are instructive: "The low vaulted chappell is to be made a large vaulted cellare; for his Majestie will have noe Chappell in this new house but ane entrie . . . into the church." He "does noe way approve of three Royal apartements, they being absolutely unnecessary. For he will only have his oune Great Apartements to the East upon the new Privy Garden and the old Royall Apartement where it now is, the Privy chamber of it being enlarged as is proposed, and the Drawing Room and Bed Chamber to be as it now is in the North-Towr [i.e., James IV's tower]. His Majesty does alsoe much dislike his Privy Gallery, and would have it converted into conveniencyes for Robes and back staires for the Royal appartement to the East." He also made most practical suggestions for improving communication and for the better placing of the kitchens. A proposal to raise the central part of the front to the height of the inner court was less happy; effect was not given to this, the design being recast instead.
In general, however, the scheme was approved and Bruce was appointed general overseer and superintendent of the work at a salary of £300 sterling. As the matter was urgent, the work of demolition as well as that of reconditioning the old tower was put in hand forthwith; but the main contract (6) was not entered into until the following year, when, on March 11th and 12th, Robert Mylne, King's Master Mason, agreed to execute the whole work in accordance with Sir William Bruce's designs,and with a minutely-detailed specification, for the sum of £57,000. Some of the building-accounts for the years 1674-8 are preserved in H.M. General Register House. From these it appears that stone was brought from Dalgety in Fife and from South Queensferry to eke out such of the old material as was suitable for re-use. Paving stones were obtained from an adjacent quarry in the King's Park. Marble mantelpieces from Italy were shipped from London. The bulk of the timber required for finishings, as well as tiles, marble pavings, linseed oil and white lead, came from Holland. The church windows were repaired with English glass, but French glass was imported for those of the palace. Adequate provision was made for water-supply and drainage. Jacobus de Wet (de Witt), a Dutch artist, was engaged on the recommendation of the Earl of Lauderdale, the King's Commissioner, "for there are nane here who worke so well as those of that nation,"· while his compatriot, Jan van Santvoort, was employed as a carver. The ornamental plasterwork was carried out by John Hulbert and George Dunsterfield, both Englishmen, with the assistance of Thomas Alborn, who may have been a Scot. James VII and II proposed to complete the scheme by laying out St. Anne's Yard, on the E. of the palace, as a formal garden, with walks bordered by statues. The Revolution, however, caused this project to be dropped.
[see RCAHMS 1951, 146-151, for a full architectural description]
RCAHMS 1951
(1) P.S.A.S., xxxiv (1899-1900), p. 224. (2) The Bannatyne Miscellany, i, p. 184. (3) Journal of the British Archaeological Association, June 1935, pp. 186 f. (4) Lalanne, (Euvres Completes de Pierre de Bourdeille Seigneur de Brantome (1873), vii, p. 419. (5) Between pp. 168 and 169. (6) P.S.A.S., xiv (1879-80), p. 329.
**These tapestries appear to have been purchased in 1503 from James Hornyll, for £161. (Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer, ii, p. 214).
***Hollar’s view of about 1660 shows a fourth turret at the S.E. corner.
