the entrance to the scottish parliament, with the queens gallery and abbey strand buildings also in view.

Scottish Parliament Entrance - Edinburgh visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Scottish Parliament Entrance' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Lothian.

The Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh stands at the eastern end of the Royal Mile in Canongate, opposite the Queens Gallery amd the Palace of Holyroodhousewas. It was designed by Enric Miralles and opened in 2004, based on his concept of Scottish identity as reflected by the landscape of Scotland.

The result is a collection of low lying, interlocking buildings with various features connecting it to the land, including ponds out the front, an open amphitheatre area and grass covered roofs. Scottish rock was used for the flooring and walls, and local woods sourced for much of the furniture. As Miralles stated:

'We don't want to forget that the Scottish Parliament will be in Edinburgh, but will belong to Scotland, to the Scottish land. The Parliament should be able to reflect the land it represents. The building should arise from the sloping base of Arthur's Seat and arrive into the city almost surging out of the rock.' - Enric Miralles, 1999.

When finally completed, the Scottish Parliament Building opened more than 3 years late and 10 times over budget to much controversy. Today, the unusual design of the building, overlooked by Salisbury Crags and a mile from Edinburgh Castle, has become one of the attractions in Edinburgh.

The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP

Bus: Holyrood Road or Canongate / Horse Wynd.
Train: Edinburgh (Waverley) Railway Station, 1.2 miles walk from the Parliament buildings.
Walk: The Scottish Parliament is 1.2 miles from the Tourist Information Centre and 1 mile from Edinburgh Castle.