early morning sunshine on the Scottish parliament.

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

The Scottish Parliament Building stands opposite the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Queens Gallery in Edinburgh on the edge of Holyrood Park. In the lea of Salisbury Crags, it was designed by Enric Miralles, based the concept of Scottish identity as reflected by the landscape of Scotland, as portrayed in this statement:

'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.

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. The Scottish Parliament building opened in 2004, over 3 years late and costing over 10 times the initial budget

The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP

Bus: Holyrood Road or Canongate / Horse Wynd.
Train: 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.