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Buildings

Basic Site Details

Palace of Holyroodhouse
Edinburgh
A listed
Scotland
List description notes that John Fowler was involved at some stage but does not make clear what his input was.

Chapel now demolished.

Robert Reid work:

SE portion rebuilt; SE quarter refloored, replastered, new woodwork, Duke of Hamiltpon's apartment woodwork cut out, new plaster and woodwork refinished. Also rebuilding part of the south wall forming the garden front of the palace tpowards the east, new roof over north west angle. Duke of Hamilton's (commendator's0 house removed; one of the south towers in common rublle completely rebuilt in ashlar, parapaets of towers renewed. South side refaced in ashlar. Alterations to interior cost £1945. Abbey Court almost completely taken down and rebuilt.

John Douglas repair work (abstract from article by Dimitris Theodossopoulos):

The collapse of the significant church of Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh in December 1768 is discussed as the result of the ill-conceived repair of the roof in 1760, i.e., the substitution of the timber trusses with closelyspaced diaphragm masonry walls that aggravated the delicate equilibrium of the vaults and the poor state of a building being mutilated over 250 years. This study interprets these repairs by demonstrating the authorship and partnership of the architect John Douglas with the mason-developer James McPherson, who combined architectural ambition (the aesthetics of a flagstone roof) with the (cheaper) option of diaphragms, which would not involve a wright. The detailed examination of the procurement, the process of the intervention, the collapse, and the limited impact of its aftermath, are framed in a wider technical and historical context in Edinburgh and Scotland, during a period marked by several failures of medieval churches, and reveals a poor understanding of a critical element in Gothic construction. Analysis of all public archive material available sheds light on key events of the case, and critical study of the work of the two partners’ attempts to identify the intentions of their project, whose limitations were inevitable once the partnership was formed.

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:

Class classic

ClassificationOriginal ClassificationNotes
PalaceNot Known

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:

event classic

Event TypeFromToNotes
Addition16161617Decoration and furnishing of Chapel Royal.
Alterations and additions1633
Plans drawn up1663For completion of second floor
Alterations and additions16711678
Repair17331734
Repair17541757Theo Dossopoulos indicates the repair work was carried out in 1760, leading to collapse in 1768.
Repair18241834Repairs and redecoration. Rebuilding of the south east quarter which had beendmaged by subsidence and refaced the south front (originally rubble) in ashlar.
1842Internal work
18551856Refitting of the Throne Room, paintwork and paper by D R Hay
19101913Interior work (under supervision of W T Oldrieve)
1927Throne Room, panelling and ceiling
1930King's Dressing Room and Evening Drawings Room, panelling
Ceiling of picture gallery renewed

People

Design and Construction

The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column.

design classic

PersonPartnership GroupRoleFromToNotes
Inigo JonesJArchitect16161617Decoration and furnishing of Chapel Royal
William AytounHMason1633Working at Holyrood.
John Mylne juniorUMason1663Drew up a survey of the second floor showing how it was to be completed. Not executed until after his death.
(Sir) William BruceSArchitect16711678With Robert Mylne
Robert MylneTMason16711678Rebuilding under the direction of Sir William Bruce
William AdamWArchitect17331734Repairs
William AdamXArchitect1740Decoration of apartment for 5th Duke of Hamilton
John DouglasZArchitect17541760Repairs. With mason-developer James McPherson.
Robert ReidUArchitect18241834Repairs and redecoration. Rebuilding of the south east quarter which had been damaged by subsidence and refaced the south front (originally rubble) in ashlar. Parliamentary grant of £24,755 toward this.
H M Office of Works (later Ministry of Works, Department of the Environment and Property Services Agency)B1842Internal alterations with Nixon as Architect for Scotland
William NixonB1842Internal alterations - as architect for Scotland in the Office of Works
H M Office of Works (later Ministry of Works, Department of the Environment and Property Services Agency)C18551856Refitting of the Throne Room, paintwork and paper by D R Hay (Matheson as architect for Scotland in the Office of Works)
Robert MathesonC18551856Refitting of the Throne Room, paintwork and paper by D R Hay (Matheson as architect for Scotland in the Office of Works)
H M Office of Works (later Ministry of Works, Department of the Environment and Property Services Agency)D1860Replanning of 2nd floor as the Duke of Hamilton's and Marquess of Breadalbane's apartments (with Matheson as architect for Scotland)
Robert MathesonD1860Replanning of 2nd floor as the Duke of Hamilton's and Marquess of Breadalbane's apartments (Matheson as architect for Scotland)

Clients

The following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design:

client classic

NameNotes
Hamilton, 5th Duke ofClient for William Adam decoration of apartment
Charles II, KingClient for William Bruce work

Related Buildings, Structures and Designs

Child Structures

This structure or site has the following component or child structures (click on an item to view details):

Child classic

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:

bio ref classic

AuthorYearTitlePartPublisherNotes
Colvin, Howard2008A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840London: YUP. 4th edition
Dunbar, John J1999Scottish Royal Palacespp55-74
Gifford, John, McWilliam, Colin and Walker, David M1984Edinburgh (The Buildings of Scotland)Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltdpp129, 144-146
Gow, Ian1987Elegance on a shoestringCountry Life, 30 July 1987
Gow, Ian2005The Palace of Holyroodhouse: official guidebook
Imrie, J and Dunbar, J (eds.)1982Accounts of the Masters of WorksiiChapters lxxxvi-lxxxvii
McKean, Charles1992Edinburgh: an illustrated architectural guidepp41-43
Mylne, R SThe Master Masons to the Crown of ScotlandChapter 9-10 (pp148-9)
Richardson, J S1978The Abbey and Palace of Holyroodhouse
Theodossopoulos, Dimitris2016The Catastrophic Repairs of Holyrood Abbey Church in 1760v 10, issue 7International Journal of Architectural Heritage, Conservation, Analysis and Restoration

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:

arc ref classic

SourceNameCat NumberItem NameNotes
RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination PapersCharles Ernest Jackson: L v24 no1986
National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMSWatherston CollectionEDD 4/187/1-2 (panelling in west drawing room)
National Records of Scotland (formerly SRO, later NAS)Ministry of Works filesIncludes General Report on Works executed at Holyroodhouse by Reid, 1836.
Bodleian LibraryGough Maps and Documents39, f. 1v
British LibraryEgerton MSS2870-1Drawings and contracts
National Archives of Scotland (NAS)Holyroodhouse building accounts
National ArchivesCalendar of State Papers Domestic1671, 295-6
Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register28022
National Archives of Scotland (formerly SRO)Gifts and depositsGD 31/554John Adam v. The Duke of Hamilton, 1770
Edinburgh University LibraryLaing ManuscriptsLaing II, 88