The Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the British monarch when in Scotland, is an architectural time capsule. On the far left are the ruins of the Augustinian Abbey commissioned by King David I in 1128. Next to it is the dominant north-west tower. King James V ordered its construction in 1528 and William Aytoun finished this first phase in 1532. Inside the James’ Tower was the royal apartment of Mary, Queen of Scots. After being partially destroyed in 1544, the palace was extensively renovated and expanded beginning in 1672. Above the main entrance from the outer courtyard is a relief of the Royal Arms of Scotland, a clock manufactured in 1680 and a cupola shaped as a crown.
