Gorgeous blue skies in Edinburgh this week!  The 16th century tower of Holyrood Palace (on the left of the photo) was built by King James V in the 16th century; the rest of the palace was mainly constructed in the late 1600s by King Charles II.  It is now the official residence of the Queen in Scotland.  You can visit the palace to see the state rooms used by the present queen, and also the rooms in the tower occupied by Mary, Queen of Scots in the 1500s.

Mary’s private secretary David Rizzio was murdered here in 1566 by her husband Lord Darnley.  Mary was seven months pregnant at the time and it is said Darnley was jealous of Rizzio’s close friendship with the queen – he may even have suspected Rizzio was the real father of the unborn baby.  Rizzio was dragged out of the turret room where he was dining with the queen and her ladies and waiting, and stabbed 56 times by Darnley and his friends.  It is said his bloodstains still mark the floor…

Holyrood 1