Palace of Holyroodhouse is most famous as the 16th-century home of the ill-fated Mary, Queen of Scots. But, though first built by James IV in 1498, much of what you can see today is of 17th-century vintage and full of outstanding plasterwork commissioned by a Charles II much impressed with cousin Louis XIV’s efforts at Versailles.

The Great Gallery

The palace's Great Gallery is particularly impressive, running almost the full length of the palace. Inside it's lined by portraits of almost 100 Scottish regents, painted by Jacob de Wet in 1684. They're more a tribute to the artist's creativity than anything, since he had no idea what most of them looked like. It was also an act of fantasy by Stuart kings who liked to date their lineage back to Scota: the daughter of an Egyptian pharaoh who discovered the infant Moses in a basket on the Nile's banks.

The Supper Room