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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
World
Rachel Keenan

Incredible time-lapse video shows evolution of Holyrood Palace over 400 years

A video has emerged online that reveals how Holyrood Palace has changed over the past few centuries.

The YouTube video, which has been posted by an account called The Time Travel Artist, shows how the royal residence has changed over 477 years from 2022 all the way back to 1544.

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Taking viewers back in time the video shows a visual timeline of the palace using postcards, paintings, pictures and drawings of the palace.

The palace is still standing next to Holyrood Park and being overlooked by Arthur's Seat, an aspect that has not changed in the older depictions.

The hills can be seen in the background in the early images of the palace despite the foreground changing drastically to form the Holyrood area at the bottom of the royal mile that can be seen today.

Adding further information in the timeline it also shows which royal was in charge at the time of the picture or drawing of the palace.

Starting at Mary Queen of Scotland all the way up to Queen Elizabeth there is also a history lesson in leaders of the UK and their opposition at the time.

Thought to have been built between 1502 and 1505, the earliest known drawing of the site only goes back to 1544.

A 16th century drawing depicts the palace much like it resembles today with Arthurs Seat in the background.

The surrounding buildings appear to be small houses surrounding the palace that lead up Edinburgh's ancient royal mile - now predominantly lined with businesses.

The rest of the area is depicted as lots of green space and fields, this shows the area has not changed too drastically apart from new Holyrood parliament buildings.

As we are shown through the years, even pictures of the palace 150 years ago depict a city that is similar enough to be recognisable today.

Taking out the Dynamic Earth Dome and the modernised buildings surrounding Holyrood and the bones of the city has stayed the same for centuries.

Holyrood endures to this day and can be visited by those with an interest in its history. Modern day royals have been known to visit and stay at the palace when on official visits to the capital.

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