While visiting Edinburgh, our apartment was located just around the corner from Scottish Parliament and so we decided to take a look. We were pleasantly surprised that a free tour was immediately available and we pounced at the chance to see the building complex past the lobby area. Our guide was a lovely brunette Scottish lady (Lauren, I think?) and she spent the next hour taking us through this beautifully designed post-modern complex by Catalan architect Enric Miralles (who sadly passed away before its completion). The buildings, both interior and exterior are meant to connect the Members of Scottish Parliament (MSPs) to the landscape, people and culture of Scotland. Interestingly, the land was formerly occupied by a brewery...and now features many leaf and boat shaped motifs and building materials native to Scotland: gneiss, granite, Oak and Sycamore. The gardens have native trees- Rowan, Lime, Cherry and Oak as well as Scottish wild flowers and plants. The complex was built with sustainability and environmentally friendly goals in mind. Ask about the heating and cooling systems - fascinating! The debate chamber is stunning. The lintel all MSPs pass under is called the Arniston Stone and was in the original parliament building of 1707. This is meant to connect the past and the present. The seating design is elliptical and horseshoe-shaped so as to encourage a blurring of political parties and "encourage consensus". It's in stark contrast to the Westminster design of opposing parties facing each other in an adversarial sort of way. Other than the gorgeous debate chamber, my other favorite building houses the MSP offices. The windows jut out into what is called a "contemplation space". To me, it looks like a cool window seat where the politicians can gaze out over the city and ponder the day's issues. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of Scottish Parliament and ended up in the gift shop, which is quite nice as well and recommended prior to exiting security. Note: To visit the gift shop, you must pass through security first. It is not accessible via the street. More info on the interesting design, controversy surrounding the site and general history is available on Wikipedia. Yelp Challenge 2018: 95/100 read more

Let's see, only 10 people in line, 35 minutes to get those 10 people through security! That's just plain ridiculous! Wait, there's more. Another line to check your bags with only one employee slowly checking people in. And of course everything has to be hand written (no need to use a computer for efficiency in 2019). There was no indication from employees or any signage that suggested we needed to check a bag. But despite the lack of communication, and the fact that every bag had already been searched and x-rayed, and the fact that members of parliament weren't even present that day, everyone else seemed to be checking their purses, bags, etc. So we dutifully lined up. After 30 minutes in this line, we saw a tourist walk right past us and into parliament with an enormous backpack. She bypassed the line, waltzed right in, and no employee seemed to care. So one minute later we followed suit, departing the line and walking inside as well. My wife only had a small purse anyway. An official emerged from seemingly nowhere and told us "No bags, return to the line!" Backpack Lady was already well across the room, nonchalantly unaware of what she had successfully pulled off. So we begrudging returned to the line, along with the three people who had followed our lead. We waited longer while Backpack Lady, a potential terrorist for all we know, roamed parliament apparently unnoticed. While we waited, a heavyset gentleman (clearly a tourist) walked by with a backpack and entered the building. Again, no security! But my wife better hand over that tiny purses with almost nothing in it! Why even bother with security when they're clearly not doing their jobs? After about an hour to admit a mere 12 people into the building, and questionable security practices, we were in. Seeing the main room where parliament meets was interesting, although I was too nervous to stand anywhere near Backpack Lady and Backpack Man. The rest was not interesting, and the wait was certainly not worth the effort! read more

Speaking as a tourist who was not involved in the politics or the cost of this building, I would highly recommend going in this building. It is a beautiful modern building with very interesting architecture. The architect was Catalan and it looks as if he had been influenced by Gaudi. The building is in a lovely setting near Holyrood Park, Arthur's Seat, and Salisbury Crags. They give free guided tours on days when Parliament is not meeting. When we arrived in the afternoon all of the tours were filled but we were told that we could wander through the public areas of the building and take pictures. The security person in the Debating Chamber was very friendly and answered many questions. You do have to go through a metal detector and have your bags x-rayed, but overall the building has a very free and open feel to it (I remember when the US Congress building also felt this way). My first trip to Scotland I started at Edinburgh Castle and worked my way down the Royal Mile, but never made it as far as the Parliament building, Holyrood Palace, and Arthur's Seat which was a big oversight. read more

See all

As a foreigner who majored in political science I particularly loved visiting parliament. A reservation isn't required for a self guided tour but is for a guided one. A guided one is more elaborate and takes you to see the chambers. I did the self guided visit because I had come directly from Holyrood. There is an exhibit space as well as cafe/shop. read more

Yup. This is where it all happens. This is where your hard earned tax money goes !!! ;-) This controversial building was designed by the late Spanish architect Enric Miralles and cost ~$500M to construct. Its modern design is hated by some, adored by others (myself included). Parts of the design were inspired by a painting of Duddingston Loch by the famous artist, Raeburn. Its a photographers delight - especially during the mornings when the sun rises behind Arthurs Seat. read more

The Scottish Parliament - Public Services & Government Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

The building is hideous but I honor and adore what it represents, not only the idea of parliamentary government in general, but the Devolution of 1997-99 and the return of (semi)autonomy to the Scots from Westminster. One thing that I do appreciate about the building are the quotations inscribed in the exterior wall on Canongate, most from Scots such as Burns, Scott, and numerous other native men of letters. My favorite is from Gerard Manley Hopkins: "What would the world be, Once bereft of wet and wildness? Let them be left, O let them be left, Wildness and wet; Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet." read more

I still don't really understand why so many people felt the need to whinge for so long about The Scottish Parliament's design and the amount of time it took to build and how over budget it was, etc, etc. Granted, the actual cost of building the parliament was preposterously over what it was originally supposed to cost, but all in all, contrary to a lot of popular opinion, I think, the parliament building looks pretty cool, and I have no issues with it whatsoever. I like its modern, mismatched, slanted aesthetic feel, and a bit of crazy modern architecture always goes down well with me. Having a peek in at the debating chamber is definitely worthwhile, plus it's a great place if you're into photography, as there are plenty of nooks and angles for portrait shots and other photo delights. read more

See all

I look at this building and think WTF is actually going on here? Is it a mental hospital? Is it some sort of child's idea of a fort? Why the hell is there bloody bamboo sticks everywhere? It gives me a headache to look at and it makes me feel drunk. Edinburgh has been blessed with so many beautiful, unique historic buildings so I guess it was time we got it wrong. I think to a potential visitor it is worth a visit to admire the hideousness of the building as well as taking a tour inside to learn more about what the Scottish Parliament actually does. It earns extra points because of the role the Scottish Parliament actually plays in a devolved Scotland, it's just a shame they have to do it in such an ugly building. I do like the ponds outside though. read more

The Scottish Parliament - Public Services & Government Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

See all

Scottish Parliament is a fantastically architectural ode to brilliance! Among all the controversy surrounding this building's location, design, politics, & cost, we found the final result to be a serene, welcoming piece of modern delight Giving a shout out to nature, we saw many land & sea references. Twig & leaf motifs are cleverly incorporated inside the lobbies and gathering rooms while boat shapes can be seen carved out here & there, esp from the outside......some of the leaves look like boats & vice versa Lots of windows & skylights to offer maximum natural light & even the window frames look like curtains that are being drawn back - very inviting Guided tours are FREE but they only allow in so many at a time so you'll want to get there early to ensure you can get in the same day You'll be taken through the main buildings & get a glimpse of the Parliament auditorium to boot Very enjoyable tour guide, providing lots of great Scottish insight & political history We loved it - but then again, we're cheesy tourists read more

I think the Scottish Parliament is an excellent place to visit when in Edinburgh. Entry is free of charge, and there's a short security check at the entrance. Guided tours are available Monday to Saturday, and these are also free, and very interesting. They go around the building, explaining the architecture, and one even gets to explore the inside of the debating chamber. Tour guides are friendly and knowledgeable. Also inside is a café and a gift shop. Both are good, and café prices are very reasonable, so your wallet won't be angry with you. I'll write a separate review for the café. Overall, definitely worth visiting. It's free and it's interesting, especially for an obsessed politico like me. read more

"WU DINNAE NEED THEM INGLISH! WU CUN LOOK EFTER WURSEL BUCOZ WUR A NATION!!!!" "FFFFRRREEEEEDDDOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!" The cultural cringe is alive and well. read more

I thought the building was sort of neat, though I understand why people think it is somewhat hideous. Perhaps not what I would have chosen, but it is an interesting injection of modern architecture in the midst of an historic city. The cut-outs of what I can only think are scotch bottles in the wood paneling of the debate chamber sort of made my day. read more

Ugly, ugly, ugly. This place is a fabulous example of a waste of money. I have no idea who decided that this place actually looked good, but I can guarantee you it was not your typical Scotsman. It is so hideous on the outside that it's actually an embarrassment. Half a billion pounds? Good God. We went in to have a quick look as it is one of Edinburgh's rare freebies, and we were kind of disappointed and a mixture of bored at the same time. It was pretty busy even though it was a Monday, rainy afternoon, but the people in there were mainly foreign and probably just wanted to see what it was like. My personal favourite thing was seeing a doll of Nelson Mandela given to the parliament as a gift, which was incredibly scary and voodoo-esque like. It's simple things like that which made it worthwhile. We had a quick look at the 'modern art' on the walls and the debating chamber, and then left. It wasn't exciting in the slightest, although there were no debates on so maybe that's why. Unless you are in love with Scottish Politics, or like boring stuff, I'd give it a by. read more

The Scottish Parliament - Hideous!!! - Public Services & Government Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

See all

It's disappointing to see the famous Scottish knack for self deprecation in these reviews. I would disagree with one reviewer about the one thing Scotland is good at. It's not "failure", it's negativity. Our ability for self ridicule and constant disparagement might sometimes give wondrous charm (like in our humour) but it can also be really harmful. It also does no one any good to equate the existence of the Scottish Parliament with the call for full Scottish independence. That's fallacious. Just because we have a partly devolved parliament does not mean every Scotsman wants full independence. Some people seem to have reviewed the parliament institution (probably the wrong place to do so) and some have reviewed the building and its facilities. In any case I'm not going to give a review of the building per ce. All I will say is that it is pointless to say this building looks crap end of story. I personally think that whatever your judgement of the building is, it is at least interesting and though provoking. It isn't like the sheer dull IKEAesque monstrosity of Bank of Scotland building on the Royal Mile. The Scottish Parliament building doesn't just house the meetings of the Scottish Parliament. It also offers a small gallery of art with some often half decent exhibitions. It has a cafe, which serves fine good at slightly overly expensive prices. And a shop selling souvenirs of the place. It is also used as a platform for other events such as the Edinburgh Politics Festival (which at the time of reviewing will be starting soon so if you're interested check out the website). It is also possible, in a gesture of greater transparency, to view live debates inside the debating chamber. The Parliament website has full details for upcoming debates and details on how to view them. All in all the place is surprisingly small and if you're there for just a day and don't have anything specific planned out, there admittedly isn't much to do. However as a free attraction, and as such an important part of Scottish politics, there's little reason not to visit, and while you're at it make up your own mind about the architecture. read more

Right, well Scottish Parliament really isn't the most attractive building in Edinburgh and the whole place has been bound up with controversy after controversy, the biggest being that it ended up costing 10 times more than it was originally planned. However, the amount of fuss over it seems to be a bit too much. I came here last year with my friend after the exams had finished and we just came here to have a look around, we found out that you could come in and have a listen to the First Minister's Questions, but you do need to book in advance. Inside Parliament it isn't actually as bad as it looks from the outside, so I would suggest that anyone who isn't the biggest fan, should come and have a look and they may feel slightly different about it. read more

Okay, so I am a bit biased when it comes to the Scottish Parliament. The bazillions of pounds spent on the building's construction did not endear me to its presence, and if I'm perfectly honest I find the exterior totally bogging. I've never seen such an eyesore! Don't get me wrong here. I am a big fan of architecture, just not expensive, bloated, ugly architecture like our own Scottish Parliament. Purists and lovers of the place told me to explore the inside of the building in an attempt to change my mind. Apparently, the interiors are so cool and inspiring that you'd have to be a Luddite not to end your visit with a completely different view. I think I missed the memo, though. I must be a Luddite. The place is like a labyrinth. There's no natural feeling to navigating the building, and myself and a group of other visitors needed to be guided through to the Garden Lobby like a bunch of children (only partly because of security reasons, mostly because we were genuinely unable to find our way around). Attempting to find the loos in this place is like trying to find Shangri La. It seems the designers decided to squirrel away any sensible or practical elements, leaving us to wonder at weird shaped ceilings and wooden sculptural objects hanging off the walls. While desperate for a wee. I couldn't find my way out of the building either - goodness knows what it must be like in a fire emergency. There are some pretty interesting elements to the building, and visually it is engaging and different. It's not your average cement office block. But really? Was it worth all that money and time and faff and nonsense? Pfft! read more

The Scottish Parliament has had some stick in its time! OK, I know it looks weird and I know some people hate it, but I don't think it's that bad! Granted I've lived right next to it for the past year and so I might have learnt to like it, but I think the exterior is really quite different and unique. What would have been the point in having a normal parliament building, just like every other one? It's a talking point. It looks AMAZING from above... unfortunately that's not the most common angle to view it from. As well as being something to look at, you can go in and sit in on debates too. I sat in on the anti-smoking debate in July 2006 and it was electric. It's really exciting to watch policies being created...albeit a bit boring after a while. It's definitely worth a visit though. read more

Apparently designed around the image of scattered foliage, The Scottish Parliament building is the centre of a fickle relationship with regards its aesthetics. Tourists are free to roam around its quirky interior and even have a look at the debating hall, although as its a working parliament building opening times and access to specific areas can be limited on short notice. Whether you love it or hate it, the Scottish Parliament building will provoke some interesting conversation and will no doubt have you bending your neck in order to view its protruding features, unorthodox design and eye catching structure. Head down and have a stare its free to have a look after all. read more

The Scottish Parliament - Public Services & Government Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

See all

Throughout the years, ever since the establishment of devolution, the discussions around the new (not quite new now) parliament building has always been divided. There has been much criticism of its cost and the fact that the materials are not all from Scotland. Furthermore, some argue that it does not fit into the historic buildings that are in the Holyrood area. At first, I didn't really like the building. It looked out of place and slightly too grey. However as the years have gone by, the Scottish parliament has grown on me. Yes, there are still some issues with the bamboo and the constant up keep of the building but it is quite smart. I prefer the inside to the outside. Inside, it feels airy and open, whilst also being not to over bearing. The main debating chamber is very impressive and is architectural impressive! The offices of the MSPs and the government offices are not as impressive sadly. The public cafe, and the cafe inside the main parliament hub both provide good tasty food. Good tours are provided and the Festival of Politics is hosted here. Defiantly worth a visit to make your mind up on the place. read more

When Scotland moved towards having its won Parliament after years of English rule, one of the big challenges was where the new parliament would sit. A few years and lots of compromise later, the Scottish Parliament can be found opposite Holyrood House and is a marriage of old and new. The building is organic in its nature and right at home under Arthur's Seat with the use of natural materials in its design. Although an object of lots of discussion, I really liked it something new, proud of what it is and leaving the troubled past behind. The parliament is open for visits and its interesting to the inner working of the laws of the land. read more

I must admit - I'm quite biased as I used to work for an MSP. Every person in the building - no matter their position or party - is so kind and hospitable. My time here was an absolute joy. The architecture can be quite confusing and maze-like from the inside, but if you go on a proper tour, you shouldn't have any issues. Everything in this magnificent building has some type of symbolism, which makes it all the more unique. Also, it has some marvellous views of the city from the higher floors. Go in and have a look! read more

The newly finished Holyrood Parliament is home to 129 MSP's and is where the politics in Scotland are debated week after week. This is an excellent place to visit as you can taste and see where debates influencing the daily lives of Scottish people are held. It is free to get in although there is a small cost for guided tours. On weekdays you can arrange to watch the live debating and on weekends you can arrange a tour of the Parliament (worth it I assure you!). Guides explain the history of Scottish politics and nationalism, and show you all of the major aspects of the Parliament such as the committee rooms and debating chamber. The building ,may due to recent election results, become even more powerful with nationalism of the SNP in Scotland and Tories in England making Holyrood the powerbase for a country of Scotland. The building of course post 9/11 and July bomb attacks has been equipped with modern security devices but once you pass these you can relax and marvel at what cost the British tax payer several million pounds. There is a gift shop and great café where you can relax after a hard day looking over the building. Furthermore, the wonderful Holyrood Park and Arthurs' Seat are just a 3 minute walk away for those who are not tired easily! read more

Three years ago, the Scottish Parliament building opened to a mixed reception. Having cost around £390 million pounds over budget, many people were angry at the vast expenditure entailed in the building's construction. Nevertheless, in 2007, the Scottish parliament provides a stylish, modern platform for the 129 elected MSP's to work and determine a program for the people of Scotland. The main debating chamber is designed to provide the parliamentarians ample opportunity to engage in, what is, at times, often confrontational debate. Members of the public are invited to come along and watch First Ministers question time or, other, parliamentry business. Additionally, one can pay to go on the tour of the building and see for themselves the delightful architecture within our wonderfully contemporary parliament. read more

It may be the most disputed building in Edinburgh but if you visit the Scottish Parliament you will enter an functioning artwork. You can't explore alone but it is worth taking part in a guided tour because they give you ideas to fuel your own interpretation on how art and politics can be so entwined and what the architect, Enric Miralles, wanted to express. Do parts of the building represent a fish, a ship or leaves? Why did Miralles create such strange looking windows? Nobody can give you the correct answer and that's the reason which makes the building design so interesting. Go there and solve the puzzle for yourself! read more

It took so long to build, and cost us so much money, why couldn't they have made it look cool? Given it turrets or a moat or something? No, instead they put a gift shop and cafe in it. What do these guys even do anyway? It looks like about four different buildings all stuck together. read more

Ugliest building in Edinburgh. I don't think people will ever stop talking about how much it cost. Poor old Lizzie having that accross from her little pad in Edinburgh. If terrorists went for the place she would probably enoble them. read more

The Scottish Parliament offers free guided tours, and I've been twice and also sent various visitors off on their visits to the parliament as well since I liked it so much! It's great to not only learn about the Scottish Parliament and learn more how it works, but what was truly fascinating was seeing the architecture from the inside and learning more about all of the symbolic aspects of every decision that went into the architectural design. It's a great tour but book ahead, or wander in to visit the interesting exhibits or gift shop. It's a really interesting trip no matter if you're a tourist or a local! read more

scottish are full of mixed feelings about their best building in edinburgh. it was meant to be done for 40m but ended up costing 10 ten times more to the wary scottish. the outcome, a beatiful modern piece of excellent architecture that shocks the tourist who may well not expect it there. there are guided tours but i didn't do them. they are cheap though, i just didn't know. however i did come into the debating chamber, while the politics were going through educational issues. that was cool. the room is huge and impressively constructed. the building keeps a wonderful coherence and style, not only in colours, but also in daring shapes. surely one of the must-do spots. read more

If you find yourself near the Scottish Parliament but don't have the time for a tour- I'd still recommend you enter the building to see the lobby. From the entrance you get a feel for the interiors and there are things of interest for you to have a nosey at. If you're lucky, they might have an exhibition on (The World Press Photo competition comes here every year among others..). There is also a well-stocked gift shop for your souvenirs which are more classy than tacky. read more