“Coming back to Edinburgh is to me like coming home.” – Charles Dickens

Today, let me take you to the Palace of Holyrood in Edinburgh, Scotland for Norm’s Thursday Doors Challenge.

On the entrance of the gatehouse of the Holyrood Palace you will see this panel with a unicorn and the little plaque below it says: “This heraldic panel was originally over the entrance of the gatehouse which stood here. It bears the Royal Arms and ‘IR5’ for King James V.

Do you know that the unicorn is Scotland’s national animal? Unicorns are everywhere in Scotland and as you can see it here being an influence in their heraldic crest.

The Queen’s Gallery in the Palace of Holyrood, opened in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. It houses the events and exhibitions from the Royal Collection.

The large stone lettering of the Queen’s Gallery above the entrance are cut from single piece of stone. It sits below Scotland’s heraldic lion.

The entrance doors are made of oak with gilded bronze hinges. The main hinges are decorated with the Scottish lion and unicorn.