The Scottish Parliament

Opened by Her Majesty the Queen in 2004, the Scottish Parliament building has been hailed by many as the masterpiece of the Catalan architect Enric Miralles.

Strikingly modern, the building embraces organic, flowing shapes with nods to Scottish vernacular architecture. The work of MSPs representing their constituents and the Parliament’s role of holding the Government to account and passing laws has continued throughout the pandemic.

We hope to open again to general visitors very soon but in the meantime, as part of Doors Open Day 2021, we wanted to offer a virtual glimpse inside, before we welcome you back through our doors in-person, telling a story of parts of the building not usually shown.

Join us on our YouTube channel as we enter our 17th century entrance at historic Queensberry House and see glimpses from behind the scenes in the heart of Scottish democracy. We have created a new short film which showcases some of the history of the Holyrood site and the work of the parliament, Members and staff. Afterwards, there will be a live opportunity to ask the Visitor Services team questions about the history and architecture of the parliament and its Canongate home.

Our live streams, including the film and time for questions, will be available at 1100, 1300 and 1500 on both Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th September – and we look forward to hearing from you.

In addition to this new video, you can also click here to view the first of a series of immersive virtual 360° tours highlighting some of the architecture of our unique building.