Scottish Parliament Building — Attraction in City of Edinburgh

The Scottish Parliament Building (Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlamaid na h-Alba; Scots: Scots Pairlament Biggin) is the home of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, within the UNESCO World Heritage Site in central Edinburgh. Construction of the building commenced in June 1999 and the Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) held their first debate in the new building on 7 September 2004. The formal opening by Queen Elizabeth II took place on 9 October 2004. Enric Miralles, the Spanish architect who designed the building, died before its completion.

From 1999 until the opening of the new building in 2004, committee rooms and the debating chamber of the Scottish Parliament were housed in the General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland located on The Mound in Edinburgh. Office and administrative accommodation in support of the Parliament were provided in buildings leased from the City of Edinburgh Council. The new Scottish Parliament Building brought together these different elements into one purpose-built parliamentary complex, housing 129 MSPs and more than 1,000 staff and civil servants.

From the outset, the building and its construction have been controversial. The choices of location, architect, design, and construction company were all criticised by politicians, the media and the Scottish public. Scheduled to open in 2001, it did so in 2004, more than three years late with an estimated final cost of £414 million, many times higher than initial estimates of between £10m and £40m. A major public inquiry into the handling of the construction, chaired by the former Lord Advocate, Lord Fraser of Carmyllie, was established in 2003. The inquiry concluded in September 2004 and criticised the management of the whole project from the realisation of cost increases down to the way in which major design changes were implemented. Despite these criticisms and a mixed public reaction, the building was welcomed by architectural academics and critics. The building aimed to achieve a poetic union between the Scottish landscape, its people, its culture, and the city of Edinburgh. The Parliament Building won numerous awards including the 2005 Stirling Prize and has been described by landscape architect Charles Jencks as "a tour de force of arts and crafts and quality without parallel in the last 100 years of British architecture".

Comprising an area of 1.6 ha (4 acres), with a perimeter of 480 m (1570 ft), the Scottish Parliament Building is located 1 km (0.6 mi) east of Edinburgh city centre on the edge of the Old Town. The large site previously housed the headquarters of the Scottish and Newcastle brewery which were demolished to make way for the building. The boundary of the site is marked by the Canongate stretch of the Royal Mile on its northern side, Horse Wynd on its eastern side, where the public entrance to the building is, and Reid's Close on its western side. Reid's Close connects the Canongate and Holyrood Road on the southwestern side of the complex. The south eastern side of the complex is bounded by the Our Dynamic Earth visitor attraction which opened in July 1999, and Queen's Drive which fringes the slopes of Salisbury Crags.

In the immediate vicinity of the building is the Palace of Holyroodhouse, which is bordered by the broad expanse of Holyrood Park. To the south of the parliamentary complex are the steep slopes of Salisbury Crags and Arthur's Seat. The Holyrood and Dumbiedykes areas, to the west of the site, have been extensively redeveloped since 1998, with new retail, hotel and office developments, including Barclay House, the new offices of The Scotsman...

I used to work here for a Member of the Scottish Parliament, so I got to know the building well and during my time here I even joined an organised tour, more than once. Firstly, the building is quite unusual and it really divides opinion. Personally, I feel that the inside is more aesthetically pleasing and interesting than the outside. Absolutely every space has been well thought through, and certain architectural concepts and ideas are apparent and consistent in every area of the building. It is truly beautiful and one of a kind - there really is no other building in the world like it, and that's true whether you personally love it or not. I believe that the building merges almost seamlessly with the nature surrounding it, and there's so much light within the building that it has a real sense of openness and space. The tours are great and the most impressive part is of course the debating chamber itself. The tours are also free (and available in a wide range of different languages) which is fantastic, because I believe everybody should be able to see and learn about this important building, even tourists from other countries. Please also note that the disabled access is excellent, so if you're hearing impaired, partially sighted or a wheelchair user, you will still be able to enjoy the tour and take a full part in it. Accessibility is a key principle of the Scottish Parliament itself, in every way. I'm proud of this building, and proud that we welcome people from everywhere to see it. I would definitely recommend to put a tour of the Scottish Parliament on your itinerary if you're...

:) surprisingly welcoming, clean, informative and interesting to visit. Free to enter too. Need to pass through security similar to an airport screening to enter. Security staff friendly and helpful with directions and ideas of places to visit. Lockers are available, once you clear security, near the public washrooms, where you can store your backpacks. Lockers require a pound coin or token from the reception desk if you don't have a pound coin to secure the lockers. Coin or token is returned when you finish use of the locker. It is possible to access the viewing gallery to watch parliament business. At the time we made a viewing their was a presentation in the native language of Scotland from the man who made the first complete translation of the bible to native Scottish in 600 years along with other parliament business. Staff and members or parliament were approachable and friendly if you met them in the lobby area. You could also schedule appointments to meet with them at the...