Royal wedding boost to Holyroodhouse tourism

ROYAL wedding fever, an exhibition of German and French masterpieces and a new year-long visitor pass have helped to make this a record-breaking year for the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

More than 152,000 people visited the Queen’s official residence in Edinburgh between April and September this year – 13 per cent more than last year. And the palace is expected to attract some new fans thanks to a new BBC series on royal palaces, presented by Fiona Bruce.

Deborah Clarke, curator of the Palace, said: “The Royal family has had a lot of publicity this year and we have had two royal weddings, one of them in Edinburgh. Although Zara Phillips’ wedding was a private affair, I think it did give a new focus to Edinburgh and the palace. I think we have also benefited from people deciding to stay at home and holiday in Britain.”

More than 300,000 tourists visited the palace last year.