Parking Near Holyrood Park, Scotland
Where Can I Park for Holyrood Park?
Broad Pavement is the practical choice from the Holyrood Palace side, charging £1 an hour with a minimum charge of £1 between 08.30 and 17.30. St Margaret's Loch and Duddingston Loch are also named park car parks. The park is free to visit and open 24 hours a day, year-round, but overnight parking is not permitted anywhere in the park.
- Address
- Volunteer's Walk, Willowbrae, City of Edinburgh, EH8 8ES
- Closest listed space
- Secure and Convenient Garage Space in Edinburgh, 0.4 mi (9 min walk)
- Nearest station
- St Leonards (Edinburgh) railway station, 0.7 mi (14 min walk)
Parking Near Holyrood
Holyrood Park scenery with a pre-booked private parking space nearby, helping visitors enjoy a short walk and spend less time circling. Photo: Pexels
Broad Pavement Parking Near Holyrood Park
The nearest recommended parking within the site is Broad Pavement, one of the three car parks identified by Historic Environment Scotland alongside St Margaret's Loch and Duddingston Loch (historicenvironment.scot). Holyrood Park is open 24 hours a day, year-round, and free to visit (historicenvironment.scot), but overnight parking is not permitted anywhere in the park (historicenvironment.scot).
Broad Pavement is the practical choice for access from the Holyrood Palace side. Parking near Holyrood Palace at Broad Pavement is charged at £1 an hour, with a minimum charge of £1, and charges apply between 08.30 and 17.30 (edinburghoutdoors.org.uk). The High Road is currently closed to motor traffic, so drivers should use the permitted approaches rather than relying on the park's internal through route (historicenvironment.scot).
Busy Arrival Times and Street Parking Around Holyrood
Holyrood becomes more difficult for drivers when visitors are arriving for walks, palace visits and city-centre events. The park remains open year-round, while the Broad Pavement charge operates between 08.30 and 17.30 (edinburghoutdoors.org.uk). Early arrival is particularly useful when the closest spaces are the priority.
Road access is shaped by the current closure of the High Road to motor traffic (historicenvironment.scot). Queen's Drive is the road circling the park and provides access to four car parks, according to OutdoorSCOT (outdoorscot.co.uk). Overnight parking is not permitted anywhere in the park (historicenvironment.scot), so vehicles left into the night need a different arrangement. The Radical Road is also currently closed, which affects walking routes rather than creating an alternative parking area (historicenvironment.scot).
Parksy Spaces Within Reach of Holyrood
Parksy lists six nearby spaces for drivers visiting the site in Willowbrae, near Holyrood. The closest is a secure garage space 0.4 mi away at £12 a day. Two Old Tolbooth Wynd options are 0.5 mi away: secure covered parking at £90 a month and a convenient parking space at £15 an hour.
Further options include a parking space in Dalgety Road, 0.6 mi away at £12 a day, a secure commercial garage in central Edinburgh, 0.6 mi away at £250 a month, and secure 24/7 parking in Edinburgh, 0.6 mi away at £18 a day. The range includes garage, covered, commercial and 24/7 spaces, giving drivers alternatives to the park's own car parks.
Other Named Car Parks Near the Park and Palace
St Margaret's Loch and Duddingston Loch are named as car parks serving Holyrood Park by Historic Environment Scotland, alongside Broad Pavement (historicenvironment.scot). OutdoorSCOT describes the park as having four car parks accessible from Queen's Drive (outdoorscot.co.uk), with the main car park near St Margaret's Loch identified as the principal option for Arthur's Seat.
Edinburgh Outdoors separately identifies parking near Holyrood Palace at Broad Pavement, where charges apply at £1 an hour between 08.30 and 17.30 (edinburghoutdoors.org.uk). Edinburgh's NCP Holyrood Car Park offers pay-on-the-day parking at £9 for 1 to 2 hours, £13.50 for 2 to 3 hours, £18 for 3 to 4 hours, £22.50 for 4 to 5 hours and £27 for 5 to 24 hours (ncp.co.uk). These named choices cover park-edge, palace-side and city car-park parking.
Walking and Rail Access From St Leonards
St Leonards (Edinburgh) railway station is the nearest station to Holyrood Park, at 0.7 mi and a 14 min walk. The attraction address is Volunteer's Walk, Willowbrae, City of Edinburgh, EH8 8ES, placing the site near Holyrood rather than in the suburb itself.
Rail access can remove the need to search for a park-edge space, especially during busy visitor periods. From St Leonards, the 14 min walk covers 0.7 mi to the site, while drivers using a nearby Parksy space can leave the car outside the park's overnight restriction. The park is free to visit and open 24 hours a day, year-round (historicenvironment.scot), although the internal High Road closure remains relevant to anyone planning to drive through the grounds (historicenvironment.scot).
Sources
- ScotRail
- To guarantee a car space, pre-book parking before your visit.
- Transport Scotland
- Plan your visit | Holyrood Park
- Roads and parking | Holyrood Park
- Arthur's Seat Parking | OutdoorSCOT
- Holyrood Park - Explore parks – Edinburgh Outdoors
- Getting Here | Where is Dynamic Earth?
- Edinburgh Holyrood Car Park
* Please note: parking prices, time limits and fine amounts change frequently and vary by operator, council and local authority. Everything on this page is indicative and provided on a best-endeavours basis. Always check the sign, the operator or the issuing authority before you rely on a figure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where Can I Park for Holyrood Park?
Broad Pavement is the practical choice from the Holyrood Palace side, charging £1 an hour with a minimum charge of £1 between 08.30 and 17.30. St Margaret's Loch and Duddingston Loch are also named park car parks. The park is free to visit and open 24 hours a day, year-round, but overnight parking is not permitted anywhere in the park.
How Much Does Parking at Broad Pavement Cost?
Parking at Broad Pavement is charged at £1 an hour, with a minimum charge of £1. Charges apply between 08.30 and 17.30. It is the practical choice for access from the Holyrood Palace side. The park itself is free to visit, but overnight parking is not permitted anywhere in the park.
What Other Car Parks Serve Holyrood Park?
Historic Environment Scotland names St Margaret's Loch and Duddingston Loch as car parks serving the park, alongside Broad Pavement. OutdoorSCOT describes four car parks accessible from Queen's Drive and identifies the main car park near St Margaret's Loch as the principal option for Arthur's Seat. Queen's Drive is the road circling the park.
Are There Nearby Alternatives to the Park's Own Car Parks?
Parksy lists six nearby spaces in Willowbrae, near Holyrood. The closest is 0.4 mi away at £12 a day. Other options are 0.5 mi away at £90 a month or £15 an hour, plus spaces 0.6 mi away at £12 a day, £250 a month and £18 a day. These include garage, covered, commercial and 24/7 spaces.
Can I Park Overnight in Holyrood Park?
Overnight parking is not permitted anywhere in the park. The park remains open 24 hours a day, year-round, but vehicles left into the night need a different arrangement. A nearby Parksy space can leave the car outside the park's overnight restriction, including secure 24/7 parking in Edinburgh 0.6 mi away at £18 a day.
How Can I Reach the Park Without Driving?
St Leonards (Edinburgh) railway station is the nearest station, at 0.7 mi and a 14 min walk. Rail access can remove the need to search for a park-edge space, especially during busy visitor periods. The attraction address is Volunteer's Walk, Willowbrae, City of Edinburgh, EH8 8ES, and the site is near Holyrood.
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