Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Caucasus - Geghard Monastery, Armenia
Armenia • 15 days, 14 nights
Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia
from
Taktsang Lhakhang, also known as the “Tiger’s Nest”.
Bhutan • 11 days, 10 nights
Festivals & Temples of Bhutan
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Muc Lien’s 18 Gates of Hell.
Muc Lien's 18 Gates of Hell
Lighthouse and Museum of Jára Cimrman (Maják a muzeum Járy Cimrmana).
Lighthouse of Jára Cimrman
Markers honor 865 war dead.
Sovjet Ereveld (Soviet Field of Honor)
The intaglio leaves a subtle impression on the land along Riverside Drive in Fort Atkinson.
Panther Intaglio
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
USDA and Washington State agriculture officials tagged this Asian giant hornet. Sept. 10, 2021.
What Ever Happened to the Murder Hornets?
about 16 hours ago
The exterior of the Hall of Records.
Atlas Obscura Mailbag: Urban Exploration, Illegal Carvings, and Repeat Vacations
3 days ago
Biosphere 2 campus (2016)
Biosphere 2: How Volunteers Survived for 2 Years in an Airtight Habitat
4 days ago
Places like Forest Grove linger on the edge of wilderness and civilization.
Listening for Echoes of the Forest Grove Sound
4 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom Scotland Edinburgh Moray House Garden Pavilion

Moray House Garden Pavilion

This unassuming shed was the stage for a monumental event in British history.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Added By
SEANETTA ALLSASS
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Pavilion.   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Pavilion.   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Old Moray House.   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Balcony.   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Pavilion.   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Pavilion.   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Moray House.   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Pavilion.   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Pavilion.   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Plaque.   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Pavilion.   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

It may be surprising to many people, let alone the proud citizens of Scotland, that the signing of the Act of Union with England took place in a rather nondescript building just a few yards away from Holyrood Palace. The combined unification of both England and Scotland had been hotly debated for over a century. It wasn't until King James VI of Scotland, who became known as King James I of England, (or "Union Jack"), took the throne in 1603 that the aforementioned countries joined Ireland and Wales to become Great Britain. Still, it took another 100 years before the Treaty of the Union was officially signed in 1707.

As you might imagine, the general population of Scotland was not at all too keen on unification. There were reports that only one out of every 100 Scots was in favor of merger between the two states. It was generally believed that it was the rich land owners who were behind unification, and it was not uncommon to hear riotous crowds of hostile common folk chant "no Union" in the streets of the capital and beyond.

With these tense malevolent happenings occurring in the background, it was up to Earl of Seafield, Lord Chancellor of Scotland, to draw up the various articles of the treaty. Seafield happened to be a guest in Moray House, an impressive 17th-century mansion located in the Canongate, an area situated on the Royal Mile between Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace. The pro-Unionist who had gathered to sign the treaty were meant to sign the document in a building along the High Street, but because of the strong vocal opposition, they chose the more basic garden shed to finalize the deed. So, the act that united Scotland with England took place in a common building, away from prying eyes.

Related Tags

Politics History Architectural Oddities Universities Architecture

Know Before You Go

The pavilion is located on Holyrood Road, in what is now a parking lot. It is adjacent to Patersons Land, which is a part of Edinburgh University. There is a gate that will close when school is not in session, in the evenings and on weekends. There is no access to the inside of the shed.

Moray House is now the entrance and provides classrooms to the aforementioned school, it is located on the Canongate. Opposite the souvenir shop, Prestige Scotland, 187 Canongate. The balcony is to the left of the entrance.

Community Contributors

Added By

SEANETTA

Edited By

maristoddard

  • maristoddard

Published

October 10, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://ewh.org.uk/iconic-buildings-and-monuments/moray-house/
Moray House Garden Pavilion
100 Holyrood Rd
Edinburgh, Scotland, EH8 8AJ
United Kingdom
55.949847, -3.178412
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Bakehouse Close

Edinburgh, Scotland

miles away

Hutton Memorial Garden

Edinburgh, Scotland

miles away

Edinburgh Book Sculptures

Edinburgh, Scotland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Scotland

Places 184
Stories 7

Nearby Places

Bakehouse Close

Edinburgh, Scotland

miles away

Hutton Memorial Garden

Edinburgh, Scotland

miles away

Edinburgh Book Sculptures

Edinburgh, Scotland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Scotland

Places 184
Stories 7

Related Places

  • Harvard Lampoon building.

    Cambridge, Massachusetts

    Harvard Lampoon Building

    The headquarters of one of the world’s longest-running humor magazines bears a noticeable resemblance to a head wearing a Prussian helmet.

  • Curzon Hall at the University of Dhaka.

    Dhaka, Bangladesh

    Curzon Hall

    The fight to make Bengali an official language started in this stunning university hall.

  • The building’s King Street side, as viewed from Laura Place.

    Aberystwyth, Wales

    University of Aberystwyth Old College

    A real-life Professor Snape once taught in this Welsh university building, which students of course nicknamed “Hogwarts.”

  • Rosalie Sharp Centre for Design in the iconic Toronto cityscape.

    Toronto, Ontario

    Rosalie Sharp Centre for Design

    This buzzy, award-winning building hovers 85 feet above the ground on a dozen colorful stilts.

    Sponsored by Destination Toronto
  • Hereford, England

    Black and White House Museum

    This iconic Tudor home-turned-museum offers a unique glimpse into the everyday life of a prosperous family during the early modern period.

  • Haus zum Goldenen Ochsen oriel window

    Schaffhausen, Switzerland

    Haus zum Goldenen Ochsen (House of the Golden Ox) Oriel

    Explore the five senses depicted on this protruding Gothic window.

  • A colorful apartment building behind green trees shown at an angle.

    Berlin, Germany

    Unité d'Habitation of Berlin

    After local authorities changed the design, the building's architect, Le Corbusier, wanted nothing to do with it.

  • The house with a friendly sky.

    Lancaster, New Hampshire

    The Weeks Estate

    The summer estate of John Weeks offers dazzling views and a moose captured by Theodore Roosevelt.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.