Holyrood Chapel. Entrance to the Royal Vault. 1848.

This original antique steel engraving depicts the entrance to the Royal Vault within Holyrood Chapel — one of the most atmospheric and historically charged spaces in all of Scotland.

Drawn by Sir Daniel Wilson and engraved by William Forrest for his landmark work Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time, published in 1848, this print captures the ruined nave of Holyrood Abbey with extraordinary sensitivity and drama.

Holyrood Abbey was founded by King David I of Scotland in 1128, and its chapel served as the burial place of Scottish kings and nobles for centuries — among them James II, James V, and Lord Darnley, the ill-fated husband of Mary Queen of Scots.

By Wilson’s time the abbey was already a magnificent ruin, its roof having collapsed in 1768, lending the interior an atmosphere of profound melancholy and grandeur that Wilson captures to perfection.

The Royal Vault beneath the chapel floor contains the remains of several Scottish monarchs, making this one of the most historically resonant subjects in the entire Memorials series.

This is a rare Proof impression, pulled before the main print run and of superior quality and rarity to a standard example — a particularly fine and evocative piece of Scottish royal and ecclesiastical history. The print is on a thin paper which has been adhered to a thicker paper for publication.

Subscript: Lower Left: Drawn by Daniel Wilson. Lower Right: Engd by William Forrest. Lower Center: Published by Hugh Paton, Adam Square, Edinburgh. Proof.

Author: Sir Daniel Wilson, F. R. S. S. A. (1816–1892)

Publication: Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time. By Daniel Wilson, F. S. S. A. Acting Secretary to the Society of the Antiquaries of Scotland.

Volume: 1

Publisher: Hugh Paton / Simpkin, Marshall, & Co.

Place of Publication: Adam Square, Edinburgh / London

Date: 1848

Artist: Sir Daniel Wilson, F. R. S. S. A. (1816–1892)

Engraver: William Forrest

Page Number: Between pages 42–43

Paper Dimensions: 12 x 9 ⅜ inches

Medium: Steel Engraving

Impression: Proof

Language: English

Coloured: Black and white

Condition: The print is in good condition with some wear across the print and around the edges, with a crease mark across the top left corner, as can be seen. The print is on a thin paper which has been adhered to a thicker paper for publication, as can be seen.

Reference: Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time, HathiTrust Digital Library