About
Spynie Palace, just north of Elgin, was the seat of the bishops of Moray for 500 years and is the largest surviving medieval bishop's house in Scotland. It stood on the edge of Spynie Loch, then a sea loch with a busy anchorage and settlement, neither of which survives. The bishops settled here by about 1200 and stayed even after Elgin Cathedral was built. The oldest buildings, of the 1300s, include a first-floor hall and the entrance gateway, but the palace is dominated by David's Tower, six storeys and 22 metres high, one of the largest tower houses ever built in Scotland, begun by Bishop David Stewart in the 1460s and carved with the arms of three bishops beneath the royal arms. The bishops lived here until 1682. A path leads to the old cathedral site and the grave of Ramsay MacDonald, Labour's first Prime Minister. Reviewers climb the spiral stair for views over the Laich of Moray. The palace is closed for the winter until April.
ClosedPick a day for times and prices
- Until 31 Mar
- Closed
- From 1 Apr
- Daily 10:00–16:30, last entry 16:00
Today, Saturday 24 October
- Spynie PalaceClosed
Opening times may change at short notice.
1 April to 30 September daily 10am to 4.30pm, last entry 30 minutes before closing; closed 1 October to 31 March. No closures or works notices on 20 October 2026. In summer 2026 staff gave free drop-in talks on Tuesday mornings and Friday afternoons. A visitor in May 2026 walked round the grounds while the palace was closed.
A visitor centre with step-free access and an adapted toilet in the shop area; gravel and cut-grass routes with uneven ground and protruding remains; the basement of David's Tower is down an uneven stone stair that can be very dark, and the upper floors are reached by a historic spiral stair. Picnic area and water bottle refill; no cafe. Dogs are welcome in the outdoor areas.
Dogs: Dogs are welcome in the outdoor areas, not in roofed interiors; no lead rule is stated. The palace is closed 1 October to 31 March.
Photo: David's Tower at Spynie Palace with the ruined palace ranges beside it, under a blue summer sky. Tom Parnell, CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spynie_Palace_(51361710542).jpg. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0. Resized and cropped for display; derivatives retain the source licence.
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