Gold Award celebration events:
Scotland

Gold Award celebration events in Edinburgh are designed for attendees to be able to enjoy a variety of activities within the Gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse whilst you celebrate your outstanding achievements.

Central to the event are speeches from the main stage to reflect on all that you have achieved and to offer encouragement as you embark on your next chapter.

In addition, there will be a series of satellite stages within the garden where you can hear from inspirational public figures about their personal journeys and ask them questions. The satellite stages run throughout the event but pause during the speeches from the main stage. You’ll find out who will be speaking a few days before the event.

Military bands will be playing throughout, and there are multiple spots to capture unique photographs, including giant deckchairs, large letters, and a photo backdrop with selfie props. There will also be garden games for those who wish to play.

A display of archive materials will be available to showcase our history and mark our 70th anniversary.

All attendees are invited to visit the refreshment tent during their time in the Gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse for a cup of tea or coffee and a cupcake.

When you arrive, you’ll get a souvenir programme with more information about the activities taking place.

Gold Award holders will get their certificate in the post before the event. It will not be presented on the day. You do not need to bring your certificate to the event.

The DofE is committed to ensuring that every Gold Award holder can attend and enjoy a celebration event if they wish. In Edinburgh you can be accompanied by up to two guests of your choice.

If you or your guest(s) have any accessibility requirements or additional support needs, please email [email protected] so that we can make the necessary arrangements to support your attendance.

Seating will be available throughout the gardens for those who need it, but this is primarily a standing event. While we cannot reserve individual seats in advance, please let a member of staff know if you need to sit down and there is no chair available.

If you or your guest has any accessibility requirements or additional support needs, please contact the team by emailing [email protected] so that we can make the necessary arrangements to support your attendance.

Attendees can bring a handbag or a small personal bag, which may be subject to a search on entry. You’ll be denied entry if you bring large bags or luggage. Personal bags should be no larger than a size that would fit under the seat of a plane.

There are no cloakrooms to leave coats or bags, so you need to keep anything you bring on you during the event.

As a special celebration in the Gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, there will be a smart dress code – e.g., a suit, jacket and tie, dress or a smart alternative. Hats are optional but not required. National and highland dress is welcome.

As you’ll be standing on grass for the event, we would advise wearing appropriate footwear. Trainers should not be worn unless required for accessibility reasons.

Uniformed organisations are encouraged to wear their uniforms. For official military uniforms, the Royal Navy should wear No 1C Undress, the Army should wear No 2 Dress and the Royal Air Force should wear No 1HD Dress. Gloves, leather and medals should not be worn.

There are no changing facilities available at the event. If you want to change into a uniform you should make your own arrangements.

You should check the weather forecast before attending and bring appropriate attire, including an umbrella and raincoat, or sun cream and hat. Please note that there is limited cover in the gardens and the event will go ahead in wet weather.

Gold Award holders can bring two personal guests to their celebration event in the Gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The guests must be over the age of 18.

Please check that we have the correct details for your guest and update eDofE as needed.

Guests cannot be changed within four weeks of your event. We cannot accommodate requests for extra guests.

The address is the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DX. The Palace is located at the bottom of the Royal Mile.

By train:
The nearest train station is Edinburgh Waverley. The Palace is approximately a 15 minute walk from the station.

By bus:
The number 35 bus stops near the Palace.

By tram:
The nearest tram stop is Picardy Place. The Palace is approximately a 20 minute walk from this tram stop.

By car:
The Palace of Holyroodhouse is located in central Edinburgh, so please allow enough time to cope with traffic. It’s in the central Edinburgh Low Emission Zone (LEZ), so please check if your vehicle is eligible for this charge before you travel. Read more about the LEZ from the City of Edinburgh Council.

Apart from limited disabled parking which has been pre-arranged, there is no parking for event guests at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

A limited number of disabled parking spaces are available at the Palace of Holyroodhouse for Blue Badge holders. If you or your guest is a Blue Badge holder and want to ask for a disabled parking space, please email [email protected], attaching a copy or photograph of both sides of your Blue Badge. Disabled parking spaces will be given at the discretion of the Business Support Manager.

Your parking permit, further information and instructions will be provided with your official invitation. We will post it about two weeks before your event to the address registered on the “Gold Award celebration event” page of your eDofE account.

For attendees being dropped off at the event we recommend using Holyrood Gait, which is around a 5-minute walk from the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

We cannot confirm receipt of individual responses as they arrive. We will send a confirmation email to your registered email address within two weeks of getting your reply. If you do not get a confirmation email within two weeks, please email [email protected] as your response may not have reached us.

You can check the status of your invitation anytime on the “Gold Award celebration event” page of your eDofE account.

We’ll post the official invitations for you and your guest(s) about two weeks before the event date. We post these to the address registered on the “Gold Award celebration event” page of your eDofE account, so please make sure it’s up-to-date.

Attendees are welcome to take their own photographs in the Gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse using small cameras or phones. Please do not bring large cameras or tablet computers.

We kindly ask that cameras are kept at a respectful distance while HRH The Duke of Edinburgh is present.

All guests will be invited to visit the refreshment tent for a cup of tea or coffee and a cupcake. Vegan cupcakes will be available. If you have food intolerances or allergies, please let a staff member know when you arrive at the tea tent as there will be an allergen-free option available.

Please bring a small reusable water bottle if you can, as water stations will be available in the gardens. Alcohol or other beverages will not be served.

If you need additional food for medical reasons or if you feel that you will need a light snack (cereal bar, fruit or similar) to make it through the event, you can bring this in your bag. Picnics are not permitted.

Gold Award holders are not arranged in groups as part of the event. If you want to meet anyone from your organisation during the event you should agree this with them in advance.

There will be clearly marked meeting points within the gardens. If you want to meet up with other guests at the event, we strongly encourage you to arrange to do this within the gardens rather than outside the Palace.

There are limited places at Gold Award celebration events and we’ll process responses in the order that we get them.

If spaces are still available, young people can accept their place at a Gold Award celebration event up to four weeks before the event is scheduled to take place. Guests cannot be updated within four weeks of the event.

If you need an interpreter to support your attendance, or if there are alternative measures we can put in place for you to help you access materials, please email [email protected]. We’ll do our best to support your enjoyment of the event.

The Gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse are accessible for wheelchair users. Some pathways are gravel and not all areas of the gardens are accessible by path, so you will need to move across the grass. Wheelchairs will not be available to borrow on the day.

Mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs are also welcome in the gardens.

If you or your guest will be using a wheelchair or mobility scooter at the event, please let us know in advance by emailing [email protected].

There will be an information point run by DofE staff you can visit if you have any questions or need assistance during the event. The information point will be marked on the map you get when you arrive.

DofE staff will also be present throughout the gardens, so feel free to ask them any questions you may have. All DofE staff will be wearing a name badge.

St Andrews First Aid will provide first aid. If you need medical attention during the event speak to a uniformed member of St Andrews First Aid, a DofE staff member or visit the first aid point.

Toilet facilities will be available in the Gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The disabled access toilets are located by the South Garden Gate entrance. These will be marked on the map you get when you arrive.

If you’d like to step away from the busier areas of the event there will be a designated quiet space in the gardens. This will be marked on the map you get when you arrive. This shaded and seated area is meant for those who wish to take time out during the event.

There will be a DofE staff member at the quiet space throughout the event, who’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

There will be a designated area in the gardens for anyone looking for a quiet space to reflect or pray.

If you have a question not answered here or on the Gold Award celebration event page, you can contact the Scotland Team.

Email: [email protected]
Tel: 01753 727431
Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm. Please do not call outside these hours.