In this study we combine Ulysses' observations from the solar wind plasma (SWOOPS) and ion composition (SWICS) instruments to study high‐latitude coronal holes near solar maximum for the first time. While chromospheric and coronal composition signatures indicate that there is a unique type of solar wind, which flows from coronal holes, variations in the acceleration process produce a wide range of solar wind speeds from these holes. High‐speed wind (>700 km s−1) can be produced in small as well as large holes, although the very highest speed non‐transient winds do come from the centers of the largest holes. Along the edges of coronal holes, the acceleration decreases and freezing‐in temperatures increase relatively smoothly into the surrounding solar wind, indicating a transition layer around the edges of coronal holes.