Scotland has its fair share of bustling cities but much of the country is bucolic: quiet villages, windswept islands, and lochs and glens. In the capital city of Edinburgh itself, you can find the picturesque verdant oasis of Dean Village. Touring Edinburgh Castle is one of the best things to do in Scotland, and the city’s many sites of interest include the 900-year-old St. Giles’ Cathedral. Visitors who are intrigued by castles, churches, and history should also visit a scenic village just south of Edinburgh called Roslin. Famous for the impressively carved and mysterious Rosslyn Chapel, Roslin also has castle ruins and a nature preserve to explore. If Rosslyn Chapel doesn’t ring a bell, perhaps you aren’t one of the 85 million people who bought the book “The Da Vinci Code” or seen the movie of the same name starring Tom Hanks. The book was published in 2003, and the movie was released in 2006, with scenes critical to the storyline filmed at Rosslyn Chapel. At the peak of the book’s popularity, the chapel reported 176,000 annual visitors, equal to nearly 500 people a day.
Just eight miles and under a half hour by car from central Edinburgh and 12 miles and 20 minutes from Edinburgh Airport, Roslin is also accessible by public transportation. From Princes Street in Edinburgh, take the Lothian service 37 bus to Penicuik/Deanburn, which will take under an hour to Roslin. An alternative is to take a tour – numerous operators organize day trips from the city.
Roslin’s famous chapel and castle ruins
Rosslyn Chapel’s ties to the Freemasons, Knights Templar, and the Holy Grail attract curious visitors as do the building’s intricate, extensive, and exceptionally skilled decorative carvings. Built as a private place of worship for the St. Clair family in 1446, Rosslyn Chapel wasn’t used for a long time until daily use began again in 1862 – and it still continues today. The public is welcome to attend Sunday morning worship service; otherwise, paid tickets ($15.60) are required. Ticketholders have a 90-minute time slot for admiring the church and receiving a map of the carvings and a brief introduction. Search for secret staircases and take in the chapel’s decorations including gargoyles, flying buttresses, and pillars. The most well-known is the Prentice Pillar — an elaborately carved pillar supposedly executed by the stone mason’s apprentice. The story goes that when the master mason saw that display of talent, he killed the apprentice.
From the chapel, head down into the woods to discover the ruins of Rosslyn Castle, which was built by the St. Clairs and destroyed and rebuilt many times beginning in the 1300s. Cross a stone bridge and follow the path on the left to walk amongst the ruins of a once-grand fortification surrounded on three sides by the River North Esk. The one intact edifice is actually a bookable accommodation! Continue down the hill and go under the archway to see more of its ruins, built into an escarpment.
What else to do and where to stay in Roslin
