Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
RICCARDO SPILA/SIME/4CORNERS ©
Don't Miss
Rosslyn Chapel
The success of Dan Brown's novel
The Da Vinci Code
and the subsequent Hollywood film has seen a flood of visit-
ors descend on Scotland's most beautiful and enigmatic church -
Rosslyn Chapel
. The chapel was built in the
mid-15th century for William St Clair, third earl of Orkney, and the ornately carved interior - at odds with the archi-
tectural fashion of its time - is a monument to the mason's art, rich in symbolic imagery. As well as flowers, vines,
angels and biblical figures, the carved stones include many examples of the pagan ʻGreen Man'; other figures are
associated with Freemasonry and the Knights Templar. Intriguingly, there are also carvings of plants from the Amer-
icas that predate Columbus' voyage of discovery. The symbolism of these images has led some researchers to con-
clude that Rosslyn is some kind of secret Templar repository, and it has been claimed that hidden vaults beneath the
chapel could conceal anything from the Holy Grail or the head of John the Baptist to the body of Christ himself. The
chapel is owned by the Episcopal Church of Scotland and services are still held here on Sunday mornings.
The chapel is on the eastern edge of the village of Roslin, 7 miles south of Edinburgh's centre. Lothian Bus 15
(not 15A) runs from the west end of Princes St in Edinburgh to Roslin (£1.20, 30 minutes, departs every 30
minutes).
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