Find Scotland Tours that feature Rosslyn Chapel.
| Address: | Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9PU, |
| Operated by: | Independent |
| Opening Hours: | 1st Apr. to 31st Sept. - 9.30am to 6pm 1st Oct. to 31st Mar. - 9.30am to 5pm and on Sundays between 12.00pm and 4.45pm |
| Admission: | £ 7.50 adult, £ 6 concession, FREE entry for Under 16's with an accompanying adult |
| Parking: | Yes |
| Languages: | English |
| Accessibility: | Limited |
| Toilets: | Yes |
| Shop: | Yes |
| Cafe/Restaurant: | No |
Rosslyn Chapel is one of the most famous religious sites of Scotland, made even more famous in the past couple of years by the Da Vinci Code novel from Dan Brown. Rosslyn Chapel is an architectural wonder: although it was never completely finished, it has impressive features such as a sculptured ceiling of stars, roses and a dove with an olive branch ( a symbol of the Knights Templar). The skill and art in the stone carvings is amazing and evidence of a tremendous craft that has now been lost.
Rosslyn chapel is actually quite modest in size, but so full of finely detailed stonework that you can easily spend an hour just enjoying the tour and admiring the intricate stonework.
Tours of the chapel are conducted in English and are entertaining. You will learn about how Rosslyn chapel was started in 1446, how it escaped the destruction of the Protestant reformation and you will be shown some of the curious carvings and masonic symbols around the chapel. The guides also explain a little about the use of the chapel in the filming of the Da Vinci Code, but the tours do not play too heavily on this connection.
Nowadays the Chapel is sheltered under a large metal roof and outside stairs have been built to enable visitors to see the finely detailed stonework of the exterior. Although this structure spoils the attractiveness of the exterior, it has actually made the visit more interesting and people can see and appreciate more of Rosslyn Chapel.
Don't worry, the protective roof is only a temporary addition to the building and it will be removed when the moisture in the stonework has been dried out.
We found Rosslyn chapel to be genuinely fascinating, but visitors without a good understanding of English may not get so much from the tour which is largely reliant on the guide's commentary.
Rosslyn Chapel can be visited by bus by taking the No.15 service from St Andrews Square Bus Station in the city centre. The journey takes about 45 minutes.
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Last Updated: 16/06/2009