A chapel surrounded by mystic believes and connected to secret organisations! You might have heard of the Freemasons or the Templar's or the Sinclair family, possibly connected to the Holy Grail and Christ. Rosslyn Chapel was considered to be a hiding place for certain relics like the Holy Grail and the Sinclair's might be connected by blood as descendants of Jesus Christ. Having read the Da Vinci code, of course I wanted to see the chapel. Unluckily it was a dull day and the chapel was surrounded by scaffolding, which took away anything mystical about this place. It was just a building site. Inside, yes it's nice, but nothing special. Having said this, I liked the colorful glass windows and the ceiling architecture . We went down to the underground vaults and it was interesting. I tried to imagine the fascination and history of this place, but somehow I failed drastically. I think the cause were the masses of people occupying the place. Hope that next time when going there, I will like it more. Never dismiss second chances. read more

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Wonderful chapel... Free Masons, Knights Templar...Grail? A great adventure! read more

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Rosslyn Chapel is a must for any Scotland visitor - not only does it claim the DaVinci Code fame but it's completely surrounded in mystery The Holy Grail, Knights Templar, & The Freemasons all seem to have a connection to Rosslyn Chapel.... even Solomon's Gold seems to make an appearance in its history But while you won't find any secret tombs or grails, you will find an absolutely wonderful lecturer full of stories, history & myths alike. Pointing out the unique masonry, sculptures & art, you would have *never* seen for yourself unless you planned to spend about a year studying it all. And yes, she even tells us about the filming of DaVinci Code and how those "stories" intertwine w/ Rosslyn's true history The chapel was built for the Prince of Orkney, Sir William St Clair in 1446. The chapel was part of a large-scale project involving a cruciform structure that was never completed. Prince Orkney was a Knights Templar, who legend has it, were in possession of the Holy Grail & it is surmised the chapel is the hiding place for this and other religious treasures, including a fragment of the holy rood, the cross of the crucifixion. The vault, unopened for centuries is the suggested repository for these items. The vault actually contains the remains of the Sinclair ancestors, interred in full armour as was customary until one of their wives objected to the practice in the 1700s. The chapel is also said to be a representation of Solomon's Temple & somewhere below the vaults are his treasure The Sinclair family who have owned the Chapel have never allowed excavation to finally determine the truth behind all these mysteries.... are they indeed Knights Templar still protecting the holy relics? When we visited, the chapel was under renovations & will be for a few more years to come - scaffolding all around & big drapey things so your pics won't be pristine But then again, when Ron Howard was filming, he had the same experience. As they filmed DaVinci Code, there was this huge metal shed thing covering the whole top of the chapel. Hollywood asked the Trust to remove it for filming ...they said no & rightly so! But w/ the magic of film, you see no shed-covering However, there is a bit of Hollywood left behind ..... but you'll have to attend the lecture yourself to find out read more

This place was made famous by the the Da Vinci code and while Dan Brown bent the truth a little bit in terms of the history of it, It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been... regardless of religion. It has some of the most beautiful carvings I have ever seen. I'm sure you can read other peoples reviews and get a synopsis on the tour but I encourage you to go yourself and learn all the interesting history and stories. If you are in Edinburgh (heck even Scotland) I HIGHLY recommend it! read more

Okay could anywhere in the world be more beautiful (on the inside I mean). The outside of this little church has been under construction forever I've been told. The inside is amazing though. I am NOT a fan of Dan Brown books. I actually really dislike them but I agreed to go here anyways and thank goodness I did. It is the coolest and most beautiful chapel that I have ever been to. I loved it and could have spent the entire day just sitting inside and being there. MUST MUST MUST do! read more

This is one of the best chapels I have ever been. The architecture is just breathtaking and truly unique. I actually believe it was a Knight of Templar meeting house rather than a chapel which it was later converted to during Victorian times or the mid to late 1800s. The tour guides were informative and enjoyable to speak to. This chapel also reveals evidence that the Scots were in the Americas long before Christopher Columbus. The triflora and maize symbols inside the chapel show that there was a connection between the Scots and 1st nation peoples of N. America. There are many green man symbols as well as various flora and faunas designs throughout the chapel. I would not miss it if I were passing near the area as it holds some astonishing history of Scotland and is a gem of a place- even the grounds around the chapel near the old graveyard and fields are nice to visit and just relax. The only downside is that there is a lot of construction going on outside so it is hard to take good pics of some of the external architecture. You are not able to take photos of the inside. In the chamber downstairs there are headstones and other old stone items taken from various places in Scotland. However one of these headstones has a unique story on the history of black death or the bubonic plague. On one side of the stone a child has been carved and is shown keeping their feet off the ground or from getting bitten by a tick, and on the other side this same child is shown as a skeleton awaiting death. The God of Death also appears on a different area of the stone as the Grim Reaper ready to take the soul of the child. You will find interesting pieces of history here and there are many things to explore. You can spend a few hours up to a couple of days. We can thank Queen Victoria from saving this place or else it would have gone to shambles! read more