Rosslyn Chapel

Rosslyn Chapel stands in the village of Roslin in Midlothian, 10 kilometres south of Edinburgh, and is one of the most exquisitely carved medieval buildings in Britain. The collegiate church of St Matthew was founded by William Sinclair, First Earl of Orkney, in 1446 and was under construction until 1484. Every surface of the interior — walls, ceiling, pillars, capitals, and window tracery — is covered in symbolic stone carvings executed by a team of craftsmen over nearly 40 years. The most celebrated feature is the Apprentice Pillar in the south aisle, an elaborately decorated column with spiralling bands of foliage and eight serpents coiling from its base, which according to legend was carved by an apprentice mason in the master's absence. The ceiling is carved with 215 cubes covered in geometric and plant motifs. Over 110 Green Man faces are carved into the chapel, making it the richest concentration of this pagan symbol in any Christian building in Europe. The chapel gained global attention following the publication of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code in 2003, and visitor numbers remain very high as a result. The chapel is an active place of worship for the Scottish Episcopal Church and regular services are held. A small museum and café are housed in the attached visitor centre. The Rosslyn Glen woodland walk behind the chapel is a beautiful extension to any visit.