Chapels and Castles

Correction: We are looking at just one chapel and one castle today in Roslin. Still, the day will be epic, full of wonder, and leave us wanting more.

Our bus takes us out about an hour outside of Edinburgh into the quiet town of Roslin. Here, everything is scenic and a bit spread out. I think maybe I’ll continue reading since the ride will be a minute, but my eyes are glued to the soft hills, trees, and adorable homes that we pass by. Once we are in Roslin, the views continue in their loveliness. As we walk down a single lane road, we are greeted by tufts of grass, the humming of bumblebees, and the anticipation of what we will see soon at Rosslyn Chapel.

To frame the perspective on why we are leaving Edinburgh for a chapel, you should know that this building was not supposed to be a chapel, but a beautiful, inspiring gothic building from the 15th century that was to be a magnificent cathedral. According to our tour guide at the site, the church could not be completed due to the shortage of family funds after the death of its founder, Sir William St Clair. Thus, Rosslyn Chapel could only be a small place of worship with an abrupt entrance added infront of the would be main altar space. Nevertheless, today we have the amazing opportunity to see up close the decor of a would be cathedral in a more intimate space. As an aside for film lovers, Rosslyn Chapel was used to film some of the final scenes in The Da Vinci Code.

We are currently early for our assigned entry time, so we take a moment to have some espresso as we look out to the rolling hills and patches of forest in the distance. Once permitted, we walk into the hidden courtyard space surrounding the chapel. I am awestruck by the magnificent buttresses, weathered stone arches and trefoils, as well as the remaining statues that decorate the building. As a perfect companion to this viewing, the site has gargoyles in various stages of production for us to touch. The intricate details of a lion’s mane (or, what I think to be a lion) on the gargoyle alone remind me of the years of practice one would need to create this beauty. Around the site, there is additional information on plaques for us to read more about the history of the chapel, the surrounding area, and Roslin’s wildlife. I take one more look at the chapel’s facade, and a photo of the outside, to be ready for the art within.

We are inside the chapel now, and of course, I am in love with the stained glass windows. It must be how the blue, red, purple, and green rays of light strike down on grey stone that always amazes me. The space is a small, cozy, peaceful space that we walk carefully through. We cannot take pictures inside, which is actually nice as I notice how quiet and meticulous people are to take in its beauty. Instead of taking too many or too few snapshots, I sit in one of the pews and draw what is in front of me; a series of gothic arches, a lamp, as well as other statues and features. Below is the sketch of the scene I was focused on. After I have the rough outline and features, I walk behind the altar to get closer to draw in additional details. Yet, I need to scurry back to a bench to sit as I hear a staff member beginning a historical monologue about Rosslyn Chapel.

The staff member provides us an epic and humorous retelling of the chapel’s history, as if she is the building personified. We learn how Sir William St Clair changed the landscape of Roslin with the beginning of this construction. Then, later on in its history, how nature enveloped the chapel in its vines once the building was abandoned during the Protestant Reformation. Yet, the overgrown chapel became an inspirational, fantastical space that captured the attention of Queen Victoria. Under her reign, it was ordered that the chapel be restored to its formal glory. The first restoration efforts unfortunately were not what conservationists today would have done in order to ensure long term stability. Ironically, The Da Vinci Code movie helped accelerate modern restoration efforts to restore the building to its former glory. With the final scenes of the movie filmed at the chapel, people have flocked to visit Rosslyn Chapel. Just as history leaves its mark, in the back of the chapel, we can actually see a green circle from a prop in the movie. Could this permenant remnant be the price paid for movie magic accelerating the conservation process?

Once the history lesson comes to a close, we resume walking within the interior of the chapel. The curious figures, biblical stories, and artistically sculpted angels leave us with more questions than answers. At least we know that some of the cryptic carvings on the ceiling and columns are actually singatures from various stonemasons. This reminds me of the brick stamps found on the bricks of the Pantheon in Rome. Brick stamps help identify which workshop created the bricks or stone for a specific monument. Once we are done walking past sacred stones of the upper level, we descend down into the floor; the Sacristy. The mainroom was more barren in its present state compared to the main part of the chapel we were just in. In the side room, we encounter fragments of the past detached from the building. One of the carvings presents an eerie memento mori scene forever preserved. When looking at these pieces displayed in such a manner, I think it funny that these fragments were once minor carvings a part of a larger masterpiece, perhaps ignored to an extent. Yet, we are looking at them now as precious individuals. I wonder how much we overlooked, or could not truly see, in the space above.

Without looking at our watches this whole time, our eyes grow hungry for the sunlight, as well as our appetites. Since Roslin is a small town, it is easy for us to choose where to go. We retrace our steps on the lone road, and choose to eat at the Rosslyn Inn across the way. It is a lovely, sunny day today, so we pick a picnic table outside to enjoy our meal. The view is simply picturesque, so I sketch in my notebook until our food comes out. I wish I could replicate the roast beef sandwich and chips I had then as I am typing up this blog as it was soo delicious. I utilized the au jus from the roast beef to dip my sandwich and fries into, which made it all the more tasty. On the bright side, I have a reason to go back in the future.

After lunch, we actually go back into the same roadway once more, but turn a slight right before the chapel into… a kirkyard! Just kidding, we will not be going into the kirkyard, but it will be our companion for a short while before we reach the ruins of Rosslyn Castle. Rosslyn Castle was lived in by the St Clair family, however, it was also abandoned and fell into disrepair. Regardless, what remains provides a fantastical view of a former castle, lending an eye into another world. Will we find fairy spirits after we have crossed the bridge, or is there an ogre hidden in the dark depths below? We stop once we are a few yards inside the castle, as we cannot venture deep into grounds as there is a section of private property (I assume the groundskeeper lives in the house beyond the bushes). We backtrack to the entrance of the castle, and then descend the hill on a dirt path nearby to go below the castle’s bridge.

As we look up to where we were standing just minutes ago, I can see how the bridge provided a measure of safety and protection from intruders. Whether it be a good idea or not, we walk underneath the bridge to the other side of the base of the castle where… we actually turn back around due to the tall grass and bugs everywhere. This year has seen an uptick in ticks, and I would prefer not to catch a critter while on vacation. Though, the other direction is equally fun as we follow the well trodden trail beside the castle, walking deeper into Roslin Glen towards the river. There, at the edge of the castle base, I feel that we are greeted by the remains of a spirit embedded into the foundation, held in place by tree roots. Could it be my eyes playing tricks, hoping for some magic? I will let you, the reader, decide. We cross the bridge over the river, but soon decide to make our way back into town. The sun beating down on us is making us melt, and we could use some water as a break from hiking all about.

Back in Edinburgh, instead of stopping at a watering hole (though we did drink water earlier), we actually take a peek into a store called The Scottish Gantry to pick up a bottle for when we return back to The States. There, we are greeted by Carly, a Canadian who lives in Scotland and is an energetic, whiskey aficionado. With her at our side, she takes us on a journey through her storytelling, teaching us how Scottish whiskey is made, how tastes can vary, and fun stories of her own adventures. Her enthusiasm about whiskey distillers, as we taste a few samples, makes us feel like we are travelling across Scotland to different distilleries. Also, as someone who is just starting to understand and like whiskey, I suggest stopping in asking for Carly as she taught us the different ways to drink whiskey, and discover our preferences.

With our acquisition safely packed away, we meander down Rose Street as the first raindrops of the day fall on our heads. We usher ourselves inside to a cozy pub for a fish pie and Cullen Skink soup to reflect on our day of stone and intrigue. It is hard to believe that tomorrow evening we will fly off to Ireland, but I am happy we have one last place to see tomorrow before we head off.

---

Thank you for reading this post. In the next one, we will be boarding the Britannia that Anne and Roger suggested we visit (first mentioned in the History of Scotland Within Stone Walls blog post).

In addition, feel free to visit my Etsy page as I have shared a painting I made of Rosslyn Castle.

Lastly, since there are a plethora of sculptures to see inside of Rosslyn Chapel, and of course many not documented in this post, I suggest reviewing a book or two before you visit, or if you want to learn more. For myself, I am reading, “Rosslyn Chapel Revealed”, by Michael T.R.B. Turnbull.