The Enigmatic Rosslyn Chapel

Back Blip

Forty years in the making, Rossyly Chapel was founded in 1446 by William St Clair. Sadly, he never saw it completed but his vision for this build was outstanding. 

What you see today is only half of what he had planned, as excavations have revealed another 30 metres of foundations, to the left of the very tall wall. This wall was not meant to be an external wall but would have marked the start of the what would have been the transept, the wider part of the church which joined the choir to the nave. 

After St Claire's death, Oliver, his eldest son from his second marriage, (who incidentally was one of 14 children from that marriage!) inherited the chapel and only spent another two years bringing it to the point where it could be used. This is evident not only from the outside but also the interior. The lighter part of the building to the left of the tall wall is called the Baptistry and was added in the 19th century, creating a grander entrance to the chapel. 

This building has an incredible history and is shrouded in much mystery. It was the centre of the famous Dan Brown novel The Da Vinci Code although I learned that famous scenes from the film took place in a studio 400 miles away. 

If you've never visited this beautiful building, please do. The decorative stonework in the interior is still outstanding, despite hundreds of years of water ingress and vandalism.  It's a true labour of love.