Rosslyn Chapel - Day 5

We opted to spend Sunday in our hotel. The weather was, well, "Scottish", and neither of us were really too eager to venture out into it. It wasn't raining a little bit. It was raining a lot. Besides, we'd been going nonstop since we landed and were both feeling as though we needed a day to rest, so Sunday was that day.

And then came Monday.

In February, Jessy and I were discussing this trip and I told her I absolutely wanted to visit Rosslyn Chapel.

The mythical Rosslyn Chapel...

A quick perusal of their website though brought me to a paragraph which stated:

Please note that there is no photography or video allowed inside Rosslyn Chapel, 

as this can distract and inconvenience other visitors. 

Yup, I was bummed. This is the one place in all of Scotland I had hoped to photograph, and my hopes and dreams were seemingly dashed on a chilly February night in Florida when I read that.

As I knew I'd be writing about our visit to Scotland, and would be including our visit to the Chapel, I figured there would be no harm in reaching out and requesting special permission to photograph inside the Chapel.

Well, a couple of days went by with no reply. A couple days more... still nothing. A week and a half had elapsed when I accepted that they probably get a dozen requests a day like this, and as such my e-mail was probably sitting in a recycle bin somewhere.

Then I get an e-mail from the Director of the Rosslyn Chapel Trust, Mr. Ian Gardner:


Dear Steve,

I would be delighted to welcome you here in May and the best way to get some photos inside the Chapel would be for you to arrive, one day between Monday and Saturday, before we open to visitors at 9:30am. If you were to come here for 9am would that be convenient?

Kind Regards,

Ian



I was blown away. Not only was I going to be allowed to photograph the interior of the Chapel, I was going to get to do it when it was empty.

Our Uber driver dropped us off and, as we walked towards the visitor center, a gentleman in shirt and tie walked towards us, extended his hand and said "You must be Steve." The gentleman, of course, was Ian Gardner.

Here I am with Ian Gardner, Director of the Rosslyn Chapel Trust... (photo by Jessy Parr)

He walked us into through the visitor center and out into the grounds of the Chapel itself, telling us a bit about the history of the St. Clair family and the Chapel itself. Upon stepping onto the grounds, it really hits you. It's difficult to describe the feeling when you see it in person. Sure, it looks good on paper, but to be... right there... it's an awesome thing.

Dedicated in the year 1450, Rosslyn Chapel (or, more formally, the Collegiate Church of St. Matthew) has a deep well of both religious and mythical significance. It's believed that the original plans called for a much larger building, but building stopped when its founder, William St. Clair, died in 1484. St. Clair is buried within the Chapel.

One of the doors leading into the chapel...

The interior of the chapel is smaller than I expected, but it's still absolutely magnificent in its craftsmanship. In the last year I've been inside countless churches in Europe in the last year, and Rosslyn Chapel ranks right up there with the best of them. The craftsmanship of the stonework is stunning.

Looking towards the altar inside the chapel...

Rosslyn Chapel...

Looking towards the entrance to the chapel from the altar...

One of the more incredible pieces of craftsmanship is known as the Apprentice Pillar:

The Apprentice Pillar...

Legend holds that the master mason in charge flew into a jealous rage when he saw the level of workmanship in the pillar carved by his apprentice. The master mason took his mallet and struck the apprentice on the head, killing him. There's no evidence, however, to support the contention that any such murder took place.

Outside Rosslyn Chapel...

This stained glass window, located in the crypt, is from 1954...

Looking into Rosslyn Chapel from outside...

Tombs in what is known as the Lady Chapel. The tomb in the foreground is Harriet Elizabeth, Countess of Rosslyn, who died at the age of 39 in 1810. She was married to James St Clair-Erskine, 2nd Earl of Rosslyn...

Of course, everyone knows Rosslyn Chapel from the Dan Brown book The Da Vinci Code and the subsequent movie of the same name starring Tom Hanks. Some of the movie's final scenes were filmed in the crypt, or sacristy, of Rosslyn Chapel.

The steep stairs leading into the crypt from the Chapel above...

The crypt...

As historic a place as it is, one of the most popular sites at Rosslyn Chapel has nothing to really do with the Chapel at all. It's William the cat, names after the founder of Rosslyn Chapel. William showed up as a kitten and has taken up residence. He pretty much enjoys free reign of the Chapel and the grounds.

William the Cat. A reincarnation of William St. Clair, perhaps?

And, just in case you don't think a cat can really be that popular, a walk through the Rosslyn Chapel gift shop could certainly convince you otherwise. William is friendly, approachable and, oddly, rather stately.

As much as Rosslyn Chapel is a magnificent site to behold, it's not the only point of interest in the area. Rosslyn Chapel Cemetery is a mere five minute walk or so from the Chapel, and contains graves both relatively recent and very, very old.

A portion of Rosslyn Cemetery...

A gate leading into a part of Rosslyn Cemetery...

After passing Rosslyn Cemetery, it's only another short walk until you get to the ruins of Rosslyn Castle.

This path runs adjacent to Rosslyn Cemetery to the ruins of Rosslyn Castle...

The first castle on this site was built in the 14th century, although the one which stand here in ruins was built slightly later. The St. Clair family, which still owns it today, has owned Rosslyn since the 12th century.

The ruins of the west curtain wall of Rosslyn Castle...

The ruins of Rosslyn Castle...

The exterior of the west curtain wall at Rosslyn Castle...

The ruins of Rosslyn Castle...

Towards the end of "The Da Vinci Code", Professor Robert Langdon (played by Tom Hanks) explains his theory for a potential blood line of Jesus Christ to Sophie Neveu (played by Audrey Tautou). The scene is filmed on this bridge, near the ruins of the original gatehouse of Rosslyn Castle:

Rosslyn Castle ruins...

Despite the fact that much of Rosslyn Castle lies in ruins, some of it still remains. The main portion of the castle was built around 1460. The current house is available to be rent through The Landmark Trust as a vacation rental. Bear in mind, though, the building has no showers, only bathtubs. Also, many of the St. Clair photographs and possessions remain.

The current Rosslyn Castle. The estate has remained in the care of the St. Clair family since the Baroney of Rosslyn was established in the year  1070. This portion of the castle was built in 1622...

The grandeur of Rosslyn Chapel cannot be overstated. Though widely believed to be much smaller than the original plans called for, it is, without question, awe inspiring. And, inasmuch as we enjoyed every day we spent in Scotland, this day would prove to be just a bit more special. Not only were the images I came away with enough to more than satisfy the photographer in me, but, the welcome and accommodation we received from Ian Gardner and his staff were completely unexpected and deeply appreciated.

If you ever find yourself in Scotland, permit me to recommend a visit to this remarkable, mythical place. Plan on staying a few hours because, whether you're a fan of architecture, art, old churches or you just like visiting sites used in movies like me, there's something here for everyone to enjoy...