Rosslyn Chapel

About

Rosslyn Chapel is touted as being one of the most mysterious places , especially with the current gloat of books purporting to show how hidden secrets lurk within every crack of stone at this venerated place. Anybody who has ever visited the chapel may feel that it deserves its current status, and I must confess the atmosphere even on a busy day is something to be experienced. The exquisite carvings are some of the best in the whole of Europe, and portray scenes not found in any other 15th century chapel. It has become a kind of Mecca to those interested in the mysteries of life, and contains many carvings relevant to biblical, masonic, pagan and Knights Templar themes.

History

Rosslyn Chapel, or the Collegiate Chapel of St Matthew as it was to have been, was founded in 1446 by Sir William St Clair, third and last St Clair Prince of Orkney. It is in fact only part of the choir of what was intended to be a larger cruciform building with a tower at its centre.

More than thirty-seven collegiate churches were built in Scotland between the reigns of James I and James IV (1406-1513). They were secular foundations intended to spread intellectual and spiritual knowledge, and the extravagance of their construction depended on the wealth of their founder.

The Chapel is open daily between:
1st October 2006 - 31st March 2007
The Chapel is open from 9.30am to 5pm
and on Sundays between 12.00pm and 4.45pm
there will be NO ENTRY after 4.30pm

Entry Prices:
Adults £7 and Concessions £6. *Children are free to 16 years.
info. for Coach Parties
*Children (who are up to but not over 16) are free accompanied by an adult but where there are groups of children there will be a £3 per head charge.
Dates & Times that the Chapel is closed during 2006.

The Chapel, also known as St. Matthew's Collegiate Church is a working church. Rosslyn is a Member of the Episcopalian Church and hold regular services on Sundays. 10.30am Family Eucharist, and 5.00pm Evensong. On Tuesdays and Fridays there are brief Prayer sessions in the Chapel at 12 noon.

Address: Rosslyn Chapel Trust, Roslin, Edinburgh, EH25 9PU
Telephone: 44-131-440-2159
Fax: 44-131-440-1979