Scotland & the North

If you’re a fan of the Da Vinci Code or Ancient Aliens, you are probably familiar with Rosslyn Chapel. Founded 600 years ago by the Earl of Caithness, William Sinclair, it now holds many mysteries involving the Knights Templar, the Holy Grail, Freemasonry, and the bloodline of Jesus Christ. Before Dan Brown’s novel came out in 2003, they had so few visitors, they were barely able to keep up with the maintenance of the chapel. Immediately after its release, everything changed. They now get many thousands of visitors and have been able to finance a complete restoration as well as the addition of a visitor center. People come to see the symbolic carvings in the walls and pillars which are said to hold secret meanings. Historians say none of this is based in fact, but the chapel plays it well. They include references to the novel and film in the narrative of their guides. They make a point of showing visitors every symbol discussed in the novel, and they direct you to a place where a scene from the movie was filmed. Exit through the gift shop and you’ll see displays of the novels and conspiracy books along with guides to help you crack the code. To keep things a bit of a mystery, they do not allow photography inside the chapel. I had to wait until the curator needed a break to snap one interior photo. The other one — from the crypt — was a sneaky shot made possible by being the last one out during the tour. This place was was great though. It was definitely on my list of must-see Scottish sites. I just love a good mystery.Read more