Our approach to sustainability
Rosslyn Chapel Trust is responsible for the care, management and conservation of three historic buildings –
- Rosslyn Chapel (Category A Listed) and its visitor centre
- Rosslyn Castle (Category A listed)
- Collegehill House (category B Listed)
As well as an area of the surrounding historic landscape known as
- Roslin Glen
Rosslyn Chapel is open to visitors throughout the year. The East Range of Rosslyn Castle and Collegehill House are available for self-catering holiday accommodation. Roslin Glen is accessible to walkers throughout the year and around 36 acres are in our care.
As a charity, the Trust depends on income from visitors, donations and legacies to continue with its work so that these places can be enjoyed and appreciated by future generations. You can make a donation by following this link: support our work.
Working in a sustainable way
We try to work in a sustainable way which minimises our impact on the environment. This is put into practice in a number of ways; some examples are given below.
In our buildings
- We work with a Scottish company to inspect the Chapel's stonework and guide its conservation
- We have LED lighting inside the Chapel and sensors in the visitor centre toilets to ensure that lights are switched off when not required
- We reuse paper where possible and work with local company, Changeworks, for recycling paper, cardboard and plastic. Between August 2023 and July 2024, our recycling has diverted carbon, saving the equivalent of one HGV truck driving 3,801.26km!
- Our rainwater harvester helps to recycle water for the toilets in the visitor centre
- Our biomass boiler provides environmentally-friendly heating for the Chapel, Visitor Centre and Collegehill House. Heating and hot water in the East Range of Rosslyn Castle is supplied by 6 air source heat pumps and the building is Net Zero Ready. Engineers believe this may be the oldest building in the world to adopt this low carbon technology.
- Inside the Chapel, the sand under the votive candles comes from recycled glass from bottles in our coffee shop!
In our land management
- We work with a Scottish company to undertake an annual survey and inspection of key trees in the grounds of the Chapel and Castle and in Roslin Glen
- In 2022, we planted 70 trees in Roslin Glen as part of the ‘Queen’s Green Canopy‘ initiative: read more here.
- In May 2023, we introduced four beehives into the Chapel grounds in a partnership with Webster Honey: watch the video here
In our transport
- Using an electric van for our own business use
- Having bike racks in our carpark
- Having charging points in our carpark for electric vehicles
- Encouraging visitors to visit the Chapel by public transport where possible. We estimate that around 30% of visitors come to the Chapel by public transport: see more details here.
In our suppliers
- Our Coffee Shop has a ‘Taste our Best’ award from VisitScotland because most of our suppliers are from Scotland
- We work with some great Scottish suppliers to provide items for the Gift Shop in our visitor centre
- Paper for our guidebooks, leaflets and other printed material is FSC certified and comes from responsible sources
In our community
- Residents who live in the EH25 postcode area can apply for a free annual pass for Rosslyn Chapel: read more here
- We work very closely with schools in the area and, in particular, with Roslin Primary School
- We work increasingly in the local community and have supported several local causes in recent years
Committing to sustainability
Rosslyn Chapel Trust is a member of Green Tourism and holds a gold award. We have also signed up to support the Midlothian Business Green Pledge.
