Community
Research reveals Da Vinci Code impact – 21 years after publication
Visitors to Rosslyn Chapel are still strongly influenced by its role in The Da Vinci Code according to new research undertaken to mark the 21st anniversary of the book, which was first published on 18th March 2003. Research carried out by Shanks Research Consultancy with 6,677 Chapel visitors between March 2023 and March 2024, reveals…
Castle’s Great Hall roofed again
A permanent roof is now visible over the Great Hall of Rosslyn Castle – for the first time since 1650. A major programme of restoration and repair at one of Midlothian’s most historic sites has reached a new milestone as the first layers of scaffolding were removed, after being in place for nearly a year,…
Chapel celebrates win in Business Awards
The Chapel has been named ‘Best Tourism Business’ in Midlothian and East Lothian Chamber of Commerce’s Business Awards 2024. The Coffee Shop was a finalist in the ‘Best Eatery’ category. The winners were announced at a ceremony on Thursday 7th March. The awards are described as ‘a highlight of the business calendar’ and offer East Lothian…
Junior Tour Guides give final performances
The Chapel’s Junior Tour Guides have hosted two special evening visits, for parents, families and friends, to complete their year. The Junior Tour Guides (JTG) programme is a key aspect of the Chapel’s Learning and Outreach work. It has been running from August to January each year for the past 14 years. It sees children…
Midlothian’s Young People Awards presented in Chapel ceremony
The winners have been announced for The Midlothian’s Young People Awards (MYPA) 2023 at a special ceremony held in the Chapel. These awards are open to young people living, working or studying in Midlothian whose contribution to their local community deserves to be recognised. There are five categories of awards which are organised by Midlothian…
Antique guidebooks acquired
Rosslyn Chapel Guide Maureen Moffat with an antique guidebook for the Chapel, dated 1827. The guidebook, which has just been acquired by Rosslyn Chapel Trust, was published in Edinburgh by Oliver & Boyd and J & I Johnstone and is priced 4s 6d. It was purchased in a bookshop in Germany in 1990 and recently…
Tribute to Joe Tilson, RA (1928-2023)
Rosslyn Chapel Trust would like to pay tribute to the leading British artist Joe Tilson, RA, who has died at the age of 95 and whose wonderful stained-glass window in the Chapel was commissioned by the Trust in 2021 to mark its 25th anniversary. Joe Tilson was one of the leading lights of the British…
Lighting up red for Remembrance
Rosslyn Chapel is being lit red every evening until Remembrance Sunday to support the Scottish Poppy Appeal’s ‘Light Up Red’ campaign for 2023. The campaign encourages buildings big and small to be lit up in red and other nearby participants include Roslin Parish Church, in the village.
New lighting shows up Chapel’s green credentials
New lighting, which has just been installed inside Rosslyn Chapel, will enhance the visitor experience and highlight the Chapel’s commitment to green tourism. The new lights illuminate twelve of the Chapel’s arches and will help visitors appreciate more of the Chapel’s medieval stone carvings, which were previously in shadow. The LED lights have been specifically…
Archive collection digitised and on display
A collection of drawings, manuscripts and engravings relating to the Chapel has been conserved and digitised by staff at Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and has now gone on display for the first time. The collection, assembled by prominent architectural publisher and antiquarian John Britton (1771-1857), reveals contemporary thoughts from the likes of architects William Burn…