Chapel visit is personal tour for TV presenter

Rosslyn Chapel is set to appear in a forthcoming episode of BBC Scotland’s series, ‘Grand Tours of Scotland’s Rivers’, and the visit for filming was something of a personal tour for presenter Paul Murton.

The episode sees the presenter exploring the River North Esk, which is described as a ‘hidden gem’, and he follows it from the Pentlands, through a landscape ‘steeped in myth and legend’, including the iconic Chapel, which was founded in 1446. For Paul Murton, there was a personal link to Rosslyn Chapel, as his wife’s Great-Great-Great Uncle, the Revd. John Thompson, was the Chapel’s Priest, and Chaplain to The Earl of Rosslyn, from 1886 to 1913. He wrote an early detailed guidebook, first published in 1892, about the Chapel, Rosslyn Castle, Roslin Glen and Hawthornden Castle, giving the broadcaster a personal insight into the Chapel’s many stone carvings.

Revised time – ‘Grand Tours of Scotland’s Rivers’, featuring Rosslyn Chapel, is now due to be shown on Monday 10th April on BBC Scotland.

Photos: Presenter Paul Murton at Rosslyn Chapel; The Illustrated Guide to Rosslyn Chapel and Castle by the Rev John Thomspon (second edition, 1893)

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