Rosslyn Chapel

Internationally famous late medieval chapel renowned for exceptionally rich stone carving and continuing Christian worship. The site is in Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland. Sir William St Clair founded the chapel in 1446.

Worship ceased after the Reformation period and resumed following rededication in 1862; the Rosslyn Chapel Trust now manages conservation and access. Sir William St Clair founded Rosslyn Chapel in 1446 as the Collegiate Chapel of St Matthew. The building is renowned for exceptionally dense late-Gothic stone carving and was left incomplete after St Clair’s death.

Worship ceased for a long period after the Reformation but resumed following restoration and rededication in 1862. Modern popular stories involving the Knights Templar, the Holy Grail or The Da Vinci Code are not treated here as established medieval history; the chapel’s documented Christian and architectural record is sufficient for its significance.

Architecturally, the site is associated with Late Gothic. This is a living sacred place rather than a museum only. Public access normally sits alongside worship, prayer or community activity, so current visitor information from the governing institution is the most reliable guide before travelling.