Rosslyn Chapel

Last Friday, Ian and Jean Wilson took me out on another day trip to Rosslyn Chapel, which is about a 20-minute drive from Edinburgh. The church was established in 1446 by Sir William St. Clair and was never completely finished, but the part that was completed is amazing.

There was no photography allowed inside the chapel, but the stonework inside is extraordinary and if you have a few minutes, Google "Rosslyn Chapel images" to get an idea of how much craftsmanship went into constructing the building.

There is scaffolding around much of the chapel now because the stone needs to be dried out-- the constant precipitation over the last several hundred years is causing the stonework to weaken. The carvings inside are accompanied by endless legends and symbolism, and the chapel has strong ties to the Knights Templar (apparently, after The Da Vinci Code was released, the number of visitors to Rosslyn Chapel increased astronomically).

It was great to see Ian and Jean again, and the tour around Rosslyn Chapel was so cool. It was really interesting to see such a variety of symbolism in such a small place-- hundreds of Bible stories are portrayed, Pagan representations decorate the walls and ceilings, and there are frequent references to the Knights Templar and Freemasonry.


On Thanksgiving, my flatmates and I made a dinner together and invited some others over to share with us, and it was fun to introduce a few international people to their first Thanksgiving dinner. That same evening, Edinburgh began its "Winter Wonderland" on Princes Street, so the city centre is now filled with lights, Christmas trees, a skating rink, carnival rides, and a German food market.