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A chapel and a castle?
After visiting Rosslyn Chapel, take a walk down the picturesque country road, past Rosslyn Cemetery.
Taking in the beautiful countryside scenery, you will soon find yourself encountering the ruins of Rosslyn Castle, a sharp contrast to the well-preserved chapel that we had just visited.
Perched high on a bluff, in the middle of a wooded valley and surrounded on three sides by the River North Esk, are the remnants of the Sinclair family manor. Only accessible by a narrow bridge crossing a wide ravine, the remains are quite a surprise, hidden away in the dense forest.
The building of the castle was begun in 1304 by William St. Clair of Rosslyn and over the next three centuries reinforced, bombarded, rebuilt, extended, burned and all but destroyed. Since it never was a very secure structure, it became the home for many generations of Sinclairs, until William, died in 1778. After a visit by Cromwell’s troops, the castle was left pretty much in the same condition as it can be seen today.
While crossing the bridge, it’s difficult to imagine what may have once been here, but still impressive nonetheless. Gone is the original Wall Tower, the earliest part of the castle and the gatehouse over the entrance, but fragments of the fore walls still stand tall at the end of the walkway.
A French influenced two story home stands to the left of the courtyard, also built by William Sinclair, when he extended the castle between 1582 and 1597. Though the home is still in good condition, it is not accessible to the public.
As we descended a path near the start of the bridge, we walked beneath the remaining castle walls toward the river’s edge. Here, gardens once prospered and provided food for those who resided in the castle. The river gurgled and wound its way through the forest and we walked over the footbridge to take a closer look. We learned later that there is a scenic river walk from the ruins of the Roslin Gunpowder Mills, through what used to be a carpet factory and cottages, across the North Esk, around the castle, below the chapel via Gardener’s Brae and to Hawthornden and beyond.
Taking the short walk on our return back to the bus stop, we stopped for a few moments to pay our respect at the Rosslyn Cemetery.
While out at Rosslyn Chapel, make time to explore the forgotten ruin, an important part of Scotland’s and the Sinclair family history.
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Rosslyn Castle