Scotland: Rosslyn Chapel

A few years ago we visited Rosslyn Chapel, near Edinburgh. It was built by William Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, after 1450, but for some reason was never completed.

Unfortunately the documentation of the building has been lost, so no-one knows why it was embellished with such a riot of carving,

of which the most spectacular and famous example is the "Apprentice pillar" to the right of the altar.

The chapel figures in the novel "The Da Vinci Code", and in that book's predecessor, "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail", where it is linked with the Templars, the secret descendants of Christ, Masonic ritual and so forth. There appears to be no contemporary justification for this. In the 17th century another William Sinclair, Lord of Rosslyn and a descendant of the original builder, was appointed patron of the recently-formed Guild of Masons in Scotland; but at that time this was purely a craft organisation and bore no resemblance to any later Masonic secret society. Any association with the Knights Templar was only suggested much later.
   I doubt if those responsible for the upkeep of the chapel are upset by these legends, because they must be excellent for the tourist business!   

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