Rosslyn Castle

Rosslyn Castle is a ruined 13th century enclosure occupying a river promontory site and is defended by a wide ditch. The castle is accessible on foot via public footpaths, but the slope is quite steep in places; chargeable parking is at Roslin Chapel, of Da Vinci Code fame. Only the exterior part of the castle is accessible to the public as the newer house is a rental property via the Landmark Trust.

The old castle of Rosslyn was destroyed during the Wars of Independence, and was largely rebuilt for the Sinclair family in the late 14th and early 15th centuries, incorporating a great tower, possibly on the site of an earlier keep, an unusual scalloped wall, and probably the stone bridge. Later a massive hall-block was cut into the face of the rock, with three sets of cellars below the courtyard level. The castle was attacked with artillery in the 16th and 17th centuries, and was much damaged, with the house being repaired and restored in more modern times.

Official Landmark Trust for Rosslyn Castle website

HES Canmore database entry