Day trip from Edinburgh Rosslyn Chapel
A small 15th-century chapel covered in stone carvings in the village of Roslin, 45 to 60 minutes south of the centre on city bus 37.
Is Rosslyn Chapel worth a day trip from Edinburgh?
Half a day. Book a slot.
Worth it for a morning or an afternoon, not for a day. The chapel is small: your ticket gives a 90-minute slot inside and most people are done in an hour. Entry is £ 12 and you should book the slot ahead, because walk-ups are not guaranteed. Getting there is cheap, Lothian bus 37 at £ 2.40 each way, but slow, 45 to 60 minutes depending on traffic. On Sundays the chapel opens only at 12:00. If the Da Vinci Code is your only reason to go, an hour on a bus each way is a lot. If you like medieval stonework, go.
The decision sheet
- Travel time
- 45 minup to 60 min in traffic · one way · Rosslyn Chapel, Getting Here
- Transport
- City bus 37
- Self-guided cost
- £ 16.80–18Two Lothian single fares (£ 2.40 each) or a £ 6 day ticket + chapel ticket (£ 12) · Lothian Buses, fares and tickets
- Tour price
- From € 65.87Civitatis catalogue
- Time needed
- 3–4 hDaytripo editorial
- Closed days
- 24-25 Dec, 1 Jan; Sundays open from 12:00
- Best time
- Weekday mornings, first slots at 09:00Daytripo editorial
- Verdict
- Worth half a dayDaytripo editorial
What to see and do in Rosslyn Chapel
- 01
The Apprentice Pillar
A column wrapped in spiralling carved vines at the east end. Legend says an apprentice carved it and his jealous master killed him. Look for the dragons at its base.
- 02
The carved ceiling and Green Men
A stone vault covered in stars, roses and lilies, with more than a hundred Green Man faces hidden around the walls. Finding them fills most of your hour.
- 03
The guide's talk
A short talk by a chapel guide is included with every slot, about half an hour in. It explains the St Clair family and the carvings you would otherwise miss.
- 04
Roslin Castle and the glen
A footpath beside the graveyard drops to a ruined castle on a rock and a wooded river gorge. Allow 45 minutes there and back. It is free and often muddy.
How to spend the day
Book the 10:30 slot. Catch bus 37 on Princes Street or North Bridge around 09:15, checking that the front says Penicuik/Deanburn via Roslin. Get off at the Original Rosslyn Hotel and walk a few minutes to the chapel. Inside until 11:45, then 45 minutes down the path to the ruins of Roslin Castle and the glen. Take a bus back around 13:00 and you are in the centre by 14:00. The last slot of the day starts at 15:30.
Rosslyn Chapel in summer and in winter
Summer
June to AugustJune to August is the busiest period and slots sell out, mostly from coach groups arriving between 10:30 and 14:00. Book a few days ahead. The glen is at its best now, green and shaded, and long evenings do not help since the last slot starts at 15:30. On Sundays the first entry is at 12:00.
Winter
December to FebruaryThe chapel is open through winter except 24-25 December and 1 January, and it is one of the better cold-weather trips because the visit is indoors. It is a working church with modest heating, so keep your coat on. The glen path is slippery after rain. Slots rarely sell out on weekdays.
How crowded it gets
Busy- Busiest
- Jun-Aug and Easter, 10:30-14:00 slots
- Quietest
- The 09:00 slot on weekdays, and most of Nov-Feb
The building is small, so 40 people feel like a crowd. Book the first slot of the day or the last one at 15:30. Coach tours tend to arrive in the late morning.
How do you get to Rosslyn Chapel from Edinburgh?
Bus 37
- Travel time
- 45-60 min
- Cost
- £ 2.40 each way
- Departs from
- Princes Street (shop side) or North Bridge
Only some 37 buses go through Roslin, so read the destination: it must say Penicuik/Deanburn via Roslin. Pay contactless on board. The stop is the Original Rosslyn Hotel and the chapel is a few minutes' walk from there.
Organized tour
- Travel time
- 9 hours door to door
- Frequency
- Daily
- Cost
- From € 66
- Departs from
- Castle Terrace, outside the NCP car park
A full-day coach that adds Melrose Abbey in the Borders and the Glenkinchie whisky distillery. Entry to the chapel, the abbey and the distillery is extra. Choose it for the Borders, since the chapel alone is easier by bus.
Practical: clothes, food and money
What to wear
Ordinary city clothes and a waterproof for the bus stop. Bring shoes you do not mind getting muddy if you plan the walk down to Roslin Castle. It is an active church, so dress respectfully.
What to eat
The visitor centre has a coffee shop with soup, sandwiches and cakes, and Roslin village has a pub or two near the bus stop. Choice is limited. Most people eat a late lunch back in Edinburgh, or bring a sandwich for the glen.
What you will spend
This is the cheapest trip on the list. The chapel is £ 12 and the bus £ 2.40 each way, or a £ 6 day ticket if you use other buses that day. The castle ruins and the glen walk are free.
How to get the most out of the day
- Photography and video are not allowed inside the chapel. You can photograph the exterior freely, so save the camera for outside.
- Sit upstairs at the front of bus 37 for views of the Pentland Hills. The same seat helps you spot the Roslin stop.
- Services are held on Sundays, which is why visiting starts at 12:00 that day. Visitors are welcome at the service itself.
- Check the return bus time before you walk into the glen. Buses through Roslin are far less frequent than those in the city.
How long do you need in Rosslyn Chapel?
Plan 3–4 h on site, plus 45 min of travel each way from Edinburgh.
When is Rosslyn Chapel closed?
24-25 Dec, 1 Jan; Sundays open from 12:00. Best time: Weekday mornings, first slots at 09:00.