Rosslyn Chapel and Melrose Abbey

This is Scot's View a viewpoint in the Scottish Borders overlooking the valley of the River Teed. It is known to be one of the favorite views of Sir Walter Scott 

Scott's sister, Karen, and her family were in Edinburgh Scotland for part of their summer holiday.  We took advantage of their being so close and joined them for some great family time. We started in Edinburgh and headed to the border region. This part of Scotland is steeped in the history of conflict between England and Scotland.  Here we visited a monument to Sir William Wallace who defeated the English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297, and Melrose Abby, the site where the heart of Robert the Bruce is buried. Robert the Bruce, King of the Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329 was one of the most famous warriors during the Wars of Scottish Independence. It is actually Robert the Bruce and not William Wallace whom the Scots dubbed "Brave Heart".  We finished our border explore at Rosslyn Chapel, made famous by the novel and movie The DaVinci Code. Spending time with Karen and Dana and their family was a lift for us. We had fun checking out a part of the Scottish Borders.

St Mary's Abbey, Melrose, was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks at the request of King David I of Scotland. Alexander II and other Scottish kings and nobles are buried here along with the heart of Robert the Bruce. A lead container believed to contain the king's heart was discovered in 1921 and is marked with a round stone today. The gothic architecture includes many figures of animals and gargoyles.

Melrose Abbey

Anyone see a flying pig?

Melrose Abbey

Below are pictures of Rosslyn Chapel. Rosslyn Chapel was founded in 1446 and has been a continuous place of worship from then until now. The chapel gained notoriety after it was included in Dan Brown's novel and subsequent film; The DaVinci Code. The chapel has been subject to speculation and theories concerning connections with Freemasonry, the Knights Templar, and the Holy Grail. The chapel is ornate with numerous detailed carvings including some amazing work on the columns and structures of the interior.

Family!

Rosslyn Chapel