There were a couple of heavy downpours during the night but they’d gone by morning. The sky was heavily overcast and I wasn’t sure if I was going to get another soaking. It was easier packing up in the quiet of a graveyard. I had a last look round the ancient church which is the old parish church of Cockpen and dates back to the 13th century. I re-joined the B704 main road and continued towards Bonnyrigg. The impressive looking Dalhousie Castle was to my left and although it is a hotel there was a sign saying visitors welcome. In Bonnyrigg I stopped to buy some bread buns for later then turned left along Roswell Road. It was quite busy with heavy traffic so I was very glad to reach the turn off on to the B7003 and enjoy a quieter road. It wasn’t raining but the road was wet and had that greasy sheen than means bends have to be approached with caution. There was a winding descent to the North Esk river then over the bridge a steep climb up. Across the valley and through the trees I could see the tall ruin of Roslin Castle but couldn’t see any way to it.

Rosslyn Castle by William Turner, 1818

My next objective was Rosslyn Chapel which was made famous by Dan Brown’s book ‘The Da Vinci Code’ and the subsequent film. I reached Rosin and had a look at the information board by the war memorial. It told me that Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and also Dorothy Wordsworth wrote in glowing terms about the nearby Glen of Roslin. Also in the glen used to be the gunpowder mill of Hay and Merrick. It was the largest in Scotland and made gunpowder for mines, quarries, the Napoleonic Wars and the First and Second World Wars. To prevent sparks horses pulling carts were shod with brass and the tram rails made of wood.

I was very early for Rosslyn Chapel. I knew it didn’t open until 09:30 and I got there just after 8. I couldn’t get in but thankfully there was an overhanging area by the entrance to shelter under as it soon started raining again. Many people started to turn up around 9am expecting it to be open. The concession entrance fee was £7 and I spent a while in the reception area before going across to the Chapel. Signs said no photography inside but I had no intention of taking any notice of that after I’d paid £7 to get in. At 10am was an interesting description of the church by one of the guides.

At Rosslyn Chapel
waiting for it to open in the rain

Rosslyn Chapel

Rosslyn Chapel interior in 1830

Rosslyn Chapel interior

The rain stopped and I wandered around outside before setting off again, this time for Edinburgh. There was a little rain at the start but the rest of my ride was dry. I got off the main road as soon as I could and followed minor roads. I saw a sign by Craigmillar Castle but it was £4 to get in so I pressed on. I wanted to take the minor road around Holyrood Park and firstly set off along Old Church Lane, the lower stretch by Duddingston Loch. The higher road is Queen’s Drive and what I didn’t know is that most of it is one way, clockwise. I wanted to go the other way so had to ride on the footpath. I descended past the Palace of Holyrood House then turned up Canongate. I continued up the cobbled High Street and turned right and down North Bridge down to Princes Street. The road was closed to the left due to the extensive work they’re doing to put tram lines down. I can’t see how spending all the money and subsequent disruption could ever pay back. I reached Waverley Railway Station and waited on platform 13 for the 14:07 Manchester train which would take me back to Chorley. The train was packed and I was glad I’d got a reservation for the bike and a reserved seat for me. I sat next to a lady who was heading for Bolton and it turned out she lived in Abbey Village many years ago . She and her husband used to be keen cyclist many years ago and she was familiar with the roads I’d ridden along. The train was on time and I reached Chorley OK but had some trouble getting my bike off because of all the luggage people had dumped in the door area.

Detail on Rosslyn Chapel

Constructing tramlines in Edinburgh

Rosslyn Chapel interior