Wallace's Cave

Wallace's Cave is situated in Roslin Glen, in Midlothian, Scotland beside the River North Esk. It is also known as Hawthornden Castle Cave, after the nearby castle. It takes its name from William Wallace who participated in the Battle of Roslin, which took place nearby on 24 February 1303. The cave was formed under water from limestone between 363 and 325 million years ago.

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348 m

Gorton, Midlothian

Gorton is a locality, in the parish of Lasswade, in Midlothian, Scotland. The locality is the location of Old Gorton House, a 17th century dwelling. A series of caves exist nearby and have carvings inside. The caves also appear to have been used during the Wars of Scottish Independence, with one known as Wallace’s Cave. William St. Clair of Roslin acquired the Knights Templar lands of Gourton from Walter fitz Stephen de Meliville in the 13th century. The Lizar family were lords of Gorton in the 12th century.

Rosslyn Chapel

Rosslyn Chapel, also known as the Collegiate Chapel of Saint Matthew, is a 15th-century Episcopal chapel located in the village of Roslin in Midlothian, Scotland. The chapel was founded by William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness with a ground-breaking ceremony in 1456. After the Scottish Reformation in 1560, it was largely abandoned but, following a visit by Queen Victoria, it was rededicated in 1862. It was the target of a bombing in 1914 during the suffragette bombing and arson campaign. The interior contains some fine carvings which many historians have sought to interpret. Since the late 1980s, the chapel has been the subject of speculative theories concerning a connection with the Knights Templar and the Holy Grail, and Freemasonry. It was prominently featured in this role in Dan Brown's bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code (2003) and its 2006 film adaptation. Medieval historians say these accounts have no basis in fact. Rosslyn Chapel remains privately owned.

Roslin Castle

Roslin Castle (sometimes spelt Rosslyn) is a partially ruined castle near the village of Roslin in Midlothian, Scotland. It is located around 9 mi (14 km) south of Edinburgh, on the north bank of the North Esk, only a few hundred metres from the famous Rosslyn Chapel. There has been a castle on the site since the early 14th century, when the Sinclair family, Earls of Caithness and Barons of Roslin, fortified the site, although the present ruins are of slightly later date. Following destruction during the War of the Rough Wooing of 1544, the castle was rebuilt. This structure, built into the cliffs of Roslin Glen, has remained at least partially habitable ever since. The castle is accessed via a high bridge, which replaced an earlier drawbridge. Roslin was renovated in the 1980s and now serves as holiday accommodation.

Hawthornden Castle

Hawthornden Castle is located on the River North Esk in Midlothian, Scotland. The castle lies a mile to the east of Roslin at grid reference NT287637, and is just downstream from Roslin Castle. Hawthornden comprises a 15th-century ruin, with a 17th-century L-plan house attached. The house has been restored and now serves as a writer's retreat. Man-made caves in the rock beneath the castle have been in use for much longer than the castle itself.