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Rosslyn Chapel (Roslin)
by rosaliecullen
**The attraction**
The Rosslyn Chapel is a small church in a small village close to Edinburgh. I had never heard of the chapel until it was featured in the Hollywood film 'The Da Vinci Code' based on the best selling book by Dan Brown.
Personally, we visited the chapel as though we were visiting a film set rather ... than as a place of worship. Although the place feels very peaceful, it is hard to ignore the droves of tourists moving through the church so bear that in mind if you are looking for peace and serenity (although I did find it in some parts!)
We visited in 2007 when a lot of restoration work was taking place with a canopy overheard which sort of spoiled the appeal a little bit for us. However, the canopy was taken off in August 2010 so I imagine it will look as you expect it to.
It is worth noting that if you are going to visit, only the inside of the chapel looks as it did in the film, the outside and setting of the church looks quite different to the film.
**Getting to the attraction**
We found the village of Roslin to be very easy to find, it is 7 miles South of Ediburgh and easy to find once you leave the M8 motorway by car. The village website states it would cost £15-£20 each way for a taxi from Roslin to Edinburgh. I guess there are bus links, but there wasn't a train station in the village. Bear in mind the village is small and is not exactly built to accomodate lots of traffic and people. I am certain that they have adapted to this, and at the attraction there is a good sized car park, but just bear in mind that the village is small.
**What do I get?**
The website states that the current opening hours are:
1st April - 30 Sept (Mon - Sat 09:30 - 18:00 ; Sun 12:00 - 16.45)
1 October - 31 March (Mon - Sat 09:30 - 17:00 ; Sun 12:00 - 16.45)
Last admission 30 minutes before closing. It is worth remembering that it is a working church so may be closed unexpectedly for a funeral, wedding, baptism etc. and also at times such as Christmas and Easter it is likely to have services on there. You can check the website for planned closures but there may be unscheduled closures too so bear that in mind before making a special trip.
The price of entrance is not clear on the website, but from memory it was less than £10 for adults. It does seem a little bit expensive, given that we didn't get an audio guide (you do now as of September 2011). We did however join in the guided tours given by people who worked there which were really informative. The guides were great and I felt we got a lot of information on the chapel.
The site has facilities such as refreshments, a gift shop and toilets and the lovely village of Roslin is a two minute walk away.
**My opinion of the chapel**
I was very excited to see the chapel, mainly because it was part of the film set of the Da Vinci Code. For anyone who knows the film, the chapel features in the final sequence of events, making it even more exciting. The crypt (as featured in the film) is slightly different to the film, so bear in mind you will not see it quite in the same way that it is featured on the big screen.
However, I found the excitment for the "film set" aspect grew when I realised what a lovely setting this chapel was. As I said earlier, despite all of the tourists, it just seemed so peaceful to visit there. The old stonework meant that it was quite cool inside the chapel (as per most stone churches), there is no plaster or rendering, all the original carvings can be seen.
When we went, we were able to access the scaffolding and get super views of the top of the church and all the ornate carvings (the "green men") and the surrounding area. The area around the chapel is a treat all by itself, luscious green glens. I wish we had had more time to explore.
**Would I go again?**
I would visit the chapel again, but it isn't somewhere to go on an annual basis. We haven't been for almost five years so would be nice to see how it has changed. I would love to visit the surrounding area, it was so beautiful. The village now has its own website: http://www.roslinvillage.com/tourist-roslin.php so I would like to visit again to explore this lovely place with more time.
I would heartily reccomend a visit if you are in the local area.
More information can be found here: http://www.rosslynchapel.org.uk/
Also posted on tripadvisor by dollydaydream84 and majorly updated for your viewing pleasure :)
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Carn Liath Broch (Golspie, Scotland)
by brittle1906
Review of Carn Liath Broch, near Golspie, Sutherland, Scotland.
Carn Liath is a Broch (pronounced 'Brock') situated on the Sutherland coast of North East Scotland.
This broch a superb example of a broch - a type of fortification found only in Scotland. There are over 500 of them across the country, both on the mainland ... and the islands. The majority of brochs can be found in northern and western Scotland.
Brochs date from the Iron Age of around 2,300 years ago. The last Brochs were built in the early centuries AD. The name 'Carn Liath' means grey hill in Gaelic.
**Location, Access and Inside Carn Liath**
Carn Liath broch is located on the A9 road, approximately 3miles east of Gollies.
There is a large lay-by for parking opposite the broch. Caution should be taken crossing the road as the A9 is a very busy main route.
There are buses that run along the A9 from Inverness to Wick, although there is a bus stop fairly close to the broch, buses are not that frequent.
Entrance to the broch site is through a narrow footpath. The actual broch is enclosed by fencing and a small wooden gate allows entry to the grounds.
Brochs are thought to have developed from strong circular houses into tall, imposing buildings. They were drystone structures formed of two concentric walls, with a narrow entrance passage at ground level.
There are several colourful and interesting information boards around the site which give lots of facts about Carn Liath and the surrounding area. Carn Liath now survives to a height of 3m, but when it was built, it would have reached to at least three times that.
To get inside the broch you walk in through the ground level entrance arch. This is rather low, so being 5ft 9 ins tall, I definitely had to stoop! The entrance arch leads into the main body of the broch. This is a large round area with several smaller rooms leading off. These rooms would have been used for storage rather than living areas. The centre of the main room would have held a large fireplace, which would have been used for cooking and heating. The broch would have housed many people and their animals. Obviously, no longer visible, there would have been several tiers built into the sides of the main walls, rather like mezzanines which would have been used for sleeping and storage.
Carn Liath has a stone stairway which corkscrews its way upwards between the two walls to the top. This is still in good condition and you are able to climb the stairs.
Entry to Carn Liath and the nearby parking are free. The is a collection box at the broch for donations. It should be noted that there are no facilities at all at Carn Liath, however tourists can find bars, cafés and other facilities around 3 miles away in Golspie.
**My Thoughts and Conclusion**
I found Carn Liath by chance. My partner and I were on a touring holiday of Scotland and had parked our camper van in the lay-by opposite Carn Liath in order to take a lunch break. We spotted the raised grassy hillock in the field opposite and decided to investigate. We were the only visitors to the broch at the time and were able to take our time wandering around.
We were particularly impressed by the stone staircase, these were well trodden steps that led up top the roof. We climbed the stone stairs and on reaching the roof top, we saw what amazing view the broch had over both the sea and the surrounding countryside. As you climb the steps, you can imagine how life must have been inside the building and looking back into the main body of the broch it is easy to visualise the smoky peat fires burning day and night with cauldrons of food bubbling away!
I feel Carn Liath must have been an important broch possibly used for defence in its day given the coastal location. I understand from the information on site that the tallest broch discovered is 'Mousa' located on the Shetland Islands and this is still 13 metres high. Carn Liath would have been small in comparison, although when standing on the roof top looking out to sea, you certainly got a feeling of height!
I felt the broch had a wonderful atmosphere, it is very well preserved and cared for by the Scottish Tourist Board. The grass surrounding the building was well tended and all in all, it was a very interesting place to visit.
In my opinion Carn Liath is suitable for all age groups, however, access could be difficult for those with mobility issues.
I would definitely recommend Carn Liath to others, it is certainly worth a visit if you are in the Sutherland area.
Thank you for reading
©brittle1906 December 2011
N.B. My reviews may be found on other sites under the same user name.
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George Square Observation Wheel (Glasgow)
by angelboouk
George Square in Glasgow City Centre is home to various memorial statues and benches throughout the year. During November and December, it is transformed in a winter wonderland with a huge tree, lights, bars and music, an outdoor ice rink and various small rides for the children.
This year, a new addition was added to the ... square for the festive season - an observation wheel. The same company offers wheels in Manchester, Plymouth and a few other cities in the UK and abroad.
*~*Observation Wheel*~*
The observation wheel took just 3 days to erect and is situated across from Queen Street station within George Square. The wheel isn't so much a ferris wheel (like Blackpool Big Wheel) but is more like the London Eye. It stands at 130feet (40metres) and is said to offer spectacular views of Glasgow whether you visit day or night.
The wheel is open daily from 10am-10pm from the 26th of November to the 3rd of January (closed 25th/26th December). There is space for prams and wheelchairs at the bottom of the wheel.
The wheel offers 30 "capsules" which are climate controlled and have automatic doors at either end. There is also a VIP capsule on the wheel which has an extra cost but has a glass floor and champagne! Each ride on the wheel allows 13minutes of views.
*~*Prices*~*
The prices are the same regardless of when you visit.
*Adults - £6.50
*Student/OAP - £4.50
*Children under 14 - £4.00
*Children under 3 - £1.00
*Infants under 1 - free
*Family ticket - £15.00
*VIP - £35.00
*~*Our Experience*~*
When we recently visited Glasgow, we had every intention of having a wander around to George Square to see the lights. We were there on a wet and cold Saturday afternoon and expected the square to be desserted. We go every year and I have previously reviewed the Square as a whole. I regularly pop on to the George Square webcam and when I logged on last week, I spotted this huge observation wheel! I was so excited!
Anyway despite the awful weather and being dark, we decided we fancied a ride on the wheel. It was very busy when we arrived and we had a 15minute queueing time. Luckily there is shelter to protect from the elements. We paid £14.00 for the 3 of us and were directed to the queue. We were asked if we wanted our picture taken for "free" then they tried to charge us £15.00 afterwards. We did end up with a magnet for £2.00 which wasn't bad. The staff were friendly and safety was high.
*~*The Wheel Itself*~*
With it being so windy and wet, I was surprised they didn't close the wheel. If it had been one of those ferris wheels which had open carriages, I wouldn't have went near it! It looked beautiful all lit up with not a single bit of rust visible. It had white washed metal pillars and I definently feel it looks good in the dark especially in amongst the bright lights of the other attractions. Despite being 40m high, we didn't spot this until we got into George Square!
The capsules were made of glass and looked secure. The idea is that you get a capsule to yourself but during busy periods they ask you to share. Personally I believe you should get a discount for sharing! Myself, son and fiance were placed in a capsule with 3 teenage girls who were lovely and chatted away to my son which he loved! Inside the capsule is relatively spacious and dry and warm. There were 2 fold down benches inside and enough room to turn around. I cannot imagine there being enough space for 6 adults and 2 children though.
The capsules have emergency buttons on the room if there are any problems and feel safe. There is the option to listen to commentary of the local sights which proved interesting. It took a while to get the wheel going as they had to move it a little and add more people in to the other capsules. After that, it went a nice speed for around 10minutes and took us around at least 6 times - and so it should for the money it cost!
*~*Pretty Lights - Even If It's Raining!*~*
Despite the wind and rain being bad outside, we felt completely safe within the capsule - almost like it was our own little bubble! I do feel the best sights would be obtained by going on the wheel during the day. George Square is enclosed by tall buildings though the wheel extends high enough to "just" see over the top of them. Despite being dark, we could see the bright lights from the nearby hotels and shops.
The views are panoramic and even though the rain was hitting off the glass, we could still get amazing views from either end of the capsule. Our favourite views were that of the hustle and bustle in George Square. We could see down to the Ice Rink (and the puddles surfacing on it), into the clear roofed pub and music area where the action was go on. We got some excellent views of the helter skelter and the stunning Christmas tree to the far end of the square. The art gallery around the corner was visible and beautiful lit around it.
On a clear, bright day, the views are said to extend to see down to the water but we found it more appealing at night time. You cannot rely on the weather in Scotland so there is no point in planning your visit around a ride on the wheel. I personally would love to go on the wheel when the snow starts as that would be a spectacular sight! We had enough time to enjoy our experience and got some decent pictures (with rain splatters in from of them).
*~*Conclusion*~*
Whilst fairly expensive, we thoroughly enjoyed the experience of the observation wheel. Not even the rain could put a damper on it and our son was totally fixated with the bright lights from above.
Personally whilst I feel the wheel is in tone with the theme in George Square, because of enclosed the square is, I do feel it would give better views in another part of Glasgow. Perhaps up the top of the city near Buchannan Galleries or down near the water. I do hope the wheel comes back next year and due to the popularity on the day we were there, I would expect it to do.
Recommended!
Thanks for reading x
Our visit was on Saturday 26th November but dooyoo have just added this for me :)
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