Rosslyn Castle

Rosslyn Castle sits within Rosslyn Chapel Precinct, one of the most significant heritage sites in Midlothian. The castle is in Roslin Glen, the largest surviving tract of ancient woodland in the area, and was historically protected by the sweep of the North Esk river that runs through the Glen. Approaching from the north, the castle is relatively modest in scale. It is only when the imposing south façade is revealed that its true proportions become clear; the castle rises over 5 storeys from the bedrock of the steeply sloping site.

The castle project is focussed on the area known as the east range, the only inhabited section of the castle. This area dates back to the 16th century, but has spent most of its history in a partially ruinous state, having been ransacked by Cromwell’s army in 1650. The building was brought partially back into residential use in the 1980s, and made available for holiday lets. The inhabited section of the castle sits above 3 levels of vaults which were found in varying degrees of condition. The vaults to the west were on the brink of collapse, due to centuries of water ingress from the open garden area above. The project brief was to consolidate the castle structure, and enhance the holiday let through innovative design intervention.

The project provides a new permanent roof over the unprotected vaults of the East Range for the first time in over 350 years, bringing the spaces back into use and safeguarding the historic fabric for future generations. It reinstates a contemporary reimagining of the ‘Great Hall’, which had been lost several centuries ago and is only identifiable by visible building archaeology. Along with an extensive programme of conservation and repair works to the building, three layers of medieval vaults below the ground floor have also been repurposed, now housing new air source heat pumps making the castle Net Zero Ready. This, along with a range of low embodied-carbon materials and building techniques have provided a uniquely sustainable future for the 17th century asset.

The client, the Rosslyn Chapel Trust, is a charity established in 1995 by the current Earl of Rosslyn. The Trust oversee the full Rosslyn precinct and are responsible for the care and maintenance of the various buildings on the estate. Their forward-thinking approach to maintaining and future proofing each building provides extensive cultural and environmental benefits for future generations.