Scheduled MonumentsScotlandRosslyn Castle, Roslin
Roslin

Rosslyn Castle, Roslin

Scotland
HES SM1208
Site type
Roslin
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

Rosslyn Castle is a medieval fortress situated in the parish of Roslin in Midlothian, south of Edinburgh. The castle was founded in the 14th century by the Sinclair family, who held it as their principal seat and strengthened their position as major landowners in the Lothians. The structure is characterised by substantial stone walls and a keep typical of late medieval Scottish baronial architecture, with later modifications reflecting its use through subsequent centuries. The castle remains an important example of medieval defensive architecture and is closely associated with the prominent Sinclair lineage whose influence extended across the Borders and beyond.

Rosslyn Castle, Roslin is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1208. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Rosslyn Castle, Roslin?

Rosslyn Castle is a medieval fortress situated in the parish of Roslin in Midlothian, south of Edinburgh. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1208.

Who is responsible for protecting Rosslyn Castle, Roslin?

Rosslyn Castle, Roslin is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM1208.

What other scheduled monuments are near Rosslyn Castle, Roslin?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Newbigging,enclosure 400m NE of (2 km), Old Woodhouselee Castle (2 km), Newbigging,enclosure 400m WNW of (2.1 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Rosslyn Castle, Roslin

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Rosslyn Castle, Roslin's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Rosslyn Castle, Roslin

Rosslyn Castle, Roslin stands on Scottish Coal Measures Group, bedrock that formed in the Moscovian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.