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Rosslyn Chapel & Scottish Borders Tour from Edinburgh
A private Rosslyn Chapel tour from Edinburgh that carries on into the Scottish Borders. See the carvings that made Dan Brown famous, Melrose Abbey where Robert the Bruce’s heart is buried, and Abbotsford and Scott’s View over the Eildon Hills, then be home by 5pm. Up to four guests, one price for the whole vehicle.
★★★★★ Rated 5.0 on Google · From £620 per vehicle, up to 4 guests
9am to 5pm
Your party only
Collected at your door
Any day you choose
from
£620
per tour — not per person
- Private vehicle & driver-guide
- Door-to-door hotel pickup
- Up to 4 guests, one price
★★★★★
Replies within 24 hours · One price for the whole vehicle
Check Your Rosslyn Chapel Tour Date
Send us your date and we’ll confirm availability, reserve your Rosslyn Chapel tickets and email the full plan, usually within a few hours and always within 24. No obligation to book.
Rosslyn Chapel and the Scottish Borders in One Day
Most visitors to Scotland head north and miss the south entirely. That is their loss. Half an hour from Edinburgh, Rosslyn Chapel sits in a wooded glen — a small building carved so densely with green men, angels and unexplained symbols that it takes a guide to read it properly.
From there the day opens out into the Borders: ruined abbeys founded by King David I, the home Sir Walter Scott built for himself on the Tweed, and the view over the Eildon Hills he loved so much that his horses reputedly stopped there out of habit after his death.
Because the tour is private and capped at four guests, the day belongs to you. Linger where you want to linger, skip what does not appeal, and stop for lunch when you are hungry rather than when a timetable says so.
Rosslyn Chapel Tour Highlights
- The carvings and crypt of Rosslyn Chapel
- Melrose Abbey, burial place of Bruce's heart
- Abbotsford, Sir Walter Scott's riverside home
- Scott's View over the Eildon Hills
- Rolling Borders countryside and mill towns
- A relaxed pace with time at every stop
How Far Is Rosslyn Chapel from Edinburgh?
Roslin sits seven miles south of the city centre — eleven kilometres from the Royal Mile to the chapel door, and twenty-five to thirty minutes by car on a clear run. It takes longer at rush hour, because the road out serves the commuter villages below the bypass. The chapel car park is small and fills by mid-morning in summer; on a private tour you are set down at the door instead, and the chapel opens a day that carries on into the Borders rather than turning straight back.
Entry is timed, and admission sits outside the tour price at around £11 an adult. You do not need to arrange it yourself — tell us when you enquire and we reserve the slot, then fit the rest of the route around it.
Rosslyn Castle is a separate building, and often confused with the chapel: a ruin on a promontory in the glen below, with a bridge across the gorge and one restored wing that the Landmark Trust lets as a holiday house. You can walk down in a few minutes, and in decent weather that walk is the best part of an hour spent at Roslin.
Your Private Rosslyn Chapel Tour Guide from Edinburgh
Head south into the rolling Scottish Borders — with a local driver-guide who knows the carvings, the abbeys and the quiet back roads the coaches never take.
From the astonishing stone carvings of Rosslyn Chapel to the ruined grandeur of Melrose Abbey, where Robert the Bruce’s heart is buried, your guide fills the day with history and legend at an unhurried pace. Capped at just four guests, it’s the most personal way to see southern Scotland.
Edinburgh to Rosslyn Chapel Day Trip Itinerary
A guide, not a timetable — every stop below can be swapped, extended or dropped on the day. Pickup is around 9am, and we confirm the exact time when you book.
9:00 · Pickup from your door
Your driver-guide collects you from your Edinburgh hotel, apartment or cruise terminal.
Rosslyn Chapel
Thirty minutes south of the city. Around an hour inside among the green men, the Apprentice Pillar and the carvings nobody has fully explained — your guide will point out what the guidebooks miss.
Melrose Abbey
South into the Borders to the great red sandstone ruin founded in 1136, where a casket believed to hold the heart of Robert the Bruce lies buried beneath the chapter house.
Lunch in a Borders town
Melrose or Peebles, whichever suits the route. Your guide will suggest somewhere good — and will happily wait while you take your time over it.
Abbotsford & Scott's View
The house Sir Walter Scott built on the Tweed, then the viewpoint over the three Eildon Hills that bears his name — the finest outlook in the Borders, and the reason so many writers came south.
17:00 · Drop Off
A scenic run north, dropped at your door around 5pm. Want to add Glenkinchie Distillery or Traquair House on the way? Both fit — just ask.
Rosslyn Chapel and Scottish Borders Photos
Rosslyn Chapel, Melrose Abbey and the rolling Borders — swipe through to see more of your day.
What’s Included in Your Rosslyn Chapel Day Trip
What's Included
- Private vehicle for your party alone
- Professional local driver-guide all day
- Door-to-door hotel pickup and drop-off
- Fuel, parking and road tolls
- Bottled water and phone charging
- Route changes on the day, at no charge
Not Included
- Rosslyn Chapel admission (approx. £11pp)
- Melrose Abbey and Abbotsford entry
- Lunch and refreshments
- Optional distillery tour, if added
- Gratuities — always appreciated, never expected
Why a Private Rosslyn Chapel Tour Beats the Coach
Four Guests, Not Forty
Capped at four so the vehicle stays comfortable and your guide can actually talk to you. You will never share this tour with strangers.
£620 for the Whole Car
One price for the whole vehicle and your driver-guide, whether one of you travels or four.
Change It On the Day
Weather turned? Chapel busy? Fancy a distillery instead? Tell your guide in the morning and the day reshapes around you.
Rosslyn Chapel Tour from Edinburgh: FAQs
Is the £620 per person or for the whole tour?
For the whole tour. Whether one of you travels or all four, the price is the same — £620 for the vehicle, the driver-guide and the full eight hours. Admission tickets and lunch are extra.
Can you do a Rosslyn Chapel day trip from Edinburgh?
Yes. This private tour runs from about 9am to 5pm: Rosslyn Chapel first, then south into the Scottish Borders for Melrose Abbey, lunch, Abbotsford and Scott’s View before the drive home. It is one of our 1 day tours from Edinburgh, priced for the whole vehicle.
What time does the Rosslyn Chapel tour start and finish?
Pickup from your Edinburgh door is around 9am and you are back by about 5pm, an eight-hour day. We confirm the exact pickup time when you book.
How far is Rosslyn Chapel from Edinburgh?
About seven miles, or eleven kilometres, from the city centre. Twenty-five to thirty minutes by car on a clear run, and longer during the morning rush, since the road out serves the commuter villages south of the bypass.
How do you get to Rosslyn Chapel from Edinburgh by bus or train?
There is no railway station at Roslin, so the train is not an option. Lothian Buses run from the city centre to Roslin village, a short walk from the chapel, and the journey takes longer than the car. A private tour sets you down at the chapel door and carries on into the Borders, which is hard to do by bus.
Do we need to book Rosslyn Chapel tickets ourselves?
No. Tell us when you enquire and we will reserve your entry slot as part of arranging the day. Admission is paid separately, currently around £11 per adult.
How long do you spend at Rosslyn Chapel?
About an hour inside, which is enough to walk the aisles twice and pick out the Apprentice Pillar, the green men and the carvings nobody has fully explained, with time for the visitor centre and its short film. Stay longer if you want to — the day is yours, and we will move the rest of the route to suit.
Where exactly do you collect us from?
Wherever you are staying in Edinburgh — hotel, apartment, guest house — or from Leith cruise terminal or the airport. Tell us the address when you book and your guide will be outside at the agreed time.
Can we change the stops?
Yes, and many guests do. Swap Abbotsford for Traquair House, add Glenkinchie Distillery, or spend longer at the chapel and drop a stop. Say so beforehand or on the morning — either is fine.
What if the weather is poor?
The tour runs regardless. Most of the day is indoors or a short walk from the vehicle, and the Borders look rather good in the rain. If bad weather, an official warning or a road closure stops the tour, it is postponed to another day, subject to our availability, and we will contact you within 1 to 2 days with the dates we can offer. Full details are in our terms.
Is it suitable for limited mobility or children?
Generally yes. Rosslyn Chapel and Abbotsford both have step-free access, and driving distances between stops are short. Tell us about any specific needs, child seats included, and we will plan around them.
How do we pay, and can we cancel?
Nothing is due to enquire. Once the day is agreed, full payment is taken to confirm your booking. Our cancellation and refund terms are set out in full in our terms and conditions, so you can read them before you book.
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