Overview of Rosslyn Castle

Located on a high promontory which pushes into the River North Esk about a half-mile (1 km) southeast of the village of Roslin in Midlothian. Rosslyn Castle was built in the 14th-century by Henry St. Clair (or Sinclair), Earl of Orkney, who is thought to have discovered America before Columbus. The castle was extended in the 15th-century, to include a drawbridge which effectively isolated it from approach. The keep was originally five storeys high. Fire damaged much of the castle in 1447, as did the sieges of Protector Somerset (the Earl of Hertford) in 1544 and General Monk on behalf of Oliver Cromwell in 1650. The latter siege brought the destruction of the entire northwest side, which remains ruinous today. The castle was partially restored later to become a country house.