Historians have carried out a ground breaking scan of Rosslyn Chapel which could finally the existence of a secret chamber which may be the hiding place of the Holy Grail. Laser technology has been used to create the first every digital record of the iconic 15th century building, which was the centrepiece of the book and film, The Da Vinci Code starring Tom Hanks.
The cutting edge scan allows experts to ‘virtually’ take the building apart inside and out.
That could help solve the mystery of whether there are any hidden chambers in the Chapel, which according to legend contained prize relics such as the Holy Grail, the mummified head of Christ or the Ark of the covenant, the container of the 10 Commandments.
David Mitchell, director of the technical conservation group at Historic Scotland, said scans allow heritage site to be recorded in a way that has never been done before.He said: "we are able to get to centimetre accuracy of our buildings, so for example, if there was ever a major fire at Edinburgh Castle, we would then have the information to be able to rebuild it. We have just finished scanning Rosslyn Chapel and everyone is interested to know whether other are any secret hidden parts."
A similar survey of Stirling Castle is currently underway.
The images, unveiled at a conference in Glasgow yesterday will also be used in tourism and education. Robert Cooper, Curator of the Grand Lodge of Scotland Museum and author of the book, The Rosslyn Hoax?, said: "For the first time, they will be able to access information, which wasn't available unless you take it all to bits. Imagine having the Holy Grail on display in Edinburgh, we'd have more tourists than we’d know what to do with."
Judy DuffyThe Daily Express23 April 2009.
(To obtain the lastest paperback edition of The Rosslyn Hoax? go to the Grand Lodge of Scotland's secure on line shop by clicking here or on previous links. Few signed copies are available - Ed.)
