Da Vinci Code and Scottish Borders Small Group Day Trip from Edinburgh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Visit Rosslyn Chapel and learn the truth about the Holy Grail on a "Da Vinci Code" tour to the Scottish Borders. You'll hear the true history of the famous Rosslyn Chapel and visit the lovely town of Melrose on this small group tour.

With a maximum group size of 16 passengers, you are sure to have a memorable and personal experience on this day trip to locations made famous by Dan Brown's best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code. Traveling in a small group means you can reach out-of-the-way places to discover the real Scotland!

Departing Edinburgh, you will head south to the world-famous Scott's View, with stunning views over the Tweed Valley and Eildon Hills. From here, you will travel to Melrose with the opportunity to explore its great Border abbey, founded by the Cistercians in the 12th century. The Cistercian monks had very close connections with the Knights Templar and Melrose Abbey is the burial place of Robert the Bruce's heart, brought back from the crusades in Moorish Spain.
Following lunch in Melrose you will make your way to the stunning 15th-century Rosslyn Chapel, immortalized in The Da Vinci Code and an important site of beauty and history in its own right.

The tour includes a discount card, offering fantastic savings on top Edinburgh and Scotland visitor attractions, restaurants, pubs and shopping.

Winner of the Inaugural Scottish Thistle Award for Sustainable Tourism, October 2007.

USD $47.85

Traveler Reviews

Review by: Jamie M	October 2011
We had a great time on the tour. Sorry but forgot the tour guide's name but she was great! Very amiable, informative and accomodating. The highlight of course was the Rosslyn Abbey. Absolutely mind boggleing. Would love to return after the restoration is complete.

Review by: Rosemary T	August 2011
Although Edinburgh and all of Scotland were experiencing heavy rainfall, the tour went on as scheduled. We really enjoyed the small group tour and would recommend this to anyone who asked. The driver was very well versed in Scottish History and he gave us a good dose of it while traveling from place to place. The ruins of Melrose Abbey were spectacular to see and the travel through the towns near the border fascinating. The highlight was Rosslyn Chapel. We could have spent more time here, but enjoyed the whole day. Although we did know ahead of time some of those on the tour were surprised to find they had to pay entry fees into these two sites. Well worth it, though!

Review by: Rhonda C	August 2011
Beautiful scenery!

Review by: Cynthia E	August 2011
Had a wondful trip to Rosslyn Chapel and Melrose Abbey with Richard of Rabbie's - we took 3 trips with Rabbie's during our week in Scotland and all were fantastic - Richard is a wealth of historical information and made the trip most enjoyable - WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND RABBIE'S TO EVERYONE!

Review by: Phyllis P	June 2011
We went on this tour earlier this month. Gavin was our guide and Beverly was the driver. Gavin spent most of his time in the van giving Beverly directions, which got to be a bit irritating since I asked two questions and both times was told that I would have to wait since he was telling her where to go. He did try to answer my questions later though. I most enjoyed Scott's View. We could have done without Melrose Abbey; it wasn't worth the money, but Melrose was a nice town to have lunch. Roslyn Chapel was interesting and mysterious. Don't expect to hear much about the DaVinci Code though as it will barely be mentioned.

Review by: pblair4546	May 2011
Our guide and driver were great. Friendly, funny, and polite. They had stories about everything, whether it was about the history, the local flavor or their personal experiences (they were from the Borders). When we stopped for lunch in Melrose, they had good suggestions. The landscape was beautiful. Melrose Abbey was amazing. The detail work in Rosslyn Chapel is breath-taking. I took their advice and checked out the lesser known Rosslyn Castle behind the Chapel and was rewarded with a lovely walk and view. It's promoted as "Da Vinci Code...", but the book just put Rosslyn Chapel on everyone's radar. Don't go on this tour because of the book. Go and appreciate the history, the people, the landscape, and the mastermasons' works of art.

Review by: Kelly B	May 2011
We really enjoyed this day trip through southern Scotland. The scenery was beautiful and the abbeys visited were interesting. Our guide, Dave, was friendly and very knowledgable. Highly recommend this tour.

Review by: Jessica R	April 2011
Loved the beautiful scenery and the Rosslyn chapel. It is absolutely stunning. The small tour size allowed us to see things not accessed by larger coaches. The guide, Michael, did a wonderful job. He was informative and laid back, making for a wonderful day :)

Review by: Michael M	February 2011
Great day trip. I wanted to see some of the country side, but didnt want to spend all day in a bus. The guide was great! Very knowledgeable and I felt safe with their driving.

Review by: Christa S	January 2011
it's too bad that during our trip is that Rosyln Chapel is still in major reconstruction

Review by: Jeannette N	November 2010
This was an excellent trip through some fantastic country with a great driver/guide. I really enjoyed seeing Rosslyn Chapel and the information we were given throughout the day was interesting and informative. Bob (our guide) obviously loved the country he was taking us through and that showed in his talk. Overall, we had a fab day and would definitely book with you again. Many thanks

Review by: Beverly S	November 2010
Great tour. Helen was very informative, gave us the 900 years of Scottish/British history in 4 hours. Well done!

Review by: JOHN G	October 2010
Great and really enjoyed it.

Review by: DOROTHY C	October 2010
Good tour and good guide. We enjoyed the trip tremendously a pity the church was covered in scaffolding. We enjoyed the Abbey and the museum.

Review by: James M	September 2010
Good fun,excellent courier, Excellent value.

Review by: Anonymous	August 2010
We liked the tour. Bob was great!!

Review by: Rolando G	August 2010
Interesting tour!

Review by: Anonymous, Australia	July 2010
Bob was a great tour leader and very informative! Saw lots of interesting sites and learned alot about the history involving Scottish Borders and Rosslyn Chapel

Review by: Rebecca T	July 2010
The trip was fantastic, although I enjoyed Melrose Abbey far more than Roslyn Chapel. Roslyn was crowded and quite unremarkable. I realize that there has been a fascination with Da Vinci Code, however perhaps there are other destinations that could be added to the Melrose Abbey tour instead. The little town of Melrose was interesting, and the place our tour guide recommended for lunch was quite good. I would like to return and take another tour with Pete--he said that the three day Highlands tour is his favorite, and I hope to do that one next time.

Review by: Mary H	July 2010
This was a really wonderful trip. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the area and gave very interesting background information for each historical site. While some of the sites had separate entrance fees to get in, Rabbies tourists were given discounts and priorities to sites which were crowded. Fabulous day out!

Review by: Anonymous	June 2010
Enjoyed Melrose Abbey however, Rosslyn Chapel was almost entirely covered for repairs, which makes taking photos of the outside impossible, and they don't allow taking photos inside, even without flash. This was a big disappointment and should be disclosed before booking.

Review by: Mary jo M	April 2010
mac made the trip great and the pipes were a added bonus. it was a liitle sad that the construction was so completely in the way at the chaple.but we understood why.

Review by: Stefano N	April 2010
The driver-guide was nice and it would have been nicer to have a longer tour and see other abbeys

Review by: Praphaphone O	March 2010
Great overview of area. Loved our tour guide. He's very knowledgable and interesting.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	December 2009
Wonderful tour

Review by: Dorica B	December 2009
This trip was very disappointing for me. we were not able to see the inside of rosalin chapel, which was the whole reason I took the tour. I think it could be organized better.

Review by: Peter H, United Kingdom	November 2009
The tour was absolutely superb. The guide was amazing and we had a wonderful day out which was great value for money. Thank you so much!

Review by: Robert and Laura H, Poland	November 2009
We had a wonderful time! Our tour guide provided great commentary along the way - we learned a lot about Scottish history and laughed with our follow travelers. The guide made it even more enjoyable by wearing a kilt and even played the bagpipes at one of the stops. Although Rosslyn Chapel is covered with scaffolding it still worth the trip! We highly recommend this tour!

Review by: Robert H	November 2009
We had a wonderful time! Our tour guide provided great commentary along the way - we learned a lot about Scottish history and laughed with our follow travelers. The guide made it even more enjoyable by wearing a kilt and even played the bagpipes at one of the stops. Although Rosslyn Chapel is covered with scaffolding it still worth the trip! We highly recommend this tour!

Review by: Lou L. C, United States of America	October 2009
As tourist this was the way to go for us. Small group means you do not miss a thing. Small vehicle means traveling back roads is possible. Good trip. Would do again.

Review by: Glen P, Australia	October 2009
Fantastic tour for the limited time available. The tour guide was rated by our group of 4 at 10 out of 10.

Review by: Lou L C	October 2009
As tourist this was the way to go for us. Small group means you do not miss a thing. Small vehicle means traveling back roads is possible. Good trip. Would do again.

Review by: Tanya V, United States of America	August 2009
This was a wonderful trip! The land is so beautiful it makes you feel at peace. I would highly recommend it!

Review by: Muhammad T, United Kingdom	August 2009
As a single traveler, I had a great time and enjoyed myself during my visit to Rosslyn Chapel and the Scottish border. The driver was a very good tour guide and had a great knowledge of the places. Well done!

Review by: Muhammad Fadhli A	August 2009
As a single traveler, I had a great time and enjoyed myself during my visit to Rosslyn Chapel and the Scottish border. The driver was a very good tour guide and had a great knowledge of the places. Well done!

Review by: John T	August 2009
A very interesting and enjoyable trip! Enhanced by the knowledge of our driver who was helpful in every way.

Review by: Anonymous	July 2009
Really interesting tour. Great tour company.

Review by: Sandra K	July 2009
We spent too much time in the van and not enough at the places we visited.

Review by: Krista C, United States of America	June 2009
Our tour guide was dressed in a kilt and he played the bagpipes for us! He was fabulous! The day was wonderful. "Scotts View" is so amazing and the views unbeatable. The short walk through the woods to get to Wallace's statue was peaceful and simply lovely.

Review by: Ryan C	June 2009
Our tour guide was dressed in a kilt and he played the bagpipes for us! He was fabulous! The day was wonderful. "Scotts View" is so amazing and the views unbeatable. The short walk through the woods to get to Wallace's statue was peaceful and simply lovely.

Review by: Anonymous	June 2009
Great views and fabulous trip. I don't think it is appropriately named as nothing was said about the Da Vinci Code except that it was filmed at Roslyn.

Review by: Elizabeth H, Australia	April 2009
Tour was very good - driver gave very good information and also sang a song. Highly recommend.

Review by: Deanne S, United States of America	April 2009
The meeting point is at a central location, easy to get from most parts of the city. The tour itself is good, starting with the tour guide, who was very informative and had a wonderful personality. As for the sights, there are photo stops along the way at various places. The countryside in Scotland is beautiful. Once at the chapel you'll have ample time to visit and hear the history of the chapel from a staff member. No photos can be taken at the chapel, which was disappointing, but the memories of the visit will last a lifetime. If you are into churches and architecture, you will appreciate this tour.

Review by: Dana M, United States of America	March 2009
I was expecting a Viator representative instead of a local company rep. Still enjoyed the tour. Nice young man tour guide.

Review by: Thomas P, United States of America	February 2009
The local tour company that actually took us on this trip was amazing, especially our guides. You really can't have a bad time in Scotland, anyway.

Review by: Anonymous, Ireland	June 2008
This was a wonderful and interesting trip. We experienced lots of history and learned from the entertaining driver in a fun and informative manner, and even heard some great music too! I would definitely recommend it, especially on a short break as the distance traveled is comfortable for day trip.

Review by: William D, United States of America	June 2008
Our guide was fantastic! He was an excellent representative of the tour company.

Review by: Shamil I, Portugal	April 2008
My wife and I had an amazing day; we really enjoyed this tour. It is much better to travel on a minivan than a normal bus; the tour is friendlier. The minivan was comfortable and the guide was very nice and had a great knowledge of Scottish history. His narrations of the Scottish history were accurate, interesting and funny. We also listened to some Scottish folk music along the way, always relating to something we had seen or someone the guide had mentioned. Many people tend not to visit the Scottish Borders region, but we really recommend it._br /__br /_Melrose is a wonderful place, and we had plenty of time to visit the abbey and the village and have lunch. I highly recommend the visit to the ruins. The ruins are well preserved, and the surrounding area is very green and pleasant._br /__br /_The stop at Rosslyn Chapel was quite a surprise. We thought that all the fuss about it was just because of the book "The Da Vinci Code", but we were really surprised with the beauty and importance of the chapel. We had a local guide at the chapel, a very nice lady who explained all of interest to those interested in learning about the chapel's history and art. Without her explanations, we would have missed the historical and artistic importance of the chapel. We truly recommend this tour and the tour operator.