|TOP|A leading historian has launched a scathing attack on the Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland in which she accused the chapel keepers of cashing in on the success of The Da Vinci Code and perpetuating the novel’s “ludicrous” conspiracy theory.

Author and academic Dr Louise Yeoman criticised guides and information boards in Rosslyn Chapel after a recent visit, saying that they should portray the real history of the chapel rather than try to cash in on the popularity of fictional works such as Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, reports The Scotsman.

She also urged for the chapel to be restored to the original purpose intended by its architect.

“William Sinclair built this beautiful church for the saying and the hearing of Mass,” she said.

"He built it for his soul and the souls of his family, yet it has been taken over by a rabble of conspiracy theories, many of them anti-Catholic and absolutely ludicrous.”

|AD|Dr Yeoman went on to lambaste the chapel keepers, the Rosslyn Chapel Trust, for perpetuating a false image to cash in on the popularity of Dan Brown’s bestseller.

“The level of misunderstanding and ignorance you need to think this is some sort of pagan, occult conspiracy is huge,” she said.

"It is like a biologist being faced by people who think you could actually get all the animals on Noah's Ark.

"There needs to be some sort of proper interpretation telling people that this is a medieval Catholic church, and telling people more about Scottish medieval piety.

"If people want to stuff the bookshop full of that rubbish, then fine, but it should not seep into the official guides or interpretation."

She also accused the chapel of falsifying its history through the information presented to visitors by its tour guides and information boards.

“I was in Rosslyn Chapel recently and the first thing I heard was a guide telling people nonsense about Robert the Bruce and the Knights Templar. I wanted to tell people, 'Sorry, I hope you have not paid money for this; that's awful'.

"What really upsets me is that they know the Knights Templar connection is false, yet they still perpetuate the myth on their interpretation boards,” she said.

Dr Yeoman urged that the building be restored to its true purpose as a holy place of worship.