It could almost have come from some old Agatha Christie story but the fact is that the following is a genuine report. Moreover Scotland's Rosslyn Chapel, mentioned in the following article, has its own mysterious connections with America. Carved on its archways and ceilings are clear depictions of ears of corn or maize and aloe cactus, both unknown in medieval Scotland. These stone carvings are an integral part of the Chapel, which was only completed in 1486; that's a full six years before Columbus is said to have embarked on his voyage of discovery.
The standard line is that both maize and aloe cactus were only found after Columbus had sailed West. Thus, according to authors Knight and Lamar Rosslyn Chapel amounts to clear . . . "evidence that the men who instructed the masons of Rosslyn Chapel must have visited America at least a quarter of a century before Columbus."
There is a lot more to this particular aspect of the story, which I may well post here in the coming months. In the meantime though enjoy the following by Colin Grant, first published in the Sunday Post and edited by Rixon

A Scottish tourist who died mysteriously in Israel may have been murdered because of his involvement in a
shadowy organisation which dates back to Robert the Bruce and the Crusades.
It is also now believed that when Alisdair Rosslyn Sinclair met his death, his heart was removed as part of a medieval ritual.
Mr Sinclair, originally from Arran, made an unexplained five-day visit to Israel in April 1998. He was arrested as he tried to leave the country and died in police custody. When his body was returned to Scotland, an autopsy revealed his heart was missing.

Misplaced

The official version of events stated that Mr Sinclair hanged himself in a police cell and that his heart had been taken for closer examination and had been misplaced.
The Israeli health authorities then sent a heart to his family but it was impossible to test it and, therefore, confirm its origin.

At the time of his death he was described as a resident of Amsterdam who eked out a living as a musician and from making and selling guitars.
Now, startling new evidence has been uncovered which reveals that the humble Scottish guitar maker was a direct descendant of a high-ranking family which helped found the Order of the Knights Templar.
The Order is embroiled in an international battle for the control of the holy sites in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. An investigation into Alisdair Sinclair's death was carried out by Israeli author Barry Chamish. Many of Chamish's findings are backed up by Alisdair's brother.
Yesterday Barry Chamish told The Sunday Post, "I have examined every available piece of evidence relating to the death of Alisdair Sinclair.
"In my opinion he was murdered and his killing was linked to a greater conspiracy.
"After his death in police custody, Alisdair's body was taken to the Abu Kabir Institute of Forensics where an autopsy was carried out.
Last week the Israeli Government launched a massive investigation into Abu Kabir after numerous allegations that body parts from corpses were illegally removed by staff there and sold on the black market for organ transplant.
"But it was pointless removing Alisdair's heart for medical reasons," claims Barry Chamish. "For a start, a heart has to be kept alive via a life support system if it is to be transplanted.
"Even more damning is the fact that in Israel we do not carry out heart transplants.
"Alisdair Rosslyn Sinclair was murdered and his heart removed because of his bloodline. He may not have realised it, but he was one of the leading members of the Knights Templar hierarchy.
"The Knights Templar believe they are the rightful heirs to the Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and are currently involved in a secret battle to gain control of them.
"Alisdair was killed because he got caught up in this clandestine war. The removal of his heart is part of the Knights Templar tradition. When Robert the Bruce died he asked that his heart be cut out and taken from Scotland to be buried in Jerusalem. In Israel, legend has it that his dying wishes were fulfilled."
Last night both Alisdair's brother and the Order of the Knights Templar backed up some of Chamish's conclusions.
James Sinclair, Alisdair's younger brother, said, "Alisdair knew all about our Knights Templar background. He was proud of the fact he was named after Rosslyn Chapel, which was built by the Knights Templar in Scotland.
"He and I were told about our heritage and bloodline by our father when we were young boys. And we often visited Rosslyn Chapel."
A spokesman for Militi Templi Scotia, the Scottish Knights Templar, admitted to The Sunday Post, "We are currently involved in an attempt to remove control of the holy sites of Jerusalem from the Israeli Government.
"We believe they should be administered by the United Nations and are working with the UN and Nato to achieve that goal."

The circumstances behind the death of Alisdair Sinclair may never be fully explained. But as more evidence about his background is uncovered, it seems increasingly unlikely that the Israeli authorities are telling the truth.
Israeli author Barry Chamish is convinced Alisdair became caught up in a religious feud in Jerusalem. Currently, no fewer than six organisations or nations believe they have first claim to the holy sites in the old part of the Israeli capital. As well as Israel and the Palestinians, others who believe they are entitled to bits of the land include the Vatican, the Greek Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church. In addition the Order of the Knights Templar, have their own hopes for what is a holy city for Jews.

Muslims and Christians
The modern-day Scottish Knights make no secret about their ambitions for the future of Jerusalem. Their spokesman is John Ritchie, who lives in Gorebridge, East Lothian - two miles from the village of Temple, the site of the original Knights Templar HQ in Scotland.
John, a journalist who works for Reuters, said, "The modern order has 100 members. Our main aim is to protect Scottish history. I suppose you could call us cultural nationalists.
"We are also very much concerned about what is going on in Jerusalem, in particular the area in the old city which includes the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Dome of the Rock and Solomon's Temple.
"We believe these holy sites should not be left in the hands of the Israeli Government, who are denying Christians proper access to them. We would like to see the UN assume control of this important place and we are working hard to achieve this goal."
Author Barry Chamish believes the battle for control of Jerusalem, which has it roots in medieval times, is central to the death of Alisdair Sinclair.
In his book Who Murdered Yitzhak Rabin, Chamish reveals that Alisdair Rosslyn Sinclair is a descendant of one of the original Knights Templar, an order set up by a French relative of the St Clair family of Rosslyn.
The order, which flourished in the 13th century, spread across Europe and became wealthier than many nations. But in 1307 the King of France arrested thousands of Templars in an attempt to destroy the Order and claim its assets.
A small number escaped to Scotland where they were protected by the St Clair (later Sinclair) family and continued to flourish. They eventually played a major role in Robert the Bruce's triumphs, including Bannockburn.
Alisdair Sinclair knew all about his forefathers. "He and I learned a great deal about the Knights Templar and our family links to them from our father," says his brother James. We often visited Rosslyn Chapel from our home in Arran and I can recall being taught how it was built by the original Sinclairs, who are our ancestors.

"We also knew about other Sinclair relatives in Caithness who lived in a castle and enjoyed great wealth and power. They are still the Earls of Caithness.
"But these were no child fairy tales. Alisdair and I always knew we were direct descendants of the original St Clairs who founded the Knights Templar. Alisdair loved books and spent a great deal of time reading about the family bloodline."
Both James and Barry Chamish believe it was a fascination with this bloodline which led Alisdair to Jerusalem and his death.
"I believe Alisdair was murdered," says Barry Chamish. "He came to Israel because of his Knights Templar background and became caught up in the current conflict over Jerusalem.

Confessed

"The official explanations about his death cannot be believed. He was stopped trying to leave the country allegedly because he had 9000 Deutschmarks (£3500) in a secret compartment of a suitcase.
"There is nothing illegal about that. If I were carrying that sum of money I might want to hide it as well.
"Then he allegedly confessed that the money was paid to him for smuggling ecstasy tablets into Israel. But there is no evidence that he had drugs. Why confess to a crime when there is no evidence?
"Finally, it is alleged he hanged himself with his shoe laces. It sounds highly unlikely, if not impossible for a man of his size to do that. I believe Alisdair was trying to escape from Israel when he was killed. The Knights Templar are not welcomed by the authorities and others organisations here.
"I'm still investigating why his heart was taken out. It was a custom in medieval times to cut out the hearts of knights who died abroad. The hearts were then taken back to the knights' homeland for burial. Perhaps Alisdair's heart was cut out as part of that ritual. But whatever the truth, there is something very evil going on in Israel today and he became caught up in it." http://www.dethomson.co.uk