Rosslyn Chapel is the cat’s whiskers in Japan

The February edition of the magazine, ‘Neko Biyori’, which translates as ‘a nice day for cats’, includes an article about church cats at Durham Cathedral, Wells Cathedral - and Rosslyn Chapel. The magazine is published four times a year and has an annual circulation of 120,000 copies.

Rieko Ishii, who researched and wrote the article, was inspired to include William after a visitor wrote about him on a Japanese travel guide, similar to Trip Advisor, following a visit to Rosslyn Chapel.

Ian Gardner, director of Rosslyn Chapel Trust, said: “Over the years, William has welcomed thousands of visitors and been around for hundreds of church services, weddings and funerals, throughout a major conservation project at the chapel and during filming for the chapel’s role in The Da Vinci Code.

“It’s amazing to see William included in this magazine and we hope that he inspires more Japanese visitors to come and see the chapel in future.”

William made the short trip from his Roslin home to visit Rosslyn Chapel as a kitten and has been a regular visitor ever since. Now 15-years-old, he has become a firm favourite with many of the thousands of people who visit the chapel each year and has even inspired an area of the gift shop. Named after Sir William St Clair, who founded Rosslyn Chapel in 1446, William can often be found curled up on a pew in the medieval church.