Craigmillar is one of Scotland’s most perfectly preserved castles. It began as a simple tower-house residence. Gradually, over time, it developed into a complex of structures and spaces, as subsequent owners attempted to improve its comfort and amenity. As a result, there are many nooks and crannies to explore.

The surrounding gardens and parkland were also important. The present-day Craigmillar Castle Park has fascinating reminders of the castle’s days as a rural retreat on the edge of Scotland’s capital city.

At the core lies the original, late-14th-century tower house, among the first of this form of castle built in Scotland. It stands 17m high to the battlements, has walls almost 3m thick, and holds a warren of rooms, including a fine great hall on the first floor.

‘Queen Mary’s Room’, also on the first floor, is where Mary is said to have slept when staying at Craigmillar. However, it is more likely she occupied a multi-roomed apartment elsewhere in the courtyard, probably in the east range.

Sir Simon Preston was a loyal supporter of Queen Mary, whom she appointed as Provost of Edinburgh. In this capacity, he was her host for her first night as a prisoner, at his townhouse in the High Street, on 15 June 1567. She was taken to Lochleven Castle the following day.

The west range was rebuilt after 1660 as a family residence for the Gilmour family.

The 15th-century courtyard wall is well preserved, complete with gunholes shaped like inverted keyholes. Ancillary buildings lie within it, including a private family chapel.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: c. 1375-1425
Category: Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Saverio Divittorio (7 months ago)
What a wonderful castle! Easy to reach by city bypass and not far from the city centre. Small car park just upfront the main entrance. Very quiet and easy walking natural park all around the castle. The site is very well maintained. To entry into the castle there's a ticket to pay of 7 pounds. It's easy to visit inside, not suitable for disabled people unfortunately. Toilets available inside. Lot of ancient,secret and tiny rooms and tight stairs but the landscape view from the top of the walls is fantastic. The visit of the whole castle takes 20/ 30 minutes. If you like medieval buildings this place deserves a visit.
Keith Brown (7 months ago)
A castle with a surprising amount of history that takes longer than expected to explore, so definitely worth the trip. No definitive route and you can go round at your own pace. Sits in a lot of open countryside, so plenty of easy walking can be tagged to a visit. Although I arrived by car, I think quite a few people were arriving on foot from Edinburgh. An audio guide would probably have added to the experience. Understandable but slightly disappointing that, as with so many Historic Scotland sites at the moment (Summer 2022), a portion is off limits pending structural assessment and no doubt some follow up repairs.
Kim Kjaerside (12 months ago)
We had visited Craigmillar Castle some years ago, bit never brought our kids, now 3 years and 6 years old. We visited on a Sunday morning, managed to park just outside and then headed in to purchase the tickets, which can also be pre-purchased online, we however decided to buy them on arrival. The lady serving us was really helpful and also advised there would be a quiz for the kids as we walked around. When we got to the Castle entrance we were welcomed by two gents who told us a little about the recent developments and what was open, along with giving our eldest her quiz sheet. We then spent about an hour walk around and through the castle. Absolutely fascinating and both kids loved their first ever castle experience, although our youngest was concerned it was pretty ruined ? At the end the gent told how they have lots more activities planned for the coming months and suggested we kept an eye on their website. All round a really exciting visit for all of us and definitely recommend it for families even with relatively small children. There are several stairs where I had to carry our youngest, but was no issue for us certainly. Thank you!
Graeme Heddle (14 months ago)
Fantastic castle. Lots of nooks and crannies to explore and a fascinating history. Keep is roofed if you need to escape from the rain. It was a grey day when we visited, but the view from the top of the keep out towards Arthur's Seat and the city is breathtaking.
Richard Baigrie (14 months ago)
Great fun experience, friendly staff and lots of exploring to be done. Great for kids or adults. Some winding stair cases to access the upper parts so mat not be for everyone, but certainly one of the best in the area!
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Krickenbeck Castle

Krickenbeck moated castle is one of the oldest on the lower Rhine. Its history dates back to the year 1104, when the castle was first mentioned. It is unclear why the old castle, which was certainly inhabited by Count Reginar, was abandoned or destroyed. In the mid-13th century the castle was moved to the current location. At the end of the 14th century the new castle belonged to the Counts of Kleve.

Johann Friedrich II of Schesaberg converted the castle into a Baroque mansion between 1708-1721. On September 7, 1902, a fire destroyed the entire mansion. From 1903 to 1904, a three-winged castle was built in the Neo-Renaissance style. Today Krickenbeck is a conference center.