Craigmillar Castle

I walk in the Castle’s Park area several times a week with my Bernese, Balrog. To me, it’s mostly a gorgeous piece of land with forest, rolling grass knolls, thistles, bunny rabbits, blackberries and even the occasional deer!
It took me several months before I actually went to see the castle itself, and it’s a lovely ol’ ruin! It’s a historically important piece of architecture (which others can tell you about much more aptly than I can) and you can pretty much just wander right in when it’s open. It’s not as well-​preserved as Edinburgh Castle, nor as spectacularly placed, but it’s beautiful in its own way, and you get good views from its walls! Did I mention it’s free?! (at least no one tried to take my money when I went there…)
The park itself has a great variety of spaces, as I’ve mentioned, and for such a small place has a surprising number of «oh, I had no idea THAT was there!» routes and paths. I’ve recently discovered some great Blackberry bushes, so if you’re into making jams and chutneys, that’s another mark in the park’s favour!
Definitely worth a visit when you’re in Edinburgh, and it’s only a short bus ride (or an hour’s walk) away from the centre of town.

Craigmillar is such a fantastic castle and is so widely overlooked as it shares a city with THE castle.
It is minimally restored so you get a proper wander through ruins, and has so many twists and turns I often think of it as the «Choose Your Own Adventure» castle where it’s just not possible to go through every single doorway; there is much more to explore than originally meets the eye.
As has also been said, it’s in a pretty rural location considering the fact that it’s right next to Edinburgh’s main hospital.
I really highly recommend a visit. It’s so under-​visited that even on St Andrew’s Day there still weren’t crowds. In that way, it’s really ideal for families too as kids love a good run around a castle.
One star knocked off for accessibility. If you don’t drive here, the last stretch of road has no actual footpath. You can approach the castle from the adjacent park but this involves a climb up a (often soggy and damp) hill, which rather limits people with buggies or those with accessibility issues who don’t arrive by car.

I made an observation while in Edinburgh that the Scottish and maybe those in the UK in general, don’t fix old things. They rarely pick up anything that’s fallen, repair things that have broken. When I pass a graveyard, I’m shocked at the number of stones fallen over or broken, and not recently either – with moss growing over them to such a degree, I felt like I’m walking through a scene in The Walking Dead. I’m not talking about some obscure field of stones halfway to Inverness – I’m literally talking about plots fringing a modern church off major city streets. I think this is some policy of the government. In order to respect the history of a country, they don’t stop the natural degradation of the buildings or landscape. Case in point – the fact that there are dozens of castles scattered across Scotland with only a few in decent condition. So many are beyond ruined – comprising of only a handful of walls perched on an outcropping of rock, any wood long since rotted away. Despite the damage done to these landmarks over centuries of abuse, erosion, and outright warfare, there are few attempts to restore them to their original glory.
The follow-​up question to this is, what original glory? What time period would you choose? Many of these castles had several owners over the centuries which modified the initial design. Would you arbitrarily pick a time period and elect to erase the history which came after? Both Stirling and Edinburgh castles reflect this – attempts to maintain their significance despite not representing any single point in history. Dover castle was another example, proudly showcasing its role in the War of the Roses and World War 2 (as you walk from area to area in the castle, it shifts in era of significance by hundreds of years). These were the (if you could call them) lucky ones. But in truth, what emerges is a historic site that doesn’t resemble any point of history. Stirling Castle never looked at any point in history the way it does now. You could almost call these modern restored castles anachronistic, leaving the untouched fortresses true time capsules in history.
Ergo Craigmiller.
First of all, let me state how awesome it was that I could exit my B&B and walk to Edinburgh castle in less than an hour’s walk or that I could walk the opposite direction and reach Craigmiller in less than forty minutes. Outside of wires strung along for lights, and a metal roof fashioned over an area for some reason, there have been few attempts at restoration. Some compromises had to be made like installing grates under the parapets because of an intentional gap erected in their construction allowing soldiers to fire directly down to attackers without exposing them to fire (the net claims these are called machicolations). There is a stone roof which clearly couldn’t have survived the centuries. Despite lacking any wood, one can still climb to the very top of castle and get an unobstructed view of the landscape. And like most castles in the region, it carries a colorful history. Mary Queen of Scots stayed here several times and the plot to murder her husband was hatched at this very place. It was restored several times, the last nearly 300 years ago, and was infuriatingly neglected since until only a few decades ago.
One of the reasons Craigmiller survived this long in such good condition was that it managed to avoid attack throughout the centuries, burned one – I imagine not so effectively given its stone construction – in the 1500s. That was really it, and the restoration was smart enough to avoid rebuilding the castle to some random era’s glory. Craigmiller castle is a classic fortress with much of its history still intact. Bedrooms still have fireplaces and latrines. The jail under the fortress is still intact. It isn’t a château with walls or a few walls fringing a cliff – this was an honest to god castle, with concentric defensive walls and turrets. It’s one of my favorite castles visited in my many journeys… and to think I almost missed it.

As far my eyes can see I am surrounded by nature, its hills, valleys and waters!
I am standing on top of Craigmillar’s Stone Tower overlooking Edinburgh and Arthur’s seat to the West, the Pentlands to to the East and Portobello to the North. The air is fresh and I hear the sounds of medieval music coming from the inner garden surrounded by a robust stone wall. I can see a dance group practicing Quadrille or similar. Their gowns are out of this time, elegantly cut, long and colorfully stitched with gold embroidery. I was lucky enough to watch Craigmillar Castle transformed into its former glory when history came alive.
Nowadays it is not hidden anymore by trees and high grass and access is easy.
Still, it is best to get there by car, although buses stop nearby and you walk along a country road to get there.
Nowadays Historic Scotland takes responsibility for its upkeep after it had been passed on from one family to the other: from the Preston clan (their family crest can still be seen above an extraordinary stone entrance to the oldest part of the castle) to the Gilmour’s who extended the castle to the West. Mary Queen of Scots also loved it there and it is said that her downfall started with a «Conspiracy Bond» being formed to dispose of her then husband, amongst her followers whilst residing at Craigmillar.
There is so much history about this castle you can read up, that it would take you at least a day to do so, if not more.
There is chance to walk around plenty and explore what the castle has to offer: The outer and inner courtyard, the Tower (oldest part of the castle), the two extensions to the east and west, the inner and outer gardens, the dovecot, the chapel (or what remains of it), the extensive gardens — now only a veil of its former glory — but with a bit of imagination, still impressive.
My favourite places in the castle are the inner courtyard, the Lords Chamber and the Old Hall with its amazing fireplace.
NOW its is for you to explore your decide on your favorite place in that castle :-)

Wonderful experience! You are free to explore the guts of the castle. Edinburgh Castle is a museum, Craigmillar Castle has kept it’s identity, and remains a castle! Thank you for the ride home Tanja R., and Tanya L!!!

Vous aimez les châteaux et les ruines? Celui-​ci est un véritable bijou. Une petite heure depuis le centre-​ville avec les transports en communs, voici un château dont l’essentiel de l’ossature en pierres fut préservé. Le déplacement en vaut la peine: vous serez à l’écart des foules fainéantes du centre-​ville tout en étant encore à proximité de cette belle ville.

To hell with Edinburgh Castle — don your helm, mount your mighty steed and head out to a housing estate off the A7, just behind the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
No, really. Despite its improbable setting, Craigmillar Castle is brilliant. It exists right at that sweet spot of ruination, somewhere between rocks in a field and Edinburgh Castle (which, let’s face it, is a posh house with really thick walls). Some sections have had their roof replaced — so you get to live out your Game of Thrones fantasies in a proper grand hall — but most of it is a warren of stone corridors, nooks, staircases and basements to explore and get lost in.
There are signs and bits of information about what you’re looking at, but only where it’s actively useful. Aside from a couple of ‘mind your head’ notices, you’re pretty much allowed to roam free and take your chances.
The whole thing revolves around a small cobbled courtyard, enclosed by high stone walls and partially covered by the sprawling branches of an old tree. It’s an amazing spot to sit on the stone bench and soak up the history (or, as I did, eat a Cornetto).
Though it’s obviously been added to over the years, parts of the castle date right back to the 14^th century. Whether through canny marketing by Historic Scotland or a 500-​year obsession with celebrity gossip, the building is still closely associated with Mary Queen of Scots. In fact, she only stayed there for less than three weeks in 1566, although during that time a plot was hatched within its walls to bump off her husband, so I suppose it’s entitled to some notoriety.

Possibly the most underrated and unknown tourist attraction in Edinburgh… I love it.
Very much a ruin these days, the castle sits just a few miles from it’s big, better known brother in Edinburgh Castle and offers a fantastic view of it and also Arthur’s Seat.
Like Edinburgh Castle, it is also within the control of Historic Scotland and those holding membership can enjoy free entry.

very nice castle to explore, quite cheap entry, great view from the battlements, lovely grounds

This castle is a little gem. I visited a couple of years ago and was well impressed with it. Worth a trip

Thought I’d reviewed this Castle before but it seems not! A beautiful venue on the outskirts of Edinburgh! Would be a brilliant place to take a family picnic on a nice day! Steeped in history of course there are lots of nooks and crannies toexplore! A fab place for kids but not really wheelchair or buggy freindly! The views are lovely & I would well recommend a visit to this historic venue! Not sure if you could have a wedding here but it would be nice for a small gathering!

I came here with a couple of mates, I hadn’t really heard too much about the castle so didn’t really know too much of the history. It is situated around 3 miles south east of the city centre, which would take about an hour to get to if you walked from the centre or about 15 minutes if you get a bus.
When me and a couple of mates came here, we found out that you had to pay to get in, but we weren’t prepared to do this as we weren’t that interested in seeing what was inside. Although it must be said that it did look pretty impressive from the outside.
If medieval history is your thing, then you may think it would be worth to have a little look around here, but as I’m not all that into medieval history, and there are more impressive castles around, I really do not feel the appeal of actually paying to come here and look inside in the future.

A short cycle away, past Arthur’s seat along the Innocent Railway, takes you to this almost intact castle. Although the cover charge seems slightly over priced, it’s worth the effort as there’s a lot to explore. From the top of the castle, you can see views across the city and Arthur’s seat. From my experience, it seems to be haunted by stationary cattle, but that may have just been me.
It’s a great place to time-​travel. You definitely feel like you’re not in the 21^st century when you’re in there. It’s worth wasting a Sunday afternoon in here.

Craigmillar Castle is a ruined castle just south of Edinburgh’s city centre, unfortunetly placed in a modern housing suburb. Craigmillar is largely overlooked and I feel I need to defend it!
You might not realise it, looking at this 14^th century romantic ruin, but Craigmillar Castle is very historically important. Built by the famous Preston family, the castle is perhaps best known for its connection with Mary Queen of Scots, who is supposed to have favoured this castle, especially given its close proximity to her decamped French court that Mary brought back with her from her childhood in France (hence the nearby suburb of Little France). It is also the site for the famous «Craigmillar bond» in which several Lords made a pact to kill Mary’s husband, Lord Darnley, which basically set into motion a series of events which would depose Mary from the throne, install her son Jame under the protection of protestant Lords, and basically alter all of Scottish history. Pretty important!
Despite its ruined state, Craigmillar is actually regarded as one of the best presevered medieval castles in Scotland, and when you visit you’ll see it hasn’t actually done that bad over the past seven hundred years (even with a touch of refurbishment in the 1800s).
I personally think that the castle is a very good example of a medieval fortress. Approaching then wandering around Craigmillar I get the feeling of «oh dear I really wouldn’t want to invade this place». It’s still standing high stone walls, its many levelled corridors, twisting around the central tower house, all give this place the sort of strange contemplative nostalgia you want from a castle (it also has the compulsory castle ghost story!).
The fact that Craigmillar has awkward opening times, as pointed out in previous reviews, is more to do with the fact that it is largely neglected and its not worth Historic Scotland’s while to have it open all the time. Hopefully this can change.
It’s not the sites fault that its located next to a not so great area, and it does indeed tend to be populated by rather boisterous youth come of eve. But this shouldn’t put you off this hidden castle at all. Yes it’s a bit further out of the way, but as a tourist, a quick hop on the bus is all it takes to see another classic Scottish castle, far more genuine than Edinburgh castle. Unlike Edinburghs most popular tourist attraction, Craigmillar remains more of a monument to time, less prettified and refurbished (especially considering the Edinburgh Castle we think of is essentially a Victorian castle). It’s also about £6 cheaper!
To get to Craigmillar your best bet, other than driving, is to get any bus heading to the infirmary. Ask any bus driver or whoever once your off and they should point you in the right direction.

When it comes to castles, it’s safe to say that Edinburgh has already picked it’s top dog, and Craigmillar Castle hardly does itself any favours by being located right next to an area more associated with knives than places of historic interest.
As a result, it’s more a place that locals go on a Sunday afternoon, have a quick look round, realise there’s little to see, and leave before dusk settles and the neds arrive. It’s not massively impressive but it’s one of those places I’m glad is still here.

These opening times hold for April — Oct though April — Sept it is open till 5.30. Winter times lose Thursday and Friday. The one thing about this castle is that it is a bit of a journey to get to and is over priced. It will cost an adult £4.20 to get in, which might be fine for other parts of the country, but due to Edinburgh’s wealth of historic sites this just isn’t good enough.
I did cycle here when I came here to see what it would be like hoping I’d just be able to walk around for free and go away feeling fairly satisfied at finding one of Edinburgh’s hidden gems. It wasn’t a hidden gem and if you want my advice don’t cycle here. The cycle down the hill was very fun, especially with all the bends on the way down, but the way up will as good as kill you so bring the car.
There isn’t that much here other than a few falling down walls and stone rooms and this is from a person who as a kid loved going round castles. There really isn’t any reason to spend £4.20 here, go to Holyrood instead and spend the money on a meal out.

This is a historic scotland castle so you can get in free if you are a histroic scotland member or english heritage (½ hs first year free 2^nd onwards)
This place has so many little rooms to explore and you find yourself going back and finding somewhere new
This was were the pact was made to murder lord darnley tough they are not sure which room it was you find yourself walking around wondering if your standing on the spot where the plot happened
There was a code for the toilets when we went so make sure you get that before you walk up
Nice little gift as well

Went there with my wife on a sunny day and the trip was really worth it.
First of all the access — either by busess (you have to walk then for about a mile or two) or by car (almost under the castle)
Price for entry is 4 pounds (very reasonable) and you can buy the tickets in a gift shop at the entrance.
The castle itself is a ruin but very well kept and preserved. Lots of places to see and beautiful views from the very top of the castle.
On the castle grounds you can have a picnic if you want or just enjoy the sun on the grass.
Really worth seeing as its not so far away from the city center (about 20mins by bus)

Craigmiller Castle is the most preserved medieval castle in Scotland, set in magnificent grounds and with stunning views over Edinburgh, looking down to the sea.
There are so many rooms to explore, steps to climb and you can reach right to the top of the castle and walk round the turrets, making it very exciting for children. There is a chapel and dovecot in the grounds.
There is a nice shop selling souvenirs and toy armour and lovely books for children on castles. There is a coffee machine in the shop and a room next door with tables and chairs to enjoy your drink.
The only complaint i would have is all the steps are no good for babies in buggies.