Craigmillar Castle Craigmillar Castle Road, Edinburgh South EH16 4SY | |
01316614445 | |
Craigmillar Castle Website | |
Follow histenvscot on Twitter | |
Facebook information can be found here | |
In light of updated Scottish Government advice regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19), we have taken the decision to close public access to our staffed properties and offices until further notice. All planned public events will also be postponed until further notice – full details of these can be found on our Events page in the coming days: historicenvironment.scot/whats-on.
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. Of equal importance were the surrounding gardens and parkland, and 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 new 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, and the so-called ‘Queen Mary’s Room’ beside it, where Mary is said to have slept when staying there as a guest of the Prestons. In all probability, Mary resided in a multi-roomed apartment elsewhere in the courtyard, probably in the east range.
Also here is a labyrinth of dark spaces, including a grim basement prison where an upright skeleton was found walled up in the early 19th century. The west range was rebuilt as the Gilmour family’s residence after 1660. Beyond the well-preserved 15th-century courtyard wall, complete with gunholes shaped like inverted keyholes, lie other buildings, including a private family chapel.
Nelson Monument is situated on top of Calton Hill, and provides a dramatic termination to the view along Princes Street from the west.
READ MOREThe Tron Kirk, or Christ’s Kirk at the Tron, has stood in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town for almost 400 years.
READ MOREGladstone's Land, the house of wealthy merchant and landlord Thomas Gledstanes showcases high-rise living, 17th-century style, at the beating heart of Edinburgh's historic Royal Mile!
READ MOREHave fun discovering Edinburgh with two self-guided, heritage walks with an optional treasure hunt... buy or instantly download & get curious!
READ MOREPanmure House is a 17th-century townhouse located in Edinburgh's Canongate. It is the only surviving residence of renowned Scottish philosopher Adam Smith, who lived there between 1778 and 1790.
READ MOREEdinburgh's deepest secret, the Real Mary King’s Close is buried deep beneath the Royal Mile... a warren of hidden streets that has remained frozen in time since the 17th Century!
READ MOREWhen you step inside Lauriston Castle, you see it just as it was in 1926, when it was left to the nation by the last private owner, Mrs Reid.
READ MOREHead off on a journey of discovery at this former airfield as you explore the history of aviation from the First World War to the present day
READ MOREConnecting Scotland to the world and the world to Scotland.
READ MORECanongate Kirk is the parish church of Canongate in Edinburgh’s Old Town and a congregation of the Church of Scotland.
READ MOREStanding proudly in Princes Street Gardens, the Scott Monument is one of the most iconic Edinburgh landmarks, a must-visit for tourists and locals alike.
READ MORESet in beautifully landscaped parkland overlooking the River Forth, this fascinating laird’s house near Linlithgow has been the home of the Dalyells for over 400 years.
READ MORE