| 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.
Discover 300 years of Scottish history through the magnificent and carefully conserved neo-Palladian villa that is Newhailes House and Gardens!
READ MOREThe RCPE is an independent standard-setting body and professional membership organisation. Our aim is to improve and maintain the quality of patient care.
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 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 MORESteeped in some of Edinburgh's greatest history, Greater Grassmarket is only a minutes' walk from the popular Royal Mile and visitor favourite, the National Museum of Scotland.
READ MORECanongate Kirk is the parish church of Canongate in Edinburgh’s Old Town and a congregation of the Church of Scotland.
READ MOREThe John Gray Centre brings together East Lothian Council’s Archaeology, Museum, Archive and Local History Services, alongside Haddington’s branch library.
READ MOREThe Edinburgh Dungeon is the ultimate underground journey through Edinburgh's darkest history as you see, hear and errr smell Edinburgh’s murky past!
READ MORENewbattle Abbey is set in 125 acres of beautiful parkland just outside Edinburgh and contains a wealth of Scottish history.
READ MOREThe Palace of Holyroodhouse, commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland.
READ MOREHidden within the affluent Edinburgh suburbs Barnton Bunker complex is a unique setting steeped in history!
READ MOREDirleton Castle hase some of the oldest castle architecture surviving in Scotland – the de Vaux towers, built around 1240.
READ MORE