Overview
Step inside Edinburgh’s ‘other castle’, which stood a mile outside the old city walls, providing a retreat from Scotland’s capital. Craigmillar Castle was close to the political cauldron of Edinburgh, but pleasingly separate from it.
Mary Queen of Scots famously used the castle as a safe haven in 1566. Ironically, its owner, Sir Simon Preston, a loyal supporter of Mary, would turn her jailer just a year later.
What to see and do
- Climb the tower house, one of Scotland’s oldest, which houses fascinating features like a fine great hall and a prison
- Admire the views from the tower across Edinburgh – spot Holyrood Park and Edinburgh Castle among other landmarks
- Get lost in Craigmillar’s nooks and crannies
- Look for the remains of an unusual fishpond in the grounds – it’s laid out in the shape of a letter P, for Preston
- Take our fun fact-finding quiz
