History
The second Castle in Edinburgh is just outside the old town walls, Mary Queen of Scots used this castle as a safe haven in 1566, ironically the owner of Craigmiller Castle Sir Simon Preston became Mary Queen of Scots Jailer just a few years later.
The Tower house battlements of Craigmillar Castle stands at 17m tall and the walls 3m thick, it also holds a maze of rooms and a great hall in the first floor. A private chapel and secondary buildings within the walls as well, the courtyard walls where built in the 1400s with keyhole shaped gun holes in the walls.
Things to do
There are many things to see within the walls of the Castle many nooks and crannies to explore as well as gardens and parklands to walk through and enjoy its beauty, there is also a pond with fish shaped like a P for the owner Preston family.
The tower house holds a fascinating great hall and prison within, it is also one of the oldest buildings in Edinburgh, Spot many of Edinburgh’s landmarks from the top of the tower house like Holyrood park and Edinburgh Castle, there is many trees and plants growing in the Castle grounds and walls that have been there since the original castle building.
Public Access
- There is a car park next to the visitors centre with one disability space available.
- The castle is 100m from the visitor’s centre.
- There is benches and armrests half way along if a rest is needed.
- The Castle is on fairly even ground and has five floors.
- There is a nine step staircase with handrails going down to the basement where there is a Prison, Cellars and Bakery.
- The ground level contains a dovecot, inner courtyard, kitchen, drawing room and bottom level of the tower house.
- The second floor has the great hall, wall walk and a kitchen.
- First and second floors access is via a wide, uneven spiral staircase with rope handrail.
- The third floor has the great hall minstrels’ gallery and bedchamber.
- The fourth floor has panoramic views of Edinburgh.
- uneven spiral staircase with rope handrail gives access to the third and fourth floors.
- There is a toilet in the Castle 120m from the visitor’s centre.
If you would like to know more about the Craigmillar Castle try the Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craigmillar_Castle or if you would like to try one of our tours that will take you to Craigmillar Castles and other sites in Edinburgh come to our tours page https://eoscs.co.uk/car-tours-of-scotland/
To find out more about the attractions and places to see we have created a list to help you decide on some the best that Edinburgh has to offer Edinburgh Tourist Attractions.