Craigmillar Castle

Edinburgh


If you want to explore a Scottish fortress away from the crowds that throng Edinburgh Castle, try Craigmillar. Dating from the 15th century, the tower house rises above two sets of machicolated curtain walls. The castle is 2.5 miles southeast of the city centre. From the bus stop on Old Dalkeith Rd walk 500m up Craigmillar Castle Rd.

Mary, Queen of Scots, took refuge here after the murder of her private secretary, David Rizzio; it was here, too, that plans to murder her husband Darnley were laid. Look for the prison cell complete with built-in sanitation, something some 'modern' British prisons finally managed in 1996!

Transportation

  • bus: 24, 33, 38, 42, 49

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Edinburgh attractions

1. Dr Neil's Garden

1.11 MILES

Edinburgh’s quintessential secret garden, in the shadow of a 12th-century kirk, is one of the most peaceful green spaces in Scotland. Cultivated in the…

2. Duddingston Kirk

1.13 MILES

Poised on a promontory overlooking Duddingston Loch, this church is one of the oldest buildings in Edinburgh, with some interesting medieval relics at the…

3. Gilmerton Cove

1.42 MILES

While ghost tours of Edinburgh's underground vaults and haunted graveyards have become a mainstream attraction, Gilmerton Cove remains an off-the-beaten…

4. Arthur's Seat

1.5 MILES

The rocky peak of Arthur’s Seat (251m), carved by ice sheets from the deeply eroded stump of a long-extinct volcano, is a distinctive feature of Edinburgh…

5. Summerhall

1.89 MILES

The Summerhall cultural centre houses several permanent art displays, and stages changing exhibitions of contemporary art.

6. Holyrood Park

1.91 MILES

In Holyrood Park Edinburgh is blessed with a little bit of wilderness in the heart of the city. The former hunting ground of Scottish monarchs, the park…

7. Blackford Hill

2.15 MILES

A patch of countryside enclosed by the city’s southern suburbs, craggy Blackford Hill (164m) offers pleasant walking and splendid views. The panorama to…

8. Our Dynamic Earth

2.17 MILES

Housed in a modernistic white marquee, Our Dynamic Earth is an interactive, multimedia journey of discovery through Earth's history from the Big Bang to…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "scotland/edinburgh/south-edinburgh/attractions/craigmillar-castle/a/poi-sig/1070882/1341120",
      "destination": "Edinburgh",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Scotland",
      "city": "Edinburgh",
      "position": "superzone"
    }