Tucked In Edinburgh Is Scotland's Scenic Castle With A Well-Preserved Medieval Tower And Historic Ruins

You could spend a whole week following Scotland's towers, battlements, ruined walls, and grand castle halls across the country, finding royal fortresses and romantic ruins alike. Some are set among vast countryside, far removed from modern cities, but Edinburgh itself has several castles that stand out amid the sprawl of the surrounding metropolis. While Edinburgh Castle is most famed, Craigmillar Castle on the city's southeastern edge is one to seek out if you want somewhere a little lesser-known but well-preserved. Its medieval tower house, winding chambers, and thick defensive walls have survived remarkably well, while its elevated position on a ridge offers views back toward Edinburgh Castle and the volcanic Arthur's Seat.

Craigmillar Castle's core is a late-14th-century tower house, which was expanded over centuries into a complex with defensive walls, courtyards, a chapel, gardens, and chambers. Its most famous occupant was Mary, Queen of Scots, who stayed here in 1566. Curiously, the castle's owner and Mary's supporter, Sir Simon Preston, became her jailer the following year.

After its last resident family moved out in the 18th century, Craigmillar Castle was left to become a scenic ruin, admired by Romantic-era painters and poets. That might sound like neglect, but it meant much of the medieval structure remained untouched, helping make it one of Europe's fairytale-like hidden castles. You can still climb the original tower house and explore its maze of rooms. Then, pass through the 15th-century courtyard walls with their unusual keyhole-shaped gunholes, and look for a fishpond in the shape of a giant "P," standing for Preston.

Inside Craigmillar Castle, you'll get to see up close just how much of its medieval anatomy has survived. The 14th-century tower reaches over 50 feet high, with walls almost 10 feet thick. On the first floor of the original tower, enter the Great Hall, which preserves a stone fireplace. The tower's interior contains rooms connected by narrow, spiraling staircases that will make you feel like you're in Hogwarts (one reason Craigmillar could be a good Scottish destination to pair with a visit to Steall Falls, once a backdrop for a Harry Potter film). As you ascend higher, the cramped staircases eventually open onto the battlements, where you can look out over Edinburgh, with Edinburgh Castle faintly visible from the tower.

Meanwhile, the ground has its own share of intriguing features. There are some crumbling walls and corner towers that frame the castle's courtyards. Outside the courtyards are remnants of 16th-century formal gardens and the P-shaped fishpond in the field to the south. The parkland beyond offers trails through woodland and open grass to stretch your legs along, with some veteran trees planted in the 1800s still surviving.

To reach the castle, it's roughly 45 minutes by bus from Edinburgh's central St. Andrew Square. There's a modest admission fee (which is cheaper when you book online). Once inside, you can explore independently rather than following a guide, although groups can bring their own guide. The site also hosts occasional special events. The 2026 calendar includes, for example, a "Halloween Shenanigans" day with exotic animal encounters, a fitting outing for the European country Rick Steves says is the best for great scares.