Craigmillar Castle
Craigmillar Castle on the southern outskirts of Edinburgh is one of the best-preserved and most historically significant medieval castles in Scotland, a substantial L-plan tower house and enclosure castle dating from the fourteenth century that was closely associated with the Scottish royal court for two centuries and is particularly connected with the tragic history of Mary Queen of Scots. Standing in a quiet setting of parkland that preserves something of the rural character it would have had during its years of active use, Craigmillar offers a more contemplative and less crowded experience of Scottish medieval architecture than the royal castles within the city itself.
The castle developed in stages from the original tower of around 1400 through successive enclosures and ranges added over the following two centuries, creating a layered architectural complex that provides an excellent illustration of how Scottish castle design evolved from a single defensive tower toward a more complex and comfortable residence. The main tower remains standing to full height and the various courts and buildings of the expanded complex can be explored with considerable freedom, giving a strong impression of how a major Scottish aristocratic castle functioned as a working residence.
The connection with Mary Queen of Scots gives Craigmillar its most historically charged associations. Mary retreated to the castle in late 1566 following the traumatic murder of her Italian secretary David Rizzio at Holyrood, and it was here that the Conference of Craigmillar took place, at which the terms of addressing the problem of her difficult husband Lord Darnley were discussed among her principal advisers. Whether the agreement reached here extended to planning Darnley's murder three months later at Kirk o' Field has been debated by historians ever since without resolution.
The castle is managed by Historic Environment Scotland and provides views from its upper levels over the city and toward the Firth of Forth.