Key facts
- Operator
- Historic Environment Scotland
- Condition
- Partial ruin
- Access
- Staffed, ticketed
Pinpoint
Craigmillar Castle Rd, Edinburgh EH16 4SY
Telephone 0131 661 4445
Possible Opening hours
Opening times change. Always check the official website before you travel.
| Monday | 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM |
| Tuesday | 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM |
| Wednesday | 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM |
| Thursday | 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM |
| Friday | 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM |
| Saturday | 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM |
| Sunday | 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM |
A substantial ruined castle on the edge of Edinburgh, associated with Mary Queen of Scots, who took refuge here in the 1560s, and large enough inside, cellars, multiple room ranges, a rare private walled garden, that reviewers say it's bigger than it looks from the road. The roof gives a 360-degree view taking in Edinburgh Castle, the sea, and the surrounding hills.
Worth the trip
The 360-degree view from the roof — reviewers say you can pick out Edinburgh Castle, the coast, and the hills all from the same spot, without the crowds of the city-centre landmark.
Before you go
Go early to have the place largely to yourself — several reviewers timed visits for opening and got the ruins nearly empty — and it's an easy bus ride from the city centre, so you don't need a car.
Recent reviews on file are all five-star, and several visitors frame Craigmillar as a quieter, more immersive alternative to Edinburgh Castle — bigger inside than it looks, with multiple rooms and cellars, and towers, dungeons and battlements that are free to explore without the restrictions found at the more famous site. Panoramic views back to Arthur's Seat and across Edinburgh come up repeatedly, along with praise for how uncrowded it feels, especially for early visitors. No practical downsides are mentioned in the reviews on file.
Mary Queen of Scots refuge; Edinburgh's other castle
“Not a fancy modern museum, but a real medieval castle. It is way bigger inside than it looks from the outside, multiple rooms and cellars. Gorgeous view from the roof 360 degrees, you can see Edinburgh Castle and the…”— Roman Strijac, visitor review
