Castles, Castles, and More Castles

Having discovered the Innocent Railway/Cycle Path during one my excursions, I decided it was time to return down the path and find Craigmillar Castle, for which we had found a sign at the end of the Railway. The castle was only a short walk from there, located in a park far enough away from the city for it to be quiet inside and for me to forget I was near Edinburgh. It, therefore, has a very different feel from the Edinburgh Castle, which is in the middle of the city centre, but also from Blair Castle, as all that really remains of Craigmillar Castle are the stones and walls. Nevertheless, it still has its own beauty and charm.

A Quick History

As a history major, I just can't in good conscience let you get away without a short history of the castle, so here's a few quick facts about the castle.

* Dates back to the 15th century when the Prestons raised the towerhouse
* 1440s: Curtain wall added around tower to create inner courtyard
* Mary Queen of Scots comes to Craigmillar in 1563 and again

Craigmillar Castle

Approaching the Castle

in 1566. The castle was also the sight of the "Craigmillar Bond" by various noblemen to murder her second husband, Lord Darnley
* Sold to Sir John Gilmour in 1660 and abandoned a century later (early 1700s)
* According to the plaque at the entrance, it is one of the best preserved castles in Scotland

For more information: Craigmillar Castle

Craigmillar Castle

Craigmillar Castle is located just outside of Edinburgh and is a decent walk from my dorm. After about 40 minutes, I reached the castle without once getting lost, which is remarkable considering that whenever I have set out by myself to somewhere new in Edinburgh, even if I have a map, I have gotten lost (not terribly lost, but I have gone the wrong direction, missed a few streets, those kind of things). As I approached, I could tell that it would be different than Edinburgh Castle; already, the castle was removed from the main city and other urban distractions. Stepping onto the castle grounds felt like I was also removed completely from the city and modernity.

A Quiet Castle (Almost) All to Myself

The castle itself is mostly the

Craigmillar Castle

looking down from one of the guard towers

walls that survived the centuries with nothing else there that wasn't stone, with the exception of a large wooden door/gate at the end of one of the many stairways in the castle. Otherwise, the rooms were essentially empty and unadorned; furthermore, there weren't that many people in the castle! At most, I saw two other people but that was as they were leaving, so for a good portion of my time, I had the castle all to myself. I, therefore, took my time exploring the various rooms. While most of what I saw as the monotonous gray of stone, the castle, nevertheless, had a remarkable beauty to it. This was especially true when I would look up to see the rising walls and towers and of the remarkable views from the top of the castle. Standing at the top of one of the guard towers, I was able to see not only the landscape below (including Edinburgh Castle and Arthur's Seat in the distance) but also the castle itself. Because most of the castle lacks a roof (my guess is that it fell down during the centuries of disuse), I was able to see into the rooms below, which made

Craigmillar Castle

for an interesting view. The silence of the castle added to its charm.

Eventually, it was time for me to head back to the dorms and my homework. This decision was spurred on by the slight rain that had begun (I didn't bring an umbrella and was afraid the rain would get worse before I made it back) and the winds that made it seem a lot colder. All in all, I enjoyed my trip and am glad that I found this castle (my enjoyment being greatly aided by the fact that it did not continue to rain on my way back to the dorms).

Additional photos below

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