Craigmillar Castle, Historic Edinburgh Building Photos, History, Location, Scottish Structure

Craigmillar Castle Architecture

Historic Building in Edinburgh, Scotland: Scottish L-plan tower house – Date & Images

post updated 16 December 2023 ; 21 December 2022

Craigmillar Castle Edinburgh Tower House

Please check with owners for details such as access & charge

Location: Craigmillar Castle Road, 3m south-east of Edinburgh off the A68

Craigmillar Castle image by Adrian Welch

Built round an L-plan tower house from early 15th century, much expanded in the 15th & 16th centuries. Queen Mary used it so often that the hamlet to the west which housed her French attendants came to be known as Little France.

At the core of Craigmillar Castle is the 14th-century L-plan tower house, built on a rocky outcrop. Wrapped around this is the 15th-century courtyard wall, with ranges of buildings at the south-east, east, and west.

Beyond the wall is a lower outer wall, enclosing a broad outer courtyard. This contained gardens and a chapel. Further gardens lay to the south, where the outline of a fish pond can be seen.

This historic tower building is built on the edge of a rock outcrop, with the original entrance door protected by a natural cleft in the rock. This would have been spanned by a wooden bridge, until it was filled in when the curtain wall was built. Above the door are the arms of the Preston family.

Craigmillar Castle: images by Adrian Welch

Contact Craigmillar Castle: +44 (0)131 661 4445

Scottish Capital Architecture Designs

Edinburgh Architectural Designs – selection:

Edinburgh Architecture Books

Scottish Castles in Edinburgh & Lothian

Castles in Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle, Old Town
Edinburgh Castle

Palace of Holyroodhouse, Canongate, Old Town, Edinburgh
Palace of Holyroodhouse

Linlithgow Palace, Linlithgow, West Lothian, central Scotland
Linlithgow Palace

+++

Historic Edinburgh & Lothian Houses – architectural selection below:

Arniston House, near the village of Temple, south of Edinburgh
Arniston House

Winton House, north of Pencaitland, East Lothian
Winton House

Liberton Tower, Liberton Road, Liberton, Edinburgh EH16 6NR, Scotland, UK
Liberton Tower

Historic Midlothian Property Designs – key architectural selection below:

Crichton Castle, ruined building near the village of Crichton, Midlothian
Crichton Castle

Melville Castle, Gilmerton Road, near Dalkeith, Midlothian – on the bank of the North Esk
Design in part: James Playfair Architect
Melville Castle

Dalhousie Castle, Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, EH19 3JB
Dalhousie Castle

Borthwick Castle, Borthwick, Midlothian, 12 miles south of Edinburgh, near Gorebridge, on minor road north off A7
Borthwick Castle