Craigmillar Castle Edinburgh building photos, History, Location, Historic Scottish structure
Craigmillar Castle Architecture
Historic Building in Edinburgh, Scotland: Scottish L-plan tower house – Date & Images
post updated 16 February 2025
Location: Craigmillar Castle Road, 3m south-east of Edinburgh off the A68
Craigmillar Castle image by Adrian Welch
Please check with owners for details such as access & charge
post updated 16 December 2023 ; 21 December 2022
Craigmillar Castle Edinburgh Tower House
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: phone +44 (0)131 661 4445
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Scottish Capital Architecture Designs
Edinburgh Architectural Designs – selection:
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
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Historic Edinburgh & Lothian Houses – architectural selection below from this site:
Arniston House, near the village of Temple, south of Edinburgh
Arniston House
Winton House, north of Pencaitland, East Lothian
Liberton Tower, Liberton Road, Liberton, Edinburgh EH16 6NR, Scotland, UK
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Historic Midlothian Property
Historic Midlothian Property Designs – key architectural selection below:
Crichton Castle, ruined building near the village of Crichton, Midlothian
Melville Castle, Gilmerton Road, near Dalkeith, Midlothian – on the bank of the North Esk
Design in part: James Playfair Architect
Dalhousie Castle, Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, EH19 3JB
Borthwick Castle, Borthwick, Midlothian, 12 miles south of Edinburgh, near Gorebridge, on minor road north off A7
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Scottish Castles
Scottish Castle Building Selection on this architecture website:
Historic Architecture in Glasgow
Glasgow School of Art
photo © Adrian Welch
Briggait Centre renewal design by Nicoll Russell Studios, Dundee
photo : Andrew Lee
St Vincent Street Church – historic Scottish building design by Alexander Greek Thomson
photo © Adrian Welch
Comments / photos for the Craigmillar Castle Architecture – Historic cottish L-plan tower house building, United Kingdom, page welcome.