Address: Craigmillar Castle Rd, Edinburgh, EH16 4SY, United Kingdom
Phone: +441316614445
Rating: 4.7
based on 247 reviews.
Castle Preservation and History
Pros:
"Amazingly well-preserved castle from the 14th to 16th century."
"A beautiful old castle its history tied up with the unfortunate Mary Queen of the Scots."
"In contrast to Edinburgh castle this one really gives a sense of the old history of medieval Scotland."
"Its history and relation to Mary, Queen of Scots make it a very interesting place to visit."
"The castle has a strong association with Mary Queen of Scots and the 1566 plot to kill her husband, Lord Darnley, who was eventually murdered at Kirk o' Field in 1567."
"The castles history is not only closely involved with the city of Edinburgh, but plays an important part in the story of Mary Queen of Scots."
"Fantastic well preserved 14th/15th century medieval castle with granted access to almost all chambers, halls, rooms, corridors, cellars, towers and upper floors with a 360º superb view of the City of Edinburgh, Arthur Seat & Holyrood Park."
Cons:
"It's not suitable for disabled people unfortunately."
"Practically it's not easily accessible for people in wheelchairs at all."
"Obvious access can be tricky in places due to spiral staircases and uneven floors."
"The only real thing missing is an audio guide."
"Understandable but slightly disappointing that, as with so many Historic Scotland sites at the moment (Summer 2022), a portion is off limits pending structural assessment and no doubt some follow up repairs."
"The Gilmour Range was closed off due to repair when we visited."
"It's a old castle that had nothing in it all you see is ruins."
Staff and Service
Pros:
"You will find the staff most friendly and welcoming."
"Very friendly staff!"
"The staff were soooo friendly and super helpful."
"Staff were very friendly and helpful throughout."
"The staff could not be more friendly and inviting."
"Everyone working there was pleasant and helpful."
"Lovely staff, very helpful and knowledgeable."
Cons:
"The only disappointing bit about our visit was the way we were treated differently from the south Africa woman who was in the shop scanning our tickets, the look she gave my husband as we walk through the door was so disrespectful."
"For some reasons one the staff thought I was a dodgy looking Asian trespasser and told me to move on if I am not going to visit the property."
"Overall it would have been 5 stars but the lady wasn't nice at all to my family."
Value and Accessibility
Pros:
"The staff at the castle is super friendly; entry fee is surprisingly super cheap for such a cool place where you can discover so much by yourself."
"Never visited this castle before and the cheap entrance price made me think there was not much to see. How wrong was I."
"The adult ticket price is 6 pounds, but you can't get free access with Scotland explorer pass."
"For only 6 pounds it is worth it."
"The entrance fee is only £6 and you can buy some souvenirs and refreshments in the shop too!"
"The entry cost is good value for money."
"Entry price is fair compared to some others."
Cons:
"If you come by bus, google maps might take you through a muddy footpath, and you end up in the middle of an empty field, walking on grass."
"When you come to Craigmillar Castle, do not walk Craigmillar Castle Rd, which does not have a pedestrian walk road."
"Fair warning, if you're not driving there, you'll have to trudge through a (lovely, admittedly) park to find the entrance and might want good walking shoes."
"The hike there from the nearest bus line can be tiring as it's uphill from the hospital."
"Getting there by public transport will leave a long walk up from the bus stop on a road with no side path and an almost blind bend, so keep that in mind as well."
"The castle is situated on large grounds, so it can take longer than expected to get to the visitor center entrance if you come by buses."
"Parking is limited, so you may need to park down by the housing estate, then walk up to the castle."
Experience and Activities
Pros:
"Oh it was an awesome experience."
"This was amazing... lots to do for younger ones as well with a trail around the castle and also summer games out on the lawn."
"Also had some games to play- great for kids(and adults)."
"You can also explore most of the castle as you wish."
"The grounds and ruins are so interesting and brings you right back into time."
"Great 'explorer pack' for children and a room in the castle with medieval style children's games."
"Good setup for kids (some art activities and games)."
Cons:
"The only downside for me was that they were trimming grass around the castle when I came, which was terrible timing for someone with hay fever/ pollen allergies!"
"The only downside was the screaming school children on a class trip."
"Some low points though were the unsupervised children running and jumping around the ruins which were slippery and it was also causing unnecessary damage to the castle."
"Unfortunately we arrived after the closing time."
Views and Surroundings
Pros:
"Great wee castle with stunning views of Edinburgh."
"The views on the top of the castle are amazing!"
"The castle is set in a southern knoll in Edinburgh and provides a great place for sight seeing the city from the South."
"You need time to admire the endless views."
"Great views from the top of the castle breathtaking."
"The view from the top parapet is fairly good, with views out to Edinburgh Castle and round to the Firth of Forth."
"From the top you have the most beautiful views of the Girth of Forth, Edinburgh Castle, Arthur Seat & much, much more."
Cons:
"Be careful when u drive there there are 6 tight car park spaces on a hill also the lane u drive down to get to it it tight."
"Only a few parking spots, so recommend parking at one of the nearby NCP car parks and taking a short taxi ride."
"The parking is small (around 15 parking spaces, which are sometimes used/abused by dog walkers not visiting the castle)."