I have a thing for castle, those burly masses of stones, witness of a time when your status was equal to the depth of your moat and the thickness of your walls, and I can't call my vacation a successful one without checking at least one. In Edinburgh, of course, there is one very famous... But a few miles out of the city, you can also find another one which is not as nice and pretty and refurbished as its neighbour but has withstood time fairly successfully: Craigmillar Castle.
When I say that it's just a few miles out of the city, it's actually 3 miles out of the city center. There is no direct connection and since I'm a stubborn man, I did the trip walking, which took me somewhere around one hour - just in time to arrive for its opening at 9.30, right when there is absolutely NO ONE inside. Entrance fee: 6 pounds.
The Craigmillar Castle was the castle of the Preston family, which was part of the elite of the Scottish kingdom. On their shield, you can see three heads of unicorns.
Also, it is famous because it was the refuge of the Queen Mary Stuart, who felt much more at peace and in safety in this castle than in the city of Edinburgh, whose population was very suspicious of her and always plotting to overthrow her.
As a castle, it's a marvellous relic of a bygone age when aristocrats relied on sturdy walls to keep troubles at bay. Like a dinosaur, you'll find there only the bare bones, everything else has gone: the roofs, the furniture, the carpets, the drapes, the tiles, the windows, the woods... Everything has melted away in the forge of History and it feels sometimes like walking inside a 3D labyrinth!
However, below, you can see the remnants of a pond shaped as a "P" (for Preston), to remind us that a family lived there and this castle was the ancestral home of people who made the best of their place, for themselves and for their guests.
The importance of Craigmillar Castle is also relative to its proximity to Edinburgh. I had the chance to enjoy a fairly sunny and clear day, so the view you have from the top power is priceless:
Especially for the hill called Arthur's Seat:
And if you squint a bit, you can distinguish the main attractions of Edinburgh city center and even beyond (Forth Road Bridge!):
Thanks for reading!
(c) All pictures taken by me.