Edinburgh, Scotland - Craigmillar Castle

The first thing anyone thinks about when they hear "Edinburgh" and "castle" in the same sentence is the grand and enormous Edinburgh Castle (I mean, also, those two words are the name). It's a huge and well-preserved relic of Scottish history of the Renaissance period, ornate and hulking. It's also crazy-busy. And it just so happened that A and I visited Edinburgh during their month-long Fringe Festival, which is the busiest visitor period of the year for Edinburgh. This means that the already super-busy Edinburgh Castle is oppressively busy.

Fortunately, A and I actually wanted to see a castle in ruins - so we went to the best and most intact castle in ruins. I made reservations at the "other" castle of Edinburgh, Craigmillar Castle. It was seiged and burned during the "Rough Wooing" (which is a fantastic name) in 1544, during which the English (in particular, Henry VII) tried to force a marriage between the very young Edward, Prince of Wales, and toddler Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary returned to Craigmillar Castle to heal after an illness shortly after she gave birth to her son James VI - while she was there, her advisors decided to form the Craigmillar Pact without her, where they plotted the murder of her husband. To be fair, he'd just had one of her advisors murdered, so I sort of get it.

The castle has been used in an episode of Outlander, and something else. There were very few people there when we were, it's very under the radar, so we really got to take our time and explore. You could even go up on top of the towers on the walkways that were structurally sound... which scared me to death, so I couldn't do it, but I also couldn't stop A.

Stone castle wall with arched doorway, tower, and battlements. Green grass and blue sky with clouds set a serene mood. — The front of the castle is considered very delicate.

Field with tall grass in foreground, blurred. Arthur's Seat and trees under blue sky with clouds in background, creating a serene scene. — Arthur's Seat is just across the field surrounding the castle.

Purple thistle flower against a bright blue sky, with a bee perched on it. The vivid colors evoke a vibrant, summery mood. — I love Scottish thistle!

Sunlight streams through a stone window, casting a warm glow and shadows on the textured walls and floor of an ancient, dimly lit room. — Beautiful lighting.

Winding stone staircase with worn steps, dimly lit, and surrounded by textured walls with patches of moss. — These steps were not enjoyable.

Ancient stone wall with small plants, set against a vibrant blue sky with fluffy clouds. Rugged texture contrasts with serene background. — I love the flowers (weeds?) in the stone. I'm not entirely sure how it even works, but it's great.

Old stone ruins against a blue sky with scattered clouds, featuring two walls with a weathered texture and visible window openings. — Some more weeds in the ruins.

A person stands on stone steps at a historic ruin, with a cloudy sky in the background. They look scared, with arms raised. — A took this photo trying to entice me to come out onto the crazy walkway with mesh holding up the steps, and me being TERRIFIED and saying no.

Two women smile at a stone ruin with Arthur's Seat and cloudy sky in the background. Lush trees surround them, creating a peaceful setting. — A and I at the top of a tower, overlooking Arthur's Seat.

Edinburgh, Scotland - Craigmillar Castle - August 2024

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