A few kilometres from the centre of Edinburgh, Craigmillar Castle raises its powerful tower-house ringed by walls. A refuge of Mary Stuart when she wanted to flee the city, this well-preserved castle has remained in history as the place where the plot was hatched that would cost the life of her husband, Lord Darnley.
A castle of the nobility
Craigmillar was built from the fifteenth century by the Preston family: a massive tall tower-house, the heart of the castle, ringed by curtain walls and towers for defence, then completed with more comfortable apartments. It is one of the best-preserved examples of the Scottish castle of the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance: at once fortress and residence, it illustrates the way of life of the high nobility of Scotland. Its nearness to Edinburgh made it a convenient place of stay for the court, away from the bustle of the capital.
The 'Craigmillar Bond'
Craigmillar entered history at the end of 1566. Mary Stuart, exhausted and ill after the birth of her son James, withdrew here to rest. But her marriage to Lord Darnley — vain, brutal, compromised in the murder of Rizzio — had become unbearable. It was at Craigmillar that her chief nobles gathered to discuss the means of 'ridding' the queen of her husband: a secret agreement, remembered in history as the 'Craigmillar Bond', is said to have been concluded here. A few weeks later, in February 1567, Darnley died in the mysterious explosion of his Edinburgh house (Kirk o' Field). This murder, and Mary's hasty remarriage to one of the suspects (Bothwell), precipitated the queen's fall. Craigmillar thus keeps the memory of one of the darkest plots in the history of Scotland.
What to see
- The powerful tower-house, the heart of the castle.
- The well-preserved curtain walls, towers and apartments.
- The memory of the 'Craigmillar Bond' and the plot of 1566.
- The view over Edinburgh and its countryside.
Did you know?
The fate of Mary Stuart was decided in a few months around Edinburgh: at Holyrood, her secretary Rizzio is murdered before her eyes (1566); at Craigmillar, her nobles plot the ruin of her husband Darnley (late 1566); at Kirk o' Field, Darnley is killed in an explosion (1567). Three places, three dramas, in less than a year — and at the end, abdication, flight into England and, twenty years later, the scaffold. Craigmillar is one of the links in this fatal chain that made Mary Stuart the most tragic of the queens of the Renaissance.
Practical information
Craigmillar Castle lies on the edge of Edinburgh, in Scotland. It is today a site in the care of Historic Environment Scotland, open to the public. Opening hours and days are liable to change; it is best to check them against the official sources before visiting.
Quiz
- Which queen took refuge at Craigmillar to flee Edinburgh?
- Mary Stuart
- Elizabeth I
- Mary of Guise
- What was the 'Craigmillar Bond'?
- A secret agreement of the nobles to rid themselves of Lord Darnley
- A peace treaty with England
- A university foundation charter
- What is the centrepiece of Craigmillar?
- A powerful tower-house
- A Renaissance dome
- A unique drawbridge