The world-famous Edinburgh Castle is not the only castle in the city. There is another one, less well-known and without the crowds. Craigmillar Castle is only 3 miles from the centre of Edinburgh, but feels like you are deep within the countryside because it is surrounded by extensive parkland that was once royal hunting grounds. The castle is great fun to explore with a network of staircases and nooks and crannies. Make sure to get onto the rooftop where the views are among the best in the city. It is easy to reach the castle by bicycle.
How to get to the castle
Follow the cycle route from Edinburgh to Musselburgh on my blog. This has directions and a map. At the point where the route crosses Duddingston Road West you turn right onto this road and continue straight on for 1 mile to reach the castle. The road's name changes to Craigmillar Castle Road and goes through a housing estate. Just at the end of the housing estate there is a cycle path that heads into Craigmillar Castle Park, so that you can avoid the rest of the road. The road is not heavy with traffic, but it can get busy at the junction with Peffermill Road. Patch of Countryside in the city The location of the castle is incredible. It is surrounded by parkland that creates the impression of being in a rural location, certainly not within a city. You will find an information board with a map of Craigmillar Castle Park showing just how extensive it is. The map has a picture of a kestrel and a rabbit, creatures that you can spot in this park. If you want to feel that you have left the city for some tranquility and countryside you don't have to go far. 
Information panel for Craigmillar Castle Park
It is worth walking around the outside of the castle as this provides the best views of the structure and allows you to appreciate the surprisingly large amount of parkland in this city location.
The castle can be dated to the early 1400s with the building of a tower house by the Preston family. One of the most interesting items in the castle grounds is the remains of an ornamental pond in the shape of a 'P', believed to stand for Preston. The ultimate status symbol. It once had two islands in the loop of the 'P' that were planted with hawthorn trees.
 Artist's impression of the 'p' shaped ornamental pond that once adorned the gardens of Craigmillar Castle
When Mary Queen of Scots stayed at the castle she would have spent time in the gardens around the pond, enjoying her hobbies of archery, horse riding and hawking.
The way into the castle is through a doorway in the outer wall which takes you to a large grass lawn that leads up to the impressive bulk of the curtain wall with its towers. Aim for the arched doorway and this will take you into the inner courtyard.
The curtain wall of Craigmilar Castle
The inner courtyard is a wonderful place to walk into because of the yew trees growing there. They come as a bit of a surprise among all this stone. Sun makes the leaves golden and songbirds bring music to this tranquil space.
Yew trees in the courtyard of Craigmillar Castle
In such peaceful surroundings it is difficult to believe that a murder was once planned in this castle. The 'Craigmillar Bond' was a plot to kill the husband, Lord Darnley, of Mary Queen of Scots. It was signed at the castle in 1566.
Where to go to next? There are several doorways leading off the courtyard. Choose your door and enjoy exploring. 
There are so many nooks and crannies to discover. In most of the rooms you will find not just one, but several doorways from which to choose from. It takes a while to cover all of the routes and make sure that you have seen everything.
In many of Scotland's castles there is only one single direction you can go and not many rooms to see, but Craigmillar is an exception. This makes it one of the best castles to visit in Scotland.
Some of the rooms have magnificent fireplaces that are a clear indication of the wealth that was once on display in this castle. The quality of the decorative stone carving at these fireplaces is particularly impressive.
Although the rooms of the castle are now bare and empty they would have looked very different in their heyday. Instead of bare stone walls the place would be alive with colour in the form of wall-hung tapestries and painted ceilings.
The highlight of the castle is the view from the top. Edinburgh is famous for its beautiful skyline and there are many viewpoints to see it from. Craigmillar Castle is one of the best. You can see all of the city landmarks and out to the waters of the Firth of Forth. 
From the top of Craigmillar Castle you can see Edinburgh Castle and Arthur's Seat
The Firth of Forth can be clearly seen on the horizon from the top of Craigmillar Castle
View of the Pentland Hills from Craigmillar Castle
After you have finished with the view come back down and walk around the outside of the curtain wall where you can get close up views of the towers.
There is also a fascinating little device that was used to capture rain water for the castle's occupants- a simple overhanging stone well on the outside of the wall. 
This piece of stone captured rain water for use by the castle's occupants for drinking and cooking.
Craigmillar Castle is a great place to spend a few hours. With it being so close to the centre of Edinburgh it would be a shame to miss it. It is cheaper than Edinburgh Castle, less crowded and the views just as good.
Why not include a visit to the castle as part of a cycle ride to Musselburgh? The castle can be reached via a one mile detour from the Edinburgh to Musselburgh cycle path. The cycle path is mainly traffic-free and follows an old railway line, the Innocent Railway, for much of the way. Read more about this cycle route 
The Innocent Railway cycle path. You can use this to reach Craigmillar Castle
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