Craigmillar Castle

Craigmillar Castle is a ruined medieval castle in the south-east of Edinburgh, Scotland. The castle stands on high ground in Craigmillar Castle Park, a few miles from the city centre, and is often described as one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Scotland. Its oldest part is the late fourteenth-century tower house, later expanded with curtain walls, courtyards, domestic ranges and defensive structures. Craigmillar is closely associated with Mary, Queen of Scots, who stayed at the castle in 1566 after the murder of David Rizzio, and the so-called Craigmillar Bond, the plot against Lord Darnley, is traditionally linked to the site. The castle’s ruined walls, open courtyards, stairways and views across Edinburgh have made it a strong screen location for prison scenes, royal residences and medieval strongholds.

Craigmillar Castle has appeared in Outlander (2014–), Outlaw King (2018) and other historical productions connected to Scotland’s medieval and early modern past. In these productions, the castle is not usually presented as itself, but transformed into prisons, villages, castles and royal or military settings. Its preserved ruins and position close to Edinburgh make it especially useful for productions that need a real medieval structure within reach of the city.

In Outlander (2017), Craigmillar Castle appears as Ardsmuir Prison in season 3. After the Battle of Culloden, Jamie Fraser is imprisoned at Ardsmuir, where he becomes a leader among the Jacobite prisoners and forms a complicated relationship with Lord John Grey. The castle’s stone walls, courtyards and enclosed spaces are used to create the harsh prison environment where Jamie spends several years separated from Claire and his family. The location gives the Ardsmuir scenes a real sense of confinement, with the ruined medieval architecture turned into a bleak Highland prison.

In Outlaw King (2018), Craigmillar Castle appears as Robert the Bruce’s castle and village. The production built substantial medieval sets around and inside the castle, including a village of thatched cottages in the surrounding parkland and workshops within the castle walls. The location is used during the early part of the film, when Bruce is still moving within the political world of Scottish nobles before becoming an outlaw king. Craigmillar’s walls, courtyards and surrounding land allow the film to show both a fortified residence and the working village around it, making the castle one of the main Scottish medieval locations in the film.

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