Zamek Craigmillar, Scottish guides, Historic Investigations
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Craigmillar Castle
is one of the
most perfectly preserved medieval
castles in Scotland. Its setting
is dramatic, surrounded by the
remnants of forests where deer
were once hunted.
INVESTIGATING
CRAIGMILLAR CASTLE
Information for Teachers
INVESTIGATING
HISTORIC SITES
CRAIGMILLAR CASTLE
2
Timeline
1374
Robert II grants the
land of Craigmillar to Sir
Simon Preston
Craigmillar Castle is one of the
most perfectly preserved medieval
castles in Scotland. Its setting
is dramatic, surrounded by the
remnants of forests where deer
were once hunted and with wide
views to Edinburgh and beyond. A
visit to the castle will breathe life
into your Social Subjects: People in
the Past study.
off the infant Mary to the heir to the
English throne. In 1566 Mary came to
the castle, ill and depressed shortly after
the murder of Riccio at Holyrood. Sir
Simon Preston was one of Mary’s most
loyal supporters, and as lord provost of
the City had rallied 4-500 armed men
to protect her after Riccio’s murder.
While Mary was staying at the castle, a
group of advisers met there to discuss
how they would kill her husband, Lord
Darnley. This pact became known as
the Craigmillar Bond. The link with
the Stewart royal family continued
undamaged, however, with Mary’s
son, James VI visiting in 1589. By this
time the castle had been rebuilt and
expanded to include the inner and
outer walls and the chambers of the
east wing.
1400s
Construction of
tower house begins; then
inner curtain wall built
1479
James III’s
younger brother kept at
Craigmillar on suspicion
of witchcraft plot against
the King
Early 1500s
Outer walls,
gardens and ish pond
constructed
Historical background
The story of Craigmillar Castle starts
in 1374 when King Robert II granted
to Sir Simon Preston the right to the
lands of Craigmillar. The Prestons were
an important local family and several
of the family were at times sheriffs of
Edinburgh. In exchange for the lands,
the Prestons had to provide an archer
for the king’s army whenever he needed
one. The irst part of the castle to be
built was the sturdy tower house in the
centre. The Prestons also had a more
comfortable residence in the centre of
Edinburgh, where the City Chambers
stand today.
1544
Craigmillar Castle
damaged and captured
during the English
invasion
1550s
Rebuilding and
expansion of castle
1566
Mary Queen of
Scots stays at Craigmillar
after murder of Riccio
In 1660 the Prestons sold the
estate to Sir John Gilmour, head of
another inluential Edinburgh family.
He then rebuilt and updated the
castle extensively to make it a more
comfortable place to live. However,
during the eighteenth century the
Gilmours moved to Inch House in
Gilmerton, and Craigmillar began to
fall into ruin. In 1946, Sir John Little
Gilmour handed the castle over to the
care of the state.
1660
Craigmillar sold to
Sir John Gilmour; west
wing built
In the 16th century the castle became
closely associated with Mary Queen of
Scots. In 1544 the castle came under
attack and was partly destroyed by
English troops when they invaded
Scotland to force the Scots to marry
1687
Chapel built
1700s
Gilmour family
moves to Inch House in
Gilmerton; Craigmillar
castle falls into ruin
1946
Castle placed in
care of the state
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
EDUCATION
CRAIGMILLAR CASTLE
3
Supporting learning
and teaching
A visit to Craigmillar Castle is
particularly appropriate for
teachers working on class study
topics such as:
Before the visit
Working on site
• Discuss an ideal location for a
military castle. Pupils could look
at a range of landscape scenes on
postcards, for example, and then
mark with a cross the best place and
explain why. As well as defensive
considerations, pupils could think
about sources of food.
• Discuss with pupils all the different
activities which would have gone
on in a caslte – defence, stabling
of horses, hunting, cooking,
entertaining. Pupils could design
and draw their own cross sections
of castles to help them think
about the organisation of these
activities. Pupils could research
different topics (e.g. food, travel,
entertainment, weapons) to prepare
them for the visit.
• Some children ind it hard to
imagine that a castle was ever
anything other than a ruin. Discuss
how buildings change with age
– does the house they live in look
the same now as it did a few years
ago? Has their family made any
changes to the house? If so, why?
Discuss how wind and weather
can affect the look of a building as
well as the deliberate changes that
people choose to make to buildings.
Can they think of any buildings
which have been converted into
other buildings? (e.g. banks into
restaurants, churches into houses).
• It is helpful if pupils have some of
the architectural terminology of
castles as this makes discussing
on site easier. Useful words might
include:
doo’cot, courtyard,
chamber, shield, coat of arms,
spiral stair, archway, curtain
wall, dungeon
. Pupils might enjoy
the challenge of learning what a
machicolated parapet
is - a slotted
wall-top defence.
When exploring the castle, pupils
should be encouraged to look critically
at what they see, and to make and test
theories based on physical evidence.
Useful starting points are:
• Mary Queen of Scots
• The Middle Ages
• Castles
• What materials were used to build
the castle? Where did the materials
come from? Are there any materials
which might have rotted or been
stolen since then?
The
Curriculum for Excellence
aspires to motivate and challenge
pupils through a wide range of
varied learning experiences. Site
visits have a particular role to play
in joining up learning outcomes
across the curriculum. A visit, and
use of the supporting materials,
will help to:
• What uses did the castle have? How
do you know?
• What evidence is there for everyday
life?
• develop successful learners
by challenging pupils to
consider how life has changed
for people. It will help them to
think critically about evidence
and arrive at their own
conclusions.
Pupils can record evidence by taking
notes, sketching, taking photographs
or by recording impressions into a tape
recorder.
On the Historic Scotland website:www.
historic-scotland.gov.uk/education_
unit teachers can ind additional
resources to help with work on site.
These include compiling an
Evidence
Record
and a
My Impressions Record
.
• develop conident
individuals.
Pupils wilI
learn about aspects of their
community’s past, develop
an understanding of social
changes, establish some
of their own values and
communicate their views on
different historical and social
issues.
Suggestions for follow-up work
Following the visit pupils can pool their
indings in groups to create a fuller
record of the castle and the lives of the
people who lived and worked there.
This could form the basis for a range of
presentation activities, for example:
• develop responsible citizens.
It will help to increase
pupils’ social and historical
knowledge and understanding
and encourage greater respect
for their own historic and built
environment.
• A guide book for future visitors
• A slide show with commentary of
their visit
• develop effective
contributors
by
broadening
pupils’ knowledge and
understanding through
investigative, creative and
critical thinking.
• Imaginative writing based on the
lives of the inhabitants of the castle
– a spy guide on how to attack the
castle!
• A series of drama sketches showing
different snapshots of life in the
castle through the ages
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
EDUCATION
CRAIGMILLAR CASTLE
4
Plan of Craigmillar Castle
Tour of
Craigmillar Castle
There is much to explore
in this wonderful and
well-preserved building.
Our suggested tour route
focuses on the central
tower house during the
time of the Preston family
(1374 – 1660). It takes in
six key locations, marked
on the plan at right:
1. Entrance in inner
curtain wall
2. Entrance to the tower
house
3. The hall
4. The kitchen
5. On the roof
6. The prison and
bakehouse
Entrance
Ticket Ofice
Toilets
Background information
is given in the pack
for each location. It is
written in fairly simple
language so that it can
be read aloud to pupils if
desired. Also included are
suggested
questions for
discussion
.
Suggested tour route
Postern
6
2
Chamber
Prison
Below
Bakehouse
Below
4
3
The focus is on
encouraging pupils to
interpret
the building
and deduce what they
can from clues they see
around them. A key
theme is that of
change
:
how the castle has been
used and adapted over
the course of its 600 year
history.
As the castle itself was
designed to disperse
large groups, we
recommend that if
possible, e.g. you divide
your class into
groups of
8- 10
for the tour.
House Tower
East Garden
5
Drawing
Room
West Garden
Inner Courtyard
Kitchen
Chapel
Postern Gate
Entrance
Water Inlet
Outer Yard
1
Dovecot
Presbyterian
Church
Main Entrance
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
EDUCATION
CRAIGMILLAR CASTLE
5
Did you know...
Tour notes
Walk along the outer wall, past the dovecot, through the irst gate and across the
grass of the outer courtyard. Stop in front of the entrance gate
There might have been
as many as 150 people
living and working in and
around the castle of an
important person?
Location 1: Entrance Gate in Inner Curtain Wall
Background information for teachers. This could be read to pupils.
• This is the main way in to the oldest part of the castle. It is more than 600 years
old.
• Above the gate you can see the coat of arms of the Preston family, who built
the castle.
Can you see the two gun holes in the corners of the shield?
Above the
Preston arms, you can see the royal coat of arms of King James V. This shows
us that kings and queens would stay here sometimes. Underneath the shield
you can see a spout. Maybe this was used for pouring things on to unwelcome
visitors!
Curtain wall and tower house
beyond
• The big wall is called a curtain wall. It is to protect the building inside.
Can you
see the watchtowers at each corner?
If you stand close to the wall and look up
you can see that there is a gap in the balcony above you. If you were attacking the
castle, and trying to climb up the walls, the soldiers defending the castle might
pour red hot sand through this gap on to you or might shoot down at you.
• Step back.
Can you see where they would ire their crossbows from?
Later on guns
were used. Look for where there are three holes on the battlements. These are
called gun ports, for iring guns out of.
• We are standing in a big courtyard. The outside wall was built later. This
courtyard might have been where horses and other animals were kept – kind of
like a car park for horses when people visited the castle.
Entrance gate in inner
curtain wall
Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses
How many ways of defending the • On a high point –
castle can you see? good view all round
• Watchtowers to keep a look
out for attackers in all directions
• Very high and strong curtain
wall
• Gun holes in coat of arms
• Gun loops for defenders to
shoot at attackers
What kind of people do you think • Rich – to build a big castle like
the Prestons were? this
• Friends with the king/queen if
she stayed here sometimes
– probably powerful.
Go through the arch into the cobbled courtyard between the yew trees. Turn to the
right and go through the door with a modern shield above it. Go up a short light
of steps, turn left, go through two doorways, down two steps, over uneven rocky
ground and then turn left into a narrow open-roofed passage.
Looking up to gap in
machicolations
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
EDUCATION
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