Just three miles south-east of Edinburgh’s city centre, this medieval castle really stands out in the modern suburb of Craigmillar.
Today it’s looked after by Historic Environment Scotland, but it was first built by the Preston family of Craigmillar in the late 14th-century, and was infamously visited by Mary, Queen of Scots in 1566 (and it’s also where the plot was hatched to kill her husband, Lord Darnley). Have a wander inside the castle walls with chambers and staircases to explore, then climb to the top of one of Scotland’s oldest tower houses for views of Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Park in the distance.