Culzean Castle and County Park.

Designed by Robert Adam The Scottish National Trust’s flagship property Culzean Castle and the beautiful grounds that surround it are well worth a visit if your visiting Ayrshire in Southern Scotland but make sure you allow a complete day at least, it kept us occupied for three!  

Drive way up to the Castle.

Beautiful grounds and formal gardens. 

Although not a cheap day out, a family ticket will set you back £38, you do get plenty for your money. Our four year old grandson can vouch that there is plenty of things to entertain children including a very safe sandy beach to play at Port Carrick, a large and exciting adventure playground, a 13 acre lake known as the Swan Pond where you can see a great array of ducks and swans and strangely enough a second hand bookshop which to his delight had a large quantity of Horrid Henry books for sale, at 50p each a bargain!

The safe sandy beach at Port Carrick.

A children's paradise. 

You enter the estate via the Home Farm Visitors Centre where a decent cup of coffee can be obtained before setting off on your tour of the grounds that as well as the outstanding Castle it self you can visit the Gas House which provided town gas for the castle up until 1940. You can also see the gas manager’s house, the Retort House and what remains of the gasometer.

The Gas House.

The Gas Manager. 

Gifted to the trust in 1945 to avoid inheritance tax, Culzean Castle was built for David 10th Earl of Cassilis between 1772 and 1790 and designed by the Scottish born neoclassical architect, interior and furniture designer Robert Adam. It stands majestically on the cliff top over looking the Firth of Clyde on a site associated with the Kennedy family since the 14th century. Inside the castle every thing is on a grand scale including the magnificent oval staircase and on the first floor the circular saloon over looking the sea.   Plenty of history to absorb and for youngsters hidden Lego figures to spot, 17 in all, we managed to find 9 and won a sticker.

Visitors entrance to the Castle. 

The castle is reputed to house at least seven ghosts but unfortunately on our visit they were not at home. Also Culzean was used in 1972 as the castle of Lord Summmerisle played by Christopher Lee in the cult movie The Wicker Man.

Lovely views over the Isle of Arran.  

and a Horrid Henry book.