Culzean Castle - Scotland

We are now in Scotland. Biggest change being that the roads feel wide open when compared to our latest adventures in The Lake District.


Our current campground is located in Ayr, a seaside town. Very cute and historic - with the town plans dating back to the 1200's (though many new buildings are intermixed with the few old).


Took the bus to Culzean Castle (about 30-minutes distance) and had a fantastic day out. The bus drops passengers at the main road and there's about a mile of walking before you get to the castle. Price for the family would have been £30; but we saved £10 with our 2:1 deal from the Caravan Club! Love it!

Visitor's center



Viewing the castle from the beach.




Side view of the castle.

Sadly, visitors cannot take pictures inside the castle. Too bad really, it's so beautiful. My favorite was the oval staircase... amazingly the last item to be added to the house. The kids loved searching for the lego men, hidden in every room. It was a great way to engage them in the experience and allow us to enjoy the beautiful rooms. There is a Camping and Caravaning Club touring site next to the castle and the castle operates a hotel on premises. Would be a very romantic get away. You can see a few interior pictures on the castle web site (click here).





Peep hole at the gatehouse?

We spent a fair amount of time hiking around the grounds of the castle - down to the beach, over to the caves beneath the castle. Then back up and off to the walled garden where we met one of the gardeners and learned all about this monstrous plant (sorry, I can't remember the name of it now) that looks like it's from the Jurasic period.




Jurasic looking plants inside the walled garden.


Palm trees - these were imported from the mountainous region of China and the gardener estimated they are over 100-years old. Apparently it's quite a common misconception that pine trees only thrive in tropical environments.



Another hike out to the bus (fueled by Culzean Castle candies) and we were back to our bikes by 6:00. Funny thing, when we biked through town to the bus earlier in the day, the streets were absolutely bustling with activity. At 6:00, it was silent. Hardly a person in sight and all stores closed up tight.


Ciao for now!