I have lots of fond memories of visiting Culzean Castle and Country Park as a child and I was keen to share them with John. I got my chance on a beautiful warm summer’s day, perfect for exploring the extensive estate.
Since I knew where I was going we decided to park at the swan pond at the bottom of the park and work our way up towards the visitor centre at the very top. The pond is home to ducks, swans and a wide variety of other birds and is often covered in lily pads. It’s also right next to a huge adventure playground called Adventure Cove that was making me very envious of the children allowed to play on it!
Circling the pond only takes around 20 minutes and there is plenty of wildlife to enjoy.
The park boasts coastal views and on a good day you’ll be able to see Arran, Alisa Craig, Kintyre and on a great day you might even see Northern Ireland.
The park even has its own resident heard of deer!
Perched on the cliffs by the sea the 18th-century castle is absolutely stunning. There are guided tours of the castle at 11.00am and 2.30pm daily and family tours on Saturdays and Sundays at 11.30am and 2.00pm. I remember them well, they used to hide a Lego man in every room for children to find which kept my brother and I busy as we were shown around the lavish rooms.
This time we had our puppy Maisie with us so weren’t able to explore inside any of the buildings but it really was the park and scenery we were most interested in.
Culzean Castle and Country Park is owned by The National Trust so is free for members. If you’re a non-member you can choose to visit the castle and the park for £15.50 per adult or simply visit the park for £10.00 per adult. Although it is on the pricey side there is enough to keep you busy all day, especially if you’re visiting with children (they won’t want to leave that playground in a hurry!).