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The Culzean Castle Experience.
Culzean is in the heart of Burns country, a central base for visiting the poet's haunts. There are also a number of other National Trust for Scotland properties within easy driving distance of the castle.

THE KENNEDY FAMILY is one of Scotland's oldest families and trace ancestry to Robert the Bruce. Culzean Castle was their principal seat from 1759, the castle and its landscape reflecting their status and aspirations. Over the centuries, the Kennedys transformed a medieval tower house, built to protect its inhabitants during dangerous times, into one of the grandest country houses in Ayrshire.

In the 1770s, the 10th Earl commissioned the famous architect, Robert Adam, to create a house worthy of his political status. The entrance doors are on the site of Adam's front door. Above the doorway you can see Adam's original graceful fanlight.

In 1877, the 3rd Marquess employed Edinburgh architects Wardrop and Reid to make further improvements to the castle. They designed a grander and more practical entrance. The porch created an airlock to keep out the strong sea breezes, a consequence of the castle's cliff top setting. The offices on either side of the new entrance hall were used by the Marquess for his boat-building enterprises. The work was sensitively done and respected the Adam style of the castle.

The armoury display is the largest collection of its type in existence, apart from Her Majesty the Queen's at Windsor Castle. In 1812, the flamboyant and ambitious 12th Earl bought the pistols and swords from the Office of Ordnance at the Tower of London. The arms were dispatched from London in twelve chests along with 'one of the men from the tower with the Arms, who will fix them up in a proper manner'.

You can even choose to stay at the castle in one of the 6 luxurious rooms available from just 225 pounds each night, which includes breakfast.

Take a further look at Culzean Castle.