Culzean (pronounced “cull-ane”, not “cull-zeen”) is a fair drive from the Lodge, however it’s well worth the effort to visit this amazing castle and country park. We set off around 9:30am and arrived at Culzean Castle at about 11:15am.
The huge grounds have a number of different car parks spread out over the estate.
We met friends who know the castle fairly well so they were our guides! We stayed until the grounds shut at 5pm.
During the day we visited the Walled Garden, Dolphin House, Boat House, the Beach, the Battery, the Orangery, the Book Shop and we had a picnic lunch by the Cafe.
Although we spotted the deer and llamas as we drove through, we ran out of time to explore this section of the grounds. We also missed the adventure cove and the wild woodland. The grounds are so extensive it’s very difficult, if not impossible, to see everything in one visit.
The castle itself is stunning to look at, perched on the cliff edge. There are beautiful views out to sea, and we definitely recommend going inside.
Unfortunately we didn’t get our timing right to join a tour. We heard it’s well worth doing, but we still enjoyed a self guided tour around the rooms.
The weapons display in the entrance hall is quite spectacular and there are a number of interesting features throughout the rooms, which the volunteers will happily tell you about.
Our youngest followed the lego figures trail, which was very engaging and certainly made him look around every room thoroughly!
Overall we had a lovely day at Culzean Castle and would happily return to explore more of the grounds and try to catch a guided tour of the castle. Our only negative is that we wished it stayed open longer in the summer months.
Contact, Links & Reviews
https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/culzean
Planning Your Visit
67 miles NW ~1 h 50 min drive KA19 8LE
Dogs are very welcome but should be kept under control at all times and must be on a lead in the Walled Garden. Only assistance dogs are permitted inside the buildings and the adventure playgrounds.
Wheelchair access – level access from the main entrance or Home Farm to: Accessible toilet, Shop, Home Farm restaurant, Castle
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/1uexxPywrV42DqVM8