Photographs, route description and map of Culzean Castle on the Ayrshire Coast of Scotland

Cannon at Culzean Castle

Culzean Castle

The Battery at Culzean Castle

Fountain Court and Clock Tower

Fountain Court

Culzean Castle - Fountain Court

Culzean Castle

Archway at Culzean Castle

Culzean Castle

Map of Culzean Castle and Country Park

Route Description for Culzean Castle , Country Park and Maidens Walk

Location: South Ayrshire
Map: OS Landranger 70. A detailed map is free to visitors
Distance: 5 miles W
Time: 2-3 hours
Grade: Easy woodland and shore walk

There is so much to see and do at Culzean that it’s hard to know where to start, though until April 1 the options are limited due to the castle’s seasonal closure.
You can however still access the wonderful park and feast on the castle’s visual appeal.
In 1770, the 10th Earl of Cassillis asked the renowned architect Robert Adam to enlarge the existing castle on its cliﬂtop site.
Adam at the height of his powers, recognised the potential of the site and rewarded his generous client with a masterpiece.
It is not a castle in the defensive sense, more a magniﬁcent country house that has been in the care of the National Trust for Scotland since 1945.
It contains a great deal of interesting furniture, paintings and other artworks and is well worth a visit when the curtain rises on the season.
Our focus here is on using the castle as just one attraction on a splendid walk. The castle sits at the heart of an extensive park which has much to see within it and is rightly popular with visitors of all ages.
Right at the start of the walk the Home Farm courtyard ( also designed by Adam ) holds a restaurant, shop and toilets — all great facilities that you can use before the walk or after it.

Later on you can see Culzean’s deer park over to the right and can if you wish divert to walk through the ﬁne walled garden or (as the route describes) past the Camellia House with its exotic plants.
Culzean’s path network ( shown on the free map available on arrival ) offers almost edless possiblities and it is quite easy to get away from crowds if you have come at a particularly busy time. Whenever you come, one visit is unlikely to be enough. It truly is a place for all seasons.

Route:

Start and finish at Home Farm car park, Culzean ( GFI: NS237103 ).
Walk through courtyard and exit by far left archway. Look for sign Footpath to Castle and follow this.
Pass through archway and walk up to castle.
From front of castle, go down steps to walk through Fountain Court.
At far end, go R on path to the West Battery.
Continue on path marked Cliff Walk and Swan Pond.

Follow this path, briefly joining road then continuing through woods to Pond.
Follow pondside path. At far end cross fotbridge and take ﬁrst path on R in 50m.
Follow this path through woods then into the open and down long flight of steps to the beach.
Walk along beach, crossing burn by a footbridge, into Maidens.
Return along the beach to footbridge but go R here ( NTS -signs ) and follow main track straight ahead.
At large car park go L to Swan Pond and follow path beside it.
Past end of pond, at junction TR and in about 150m TR again on first real path, climbing gently.
Rejoin main drive but when this goes sharp Fl go ahead on small path to pass Camellia House.
Continue ahead on path back to archway and return to the start.
Note: There is a charge for entry for those arriving by car ( NTS members free ). There is no charge for walkers.

CULZEAN CASTLE:

Culzean Castle is Robert Adam’s greatest masterpiece. It sits atop sheer cliffs, overlooking the Firth of Clyde and with views towards Arran and the Mull of Kintyre.
Surrounding the castle are extensive woodlands and gardens and the beach below the castle has rock pools ﬁlled with sea life.
Culzean was the very ﬁrst property to pass into the care of the National Trust for Scotland and its grounds offer endless opportunities for exploration.

STORY OF THE GARDEN

The castle was rebuilt in the late 18th century for Ayrshire’s Kennedy clan and during the following century the 1st Marquis of Alisa undertook the planting of
ﬁve million trees, creating the 120 hectares of mixed woodland that surround the castle today.
Seventeen miles of pathways crisss-cross the estate, some leading down to the beach and others following trails through the woods.
As well as the castle itself there are many notable buildings spread throughout the estate including a magniﬁcent Gothic camellia
house, Where tender examples of this beautiful shrub are still overwintered.

HIGHLIGHTS

The Fountain Court, next to the castle, is a sheltered sunken garden where many tender plants ﬂourish, protected from frost by the castle walls and the estate’s proximity
to the sea. Even late in the year the terraces are colourful, while cabbage palms give the garden an exotic appearance.
Built into the base of the Fountain Court is an orangery, where citrus trees flourish.

DON’T MISS

Built in the 18th century, the Walled Garden at Culzean is one of the largest in Scotland. It consists of two sections divided by a spine wall - the pleasure garden and the
kitchen garden, which supplies fruit and vegetables to the cafe.
This was once one of the most innovative gardens in Scotland pushing horticultural boundaries in the past included the cultivation of peaches, nectarines and apricots
gifted to Sir ]ohn Kennedy as early as 1730. The onion ‘Ailsa Craig’ was bred by a gardener working at Culzean in the 1870s.
Recently, volunteers and staff at Culzean have been hard at work restoring the gardens, using a range of horticultural techniques and
skills from the Victorian age to the present day.
On the way to the walled garden from the castle visitors pass the Deer Park where there are small herds of red deer and llamas.

ANYTHING ELSE TO LOQK OUT FOR?

At the far end of the estate lies the magniﬁcent Swan Pond, which is a magnet for bird life.
Next to this are the Adventure Cove and Wild Woodland play areas - an extensive area of adventurous activities for
children of all ages. And from here it is just a short walk to the beach at Maidens.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

In autumn the trees at Culzean reveal their true beauty as their leaves turn glorious colours before carpeting the ground beneath them in a thick layer.
Squirrels are active now and otters can be spotted around the streams and along the shoreline.

ANY RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE AREA?

Straiton Monument, seven miles east of Maybole, was built to commemorate Col James Hunter Blair, who fell at the battle of Inkerman in 1854.
The monument is a short but steep climb from Straiton village, but the views from the top make the effort worthwhile. The path to the summit
continues along the ridge of the hill and connects with other footpaths set amongst the beautiful South Ayrshire countryside.

DIRECTIONS:

From the A77 turn onto the B7023 and head west for ﬁve miles.