Dean Castle and Dower House

On the way home from Troon Blueberry & I stopped off at Dean Castle, near Kilmarnock.

What a fabulous place, we had a personal tour of the castle, got to try on chain mail and various bits of armour, were shown letters written by Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I, and still had time for tea and cake before we headed back to Edinburgh.

The castle houses collections of rare armour, tapestries and musical instruments. The tapestries date from the 1400s and are exceptionally well preserved. Add to that the country park and the fact that it's all free and well, you're onto a winner. Definitely one to visit if you're in the area!