Culzean Castle

and sea pinks.

A lovely morning again so after a good (too good) Scottish breakfast we headed down the Ayrshire coast to Culzean Castle. We passed through Alloway so stopped to take a look at Burns Cottage, his birth place. Nat Trust for Scotland but not open until 11.00am. 

We continued down the coast to Culzean taking in the electric brae en route and being baffled all over again has to how you can go apparently down a hill but it’s actually up!

Nat Trust for Scotland again so we got in free and we’re in good time for a coffee before heading to the castle for a look around inside. Greeted by two lovely people in costume we declined the tour as we seemed to be between times. The Kennedy family lived here, built by the head of the clan returning from America at the time of the war of independence. The top floor apartment was made available to Eisenhower to use on his visits after the Second World and into his presidency. This was stipulated by the Kennedy family who gave the property to the Nat Trust at this time. It is now a hotel, we saw a sea view room set for breakfast.

We then walked down to the beach below the castle and continued to walk through the extensive country park to the Swan Pond. Lots of delightful woodland and wild flowers along trails named after different animals, great for kids.
I was particularly taken today by the sea pinks on the rocks in the bay so my blip is the castle atop the cliff, peeping through the foliage, with lovely sea pinks on the rocks below.

We were pretty hot by the time we got back to the car to drive over to Dumfries House so our first stop was the tea rooms for tea and cake sitting outside. We had plenty of time before our 3.30 booking for a tour of the house. We came to the gardens last year but didn’t see the house. It was an excellent 1 hour tour but we weren’t allowed to take photos. A good cross over with our visit to Mount Stuart on our visit last year on Bute as the the later occupiers of the house were the Earls of Bute who’d married into the Dumfries family. They moved in when Mount Stuart was being rebuilt after a fire.
Of course it famously was to be sold in the naughties by Jonnie Dumfries and was rescued, with all its contents, by local fundraising and the then Prince Charles.
It’s Historic Scotland but you get a discount on your booking if your English Heritage members.
The clock recently repaired on The Repair Shop was on display but apparently it chimes at 10  past the hour!

We were the last tour so we just had a quick walk round the grounds ( the walled garden was by then closed) before returning for dinner. 
A lovely day in East and  South Ayrshire.

Slightly funny story: I asked Chris what was out of the window behind me at breakfast as I’m still finding it hard to twist round, he said it was the grounds behind the door with Elvis painted on it next to the hotel? Elvis? Burns!