Scotland Guide
Southern Scotland
Culzean Castle
Address: Ten miles south of Ayr
Opening time: Easter– Oct daily 10.30am–5pm
Price: £12
Website: www.nts.org.uk
Sitting on the edge of a sheer cliff, looking out over the Firth of Clyde to Arran, Culzean Castle (pronounced "Cullane"), couldn't want for a more impressive situation. The current castle is actually a grand, late eighteenth-century stately home, designed by highly successful Scottish Neoclassical architect Robert Adam, for the tenth earl of Cassillis (pronounced "cassles"). The most brilliantly conceived work by Adam is the Oval Staircase, where tiers of classical columns lead up to a huge glazed cupola. Other highlights include a portrait of Napoleon by Lefèvre, a superb Chippendale four-poster bed, a great book-shaped tin bath and a boat-shaped cradle. Many folk come here purely to stroll and picnic in the castle's 500-acre country park (daily 9.30am to dusk; £8), mess about by the beach, or simply have tea and cakes.
You can stay at Culzean ( 
01655/884455, April– Oct; Price: ₤201), on the top floor, where six double bedrooms have been done out in a comfortable, genteel style. A less grand option is the popular 
Culzean Castlecampsite ( 01655/760627; March– Oct), in the woods by the castle entrance, with great views across to Arran.