Following some idyllic weather days at the end of May we went in search of a day trip that would offer us some time in the sunshine. Having lived in Scotland for several years we are really only just starting to branch out and see some of the amazing places that it has to offer. Following a Google search we came across Culzean Castle and Country Park. The photos of the location and the buildings were sufficient enough to whet the appetite and justify the midday hour and 15 minute long drive from Glasgow.

A designated National Trust site handed over by the Kennedy family in 1945 and declared as Scotland's first country park in 1969 it boasts an array of attractions and plenty of open space. The drive from Glasgow was really pleasant with fantastic views out to the coast from very early on in our journey. Traffic was reasonably heavy due to everyone else having the same idea I think but was simple to navigate straight down the M77 and then following signs for Maybole was signposted thereafter.

**The Price**
I am going to get the negative bit out of the way first.....and even the only negative thing I have to say has a clawback! It was expensive! We had expected free entry to the country park and then to pay for the castle but on you arrive immediately at a hut with the tariffs listed. For a family ticket that gave access to both park and castle it would set you back £32, for myself and my partner it was £13 each and for the country park only was still £8.50. Now I appreciate that these places are sustained by the monies they collect which is a travesty in itself, they have such cultural and historical importance they should be preserved by public money (would be better spent on this than on a duck pond or moat cleaning!), however I still thought it was a lot for a family day out in a park.

The clawback - on our entrance we were told that if we joined the National Trust our entrance money would be refunded. We had already spent £26 and the annual membership was £52. We declined at first but then later in the day got talking to one of the guides who said if we were under 25 a years membership was £12 and we got our entrance fee back. Being under 25 I promptly signed up which meant in effect Id been paid to go and I get to benefit from all these places in the future. Just a tip for you all!

**The Place**
Now I have had my little whinge I can get down to the important stuff.

The Country Park - it certainly fitted the bill for us. You can park up at several locations, the visitor centre, the castle, swan pond and the walled garden which is great for those who require disabled access as you don't then have to trek for miles to the different attractions. We parked at the visitor centre and walked the whole circuit which in the sunshine was magnificent. The park is incredible well kept easy to find your way round.
The Visitor Centre offered a self service restaurant (that we didn't try as we'd come prepared with a picnic), a shop selling local produce, bathrooms and a second hand bookshop. All very quaint with a sandstone courtyard and a good place to start our day. Guided walks begin from here by the park rangers at 2pm and now we have free entry we are planning to return to try one of these out.
We walked from the visitor centre in the direction of the castle but because the weather was so nice we had already chosen to leave the castle till last (entry ends at 4pm with the castle closing at 5pm). We went to the deer park which is populated by about 15, that's how many I managed to count, red deers. They were fabulously not bothered about the tourists presence and at only a few metres from the fence enabled you to take some great pictures.

We then headed towards the Swan Pond as it was listed as having plenty of picnic space but on the way we found loads of tables nestled in little alcoves with flowers and trees for company. Again because of the weather is was busy but not overly so, with the park being so large the distribution of people was good.
The walled garden was sensational, I know little about plants but the whole area was like a scene from the secret garden and again well maintained and beautifully fragranced. A very romantic spot with a restored Victorian vinery and plant sales if you fancy trying to recreate the magic in your own backyard. It was too hot to check out the summerhouse but gardening enthusiasts would love it.

The Swan Pond is in fact a 13 acre lake manmade at the start of the 20th Century and distinctly lacking in swans but featuring some very cute ducklings and a hive of midges who happily seemed content with pestering the ducks. There is a large picnic area and adventure playground which judging by the delighted whoops was keeping all the children entertained as was the ice cream seller.

We were rapidly running out of time so never made it down to the beach but we saw plenty of sandy buckets and spades so Im sure that would have been equally beautiful. There are caves located here but you can only view them during rare organised tours.

The Castle - sat on the cliff tops with the symmetrical and well organised Fountain Court garden in front of it the Castle is simply stunning. Well restored and preserved with panaormic views over the Isle of Arran and crystal clear water below, an exceptional place and I cannot stress enough how much it is worth a visit. The castle was converted by Robert Adam for the Earl of Cassilus in 1777. Adam is a famous Scottish architect and even me with my primitive knowledge of such things was very impressed by the centre of the castle, the Oval Staircase. Despite the throngs of tourists the castle was relatively quiet and all the guides so helpful and keen to tell us about the place. The rooms have been decked with portraits and items from the era and there is an information point in each room that contains cards with several different languages detailing the key information about each room. The views were simply stunning and anyone would have been privileged to live here. One of the guides told us that the grounds were used for the recent 'The Queen' movie as they couldn't gain access to the laurel gardens in London. It took us about half an hour to go round but I think next time we'll take one of the guided tours which start at 3pm.

Overall it was a great place to visit and wander round. I have only awarded 4 stars because of the price and also because it does need to be a good day for you to get the most out of it. It would be great for a family picnic day out as there is so much to keep everyone entertained and I have to see was a much better attraction for me than Edinburgh Castle. The only other shame was that the café/restaurant shut at 5pm when the park was less then empty and we could have done with a cold drink but hey that's down to our bad planning.

Alos published on Dooyoo under the same username