Today, I went with my muse, Elarin, and Dave, my hubby, to Culzean Castle to soak up a little inspiration. We’ve been to Culzean several times in the last four years, but it’s still one of my favorite places in Ayrshire. The history and the views can’t help but inspire
According to the castle website, the first written reference to a Tower House at Culzean dates to the 1400’s, although it is possible there was a building here even earlier. Then, it was known as ‘Coif Castle’, or the ‘House of Cove’, taking its name from the caves below. This name was altered to ‘Cullean Castle’ in the 1600’s and the present spelling adopted sometime in the 18th century. The recorded history of Culzean properly starts in 1569. The owner, Sir Thomas Kennedy, began building and enlarging the tower house around the 1590’s. By the 17th century terraces and pleasure gardens had been constructed.
In the 18th century a chain of events occurred that transformed Culzean Castle from a relatively modest tower house into a neoclassical mansion. The Culzean Castle you see through the stone archway reflects the different stages of Culzean’s past, from the medieval tower house, to its heyday as one of the grandest houses in Scotland.The National Trust was given the property in 1945 and has since carefully restored the castle and 600 acre estate. Although you can tour the inside, which are truly amazing, we spent the day cycling through the gardens and enjoying the sunshine.
The thing I love most about Culzean is that every time we go, we discover something new. An adventurous climb took us to the top of a hill with an amazing view and a secret beach below. How’s that for inspiration?
We left the bikes at the top of the hill and took a steep path down to the white sand beach.You can see the island of Ailsa Craig in the distance. The pictures don’t do it justice.
The sand was pristine, and although it was a wee bit chilly, I persuaded Dave to go for a barefoot walk along the shore.
We even went knee-deep into the surf! Cold, but awesome. I love the feeling of the waves washing over my feet. I could have stayed there all day.
Dave finally pulled me away from the water to continue our cycle ride. A few miles later we came across a small glass garden. I love the gothic arches and stone pillars. Beautiful!
We headed back up the path to the castle cafe for traditional Scottish haggis. Yum! Just don’t think about what’s really in it.
It was a fantastic day. My muse if fully revived and ready to get back to work tomorrow.
What adventures have you and your muse been up to?
Hey Heather! I gave you the “Appreciated Follower Award” on my blog. Check out the post and claim the badge 🙂 Thanks for being so awesome!
Wonderful pictures, Heather! No small wonder Elarin was so revived. Especially love the secret beach. Even the sky is good fodder for world-building. When I’m somewhere like Culzean, I can perfectly imagine myself living in another era. Always have been able to; I think it may have been the key to my wanting to write.
Hope you have an inspired week after your inspiring trip!