Culzean Castle

Culzean Castle stands on a cliff above the Firth of Clyde in South Ayrshire, Scotland. Built between 1777 and 1792 for the 10th Earl of Cassillis, it replaced an older structure with an L-shaped design by architect Robert Adam. The castle overlooks the sea from its drum tower and includes a circular saloon, an oval staircase and well-appointed apartments. The surrounding Culzean Castle Country Park covers 240 acres and contains a walled garden, estate buildings, shops and cafés. The park also offers self-catering holiday properties, including one inside the castle itself. The castle once appeared on the reverse of five-pound notes issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland from 1972 to 2015. The castle is linked to notable figures and events. In 1817 it hosted the wedding of Margaret Radclyffe Livingstone Eyre to Thomas, Viscount Kynnaird, who later became a noted philanthropist. In 1945 the Kennedy family gave the castle and grounds to the National Trust for Scotland, stipulating that the top apartment be reserved for General Dwight D. Eisenhower in gratitude for his wartime leadership. Eisenhower stayed there four times, including once as President of the United States. The Ayrshire Yeomanry was formed at Culzean Castle in about 1794, and in 1961 it returned for a guidon presentation. Visitors find a mix of history and scenery. The armoury displays a propeller from a plane flown by Leefe Robinson when he shot down a German airship in 1916. To the north lies a bay with the Gas House, which once supplied town gas to the castle, and nearby buildings now host an exhibition on William Murdoch. The grounds include a walled garden built on the site of the former home of Scipio Kennedy, a slave owned by the Kennedys. Beneath the castle are sea caves open for summer tours. The castle is also said to be home to at least seven ghosts, including a piper and a servant girl.