Culzean Castle facts for kids

Culzean Castle house and gardens (April 2011)

Culzean Castle (pronounced "kul-AYN") is a famous castle in Scotland. It sits high on cliffs overlooking the Firth of Clyde, a large bay on the west coast. You can find it near the town of Maybole in South Ayrshire. This beautiful castle used to be the home of the Marquess of Ailsa, who was the leader of the Clan Kennedy. Today, the National Trust for Scotland owns and cares for it.

The castle is part of the larger Culzean Castle Country Park. It is open for everyone to visit and explore. For many years, from 1972 to 2015, a picture of Culzean Castle was even featured on the back of five-pound notes issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland. As of 2021, you can even rent parts of the castle for a special stay!

History of Culzean Castle

How Culzean Castle Was Built

Culzean Castle was built a long time ago, between 1777 and 1792. The 10th Earl of Cassilis ordered its construction. He wanted a grand new home for his family. He hired a very famous architect named Robert Adam to design it. Adam transformed an older, simpler building into the amazing country house we see today.

The castle has many special features. It includes a large round tower with a circular room inside. This room offers incredible views of the sea. There is also a grand oval staircase and many fancy apartments.

A Gift to a Famous General

In 1945, the Kennedy family, who owned the castle, gave it and its land to the National Trust for Scotland. They did this to help protect the castle for the future. They also made a special request. They asked that an apartment at the top of the castle be given to Dwight D. Eisenhower. He was a very important American general. He led the Allied Forces in Europe during World War II.

General Eisenhower first visited Culzean Castle in 1946. He stayed there four times in total. One of those visits was even when he was the President of the United States!

Military Connections

The Ayrshire (Earl of Carrick's Own) Yeomanry was a British cavalry regiment. It was formed by the Earl of Cassillis at Culzean Castle around 1794. On June 24, 1961, the regiment returned to the castle. They received their first guidon, which is a special flag, from General Sir Horatius Murray.

Recent Updates

The castle closed for a while for important renovations. It reopened in April 2011 after these updates. The work was paid for by a generous gift from an American millionaire named William Lindsay. He had never visited Scotland himself. However, he was very interested in General Eisenhower's stays at the castle. He asked that a large part of his $4 million donation go towards Culzean.

In 2019, Culzean Castle welcomed over 333,000 visitors.

Special Features of Culzean Castle

The clock tower's courtyard and the shore

A wide view of Culzean Castle's main building

Inside the Castle

The castle has an armoury, which is a room where weapons are kept. Inside, you can see a propeller from an airplane. This plane was flown by Leefe Robinson. He used it to shoot down a German airship in 1916.

The Gas House

To the north of the castle, there is a bay. Here you can find the Gas House. This building used to make gas for the castle until 1940. It includes the gas manager's house, which now has an exhibition about William Murdoch. He was an inventor who worked with gas lighting. You can also see the Retort House and what's left of the gasometer.

Sea Caves and Walled Garden

There are also sea caves located right beneath the castle. These caves are not usually open to the public. However, you can sometimes join special tours during the summer months.

The castle grounds also feature a beautiful walled garden. This garden was built on the site where a former slave named Scipio Kennedy once lived. He was owned by the Kennedy family.

Ghosts of Culzean Castle

Many people believe that Culzean Castle is a haunted place. It is said to be home to at least seven ghosts! These include the ghost of a piper, who plays music, and a servant girl.

Culzean Castle on Screen

Culzean Castle has been featured in several movies and TV shows:

• It was used as Lord Summerisle's castle in the 1973 movie The Wicker Man.
• The castle appeared in the 1997 PBS documentary series Castles of Scotland.
• It was seen in the 2001 Bollywood film Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat.
• The Most Haunted team, led by Yvette Fielding, explored the castle's ghost stories in 2002.
• The BBC TV show Coast visited the castle in 2009.
• Culzean Castle appeared on the TLC show The Little Couple in 2016.
• It was the location for two episodes of BBC One’s Antiques Roadshow in 2020 and 2021.

Gallery

See also

In Spanish: Castillo de Culzean para niños

• Banknotes of Scotland (featured on design)