Culzean Castle facts for kids

Culzean Castle house and gardens (April 2011)

Culzean Castle (pronounced "kul-AYN") is a beautiful castle in Scotland. It sits high on a cliff, looking out over the sea called the Firth of Clyde. You can find it near Maybole, in South Ayrshire, on Scotland's west coast.

This amazing castle used to be the home of the Marquess of Ailsa, who was the leader of the Kennedy family. Now, the National Trust for Scotland owns it. This means it's protected and open for everyone to enjoy!

The castle is part of a huge area called Culzean Castle Country Park. This park is about 240 acres (that's like 180 football fields!). Inside the park, you'll find a lovely walled garden, other old buildings you can visit, shops, cafes, and even a playground. The castle itself is open during the summer months. The wider park is open all year round.

You can even stay overnight at Culzean! There are eight holiday homes available to rent in the country park. One of these, the Brewhouse Flat, is actually inside the castle. The castle can also be rented for special events like parties.

For many years, from 1972 to 2015, a picture of Culzean Castle was on the back of the five-pound notes from the Royal Bank of Scotland.

History of Culzean Castle

Building the Castle

Culzean Castle was built a long time ago, between 1777 and 1792. It was ordered by the 10th Earl of Cassillis, David Kennedy. He wanted a grand country house for his family. He hired a famous architect named Robert Adam to design it. Adam transformed an older, simpler building into the amazing castle we see today.

The castle has a large round tower with a circular room inside. This room has fantastic views of the sea. There's also a grand oval staircase and many fancy rooms.

A Special Gift to a General

In 1945, the Kennedy family gave the castle and its grounds 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 the apartment at the very top of the castle be given to General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

General Eisenhower was a very important leader during World War II. He was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe. The Kennedy family wanted to thank him for his role in the war. General Eisenhower visited Culzean Castle for the first time in 1946. He stayed there four times in total, even once when he was the President of the United States!

Military Connections

A British cavalry regiment, called the Ayrshire (Earl of Carrick's Own) Yeomanry, was started at Culzean Castle around 1794. The Earl of Cassillis formed this group. In 1961, the regiment returned to the castle. They received their first special flag, called a guidon, from General Sir Horatius Murray.

Recent Updates

Culzean Castle got a big makeover in April 2011. This was possible thanks to a generous gift from an American millionaire named William Lindsay. He had never even visited Scotland! But he asked that a lot of his $4 million gift go towards Culzean. He was especially interested in General Eisenhower's visits to the castle.

In 2024, over 247,000 people visited Culzean Castle. It's a very popular place!

What You Can See at Culzean

The clock tower's courtyard and the shore

A wide view of Culzean Castle's main building

Inside the Castle

The castle has many interesting rooms. In the armoury, you can see a propeller from a plane. This plane was flown by a pilot named Leefe Robinson. He shot down a German airship in 1916.

The Gas House

North of the castle, there's a bay with buildings called the Gas House. This is where gas was made to light the castle until 1940. You can see the gas manager's house, which now has an exhibition about William Murdoch. You can also see the Retort House and what's left of the gasometer.

Sea Caves and Walled Garden

Underneath the castle, there are cool sea caves. They are not always open, but you can sometimes take tours there during the summer.

The castle grounds also have a beautiful walled garden. This garden is built on the spot where a former slave, Scipio Kennedy, used to live. He was owned by the Kennedy family.

Spooky Stories: Ghosts!

Some people say that Culzean Castle has ghosts! It's believed to be home to at least seven ghosts. These include a piper (someone who plays bagpipes) and a servant girl.

Culzean on Screen

Culzean Castle has been featured in many films and TV shows:

• In 1972, it was used as Lord Summerisle's castle in the movie The Wicker Man.
• It appeared in the 1997 PBS documentary series Castles of Scotland.
• The castle and country park were in the 2001 Bollywood film Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat.
• The Most Haunted team visited in 2002 to explore the castle's ghost stories.
• The BBC TV show Coast featured Culzean in 2009.
• The TLC show The Little Couple visited the castle in 2016.
• It was the location for two episodes of BBC One’s Antiques Roadshow in 2020.

Gallery

See also

In Spanish: Castillo de Culzean para niños

• Banknotes of Scotland (featured on design)