📌 Fairlie, North Ayrshire
★★★
Kelburn Castle and Estate is the seat of the Earls of Glasgow, but it isn’t your average castle. There are no illusions of grandeur: the estate is very firmly orientated towards families, with shoogly assault courses, adventure trails and play areas giving the air of a slightly run-down theme park. The castle partly dates to the 1500s and is today covered in graffiti painted by Brazilian street artists. Can you imagine the controversy that must have caused when it was commissioned?! However you feel about the exterior of the castle, the (adult-orientated) tour of the inside is well worth taking, though parts of the building have structural problems and issues with dampness. For maximum value for money, leave time to explore the rest of the estate. No fewer than 36 points of interest were marked on the estate map when I visited, including a walled garden, animal fields, attractive glen walks and a dramatic waterfall.
🌍 Location
📌 Off the A78 1 mi north of Fairlie
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NS 217567
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.770796,-4.843502
🚌 Bus stops on A78 near north & south estate entrances
🚗 Car park (charge)
📝 Key info
⌚ Castle open limited summer dates – see official website. Grounds: daily
🎫 Castle: £12 adult / £8 child. Grounds free with parking charge – surcharge for special events
