Family Day Out Review: Kelburn Castle, Ayrshire

If you are planning a family holiday to Ayshire, Scotland then it is worth planning a visit to Kelburn Estate which houses the Kelburn Graffiti Castle, the current home of Lord Glasgow, the 10th Earl of Glasgow and his family.

Set in the village of Fairlie, North of Ayshire, the Estate not only houses one of the oldest castles in Scotland but also encompass a children’s play area, farm animal areas, trails and walks, stunning and pictures glen and  gardens.  The estate also holds events, exhibits and is home to the museum building which was erected in 1898 to house various collection of New Zealand artefacts and specimens.

Keep on reading to find out what we did on our day out to Kelburn Estate with the children.

What did we think of Kelburn  Castle?

A trip to the Kelburn Castle is a must if you are around Ayrshire. The estate is quite large so be prepared to spend the whole day at the Estate if you want to discover all it has to offer.

We visited Ayshire on the hottest week this year, so we we dressed accordingly, with plenty of sun cream and hats. If you are visiting the location on a wet day, make sure you dress appropriately and have your wellies/walking shoes with you .  Be sure to also have a good meal before you start your walk and bring plenty of water and snacks as it could easily take up to two hours, depending on which trail you take.

Soon as we arrived at the estate, we stopped of at the Information Centre to get some maps. We decided we wanted to spend time to do the long trials so opted not to purchase tickets for The Secret Forest. I would recommend getting the tickets at the Information Centre if you decide to do a shorter walk and decide on visiting The Secret Forest where you will discover The Chinese Gardens, The Giant’s Castle, The Maze and Fairy Village, The Celtic Totems and Pagoda amongst others.

The Kelburn Estate is also home to lots of wildlife such as birds of prey, deers, amphibians and other animals which you would be able to spot as you do the trails . There are also farm animals such as goats, turkeys, geese, Soay sheeps, alpacas, ducks and chickens.

If you are travelling with children, then don’t worry as the Estate has lots of areas where you can stop off to keep children and teenagers entertained.

The Adventure Course (recommended for kids aged 8-years-old and over) is set in a woodland area with challenging trail of wooden walkways, stepping stones, tunnels, swings and scramble net.  Other areas include The Wild West Saloon which has a 20ft tower, sand pit and slide as well as an Indoor Playbarn area.

There are lots of different trails and walks which you can take depending on how long you want to spend time walking. In a nutshell there is a History Trail for those who like historic gardens and are interested in trees and Kelburn’s features of special interest, a short circular walk has been marked out with explanatory signboards placed at appropriate points along the route.

The Short Glen Walk (or Sculpture Trail) is about half a mile long and takes a leisurely forty minutes. It is recommended for older visitors and families. Along the route of the short glen walk is a succession of wooden sculptures in the shape of animals, birds and fish that can be found on Kelburn Estate.

The Middle Glen Walk (via Three Falls Bridge)

The Middle Glen Walk is slightly further and passes the turning to the New Bridge and cross the burn by the Three Falls Bridge and this would eventually lead you to the Castle past John Earl of Scotland’s Monument.

The Long Glen Walk (via the Bow Brig) takes you up to the top of the Glen, Some 150 yards from the top, on the South Side is a lovely 30ft waterfall, simply called ‘the cascade’, and at the point where the path meets the Upper Estate Road, there is the Bow Brig which overlooks a series of rocky pools of running water.

The walk was interesting for our children as they got to read a lot of facts about various animals along the way.

The Countess Walk and Upper Estate Road offers some of the best views at Kelburn.   This is a picturesque two-hour walk, full of variety that gives the visitor a good general impression of Kelburn Estate while the Viewpoint Bench offers a lovely as you walk the estate road or by a path that leads from the heart of the country centre.

This is a 10-minute walk from the centre and is a mix of grass and woodland path with an uphill gradient. It is well worth the effort and young walkers will enjoy exploring the birch woods on route.  You would be able to look out to the islands on the Clyde estuary, Arran, Bute, Great Cumbrae (Millport) and Little Cumbrae on a clear day.

The highlight of our trip has to be when we viewed the Graffiti on the walls of Kelburn Castle.  The Castle was originally built in the thirteenth century (around 1143) with the first structure being a wood tower, this was replaced in 1200 and this was remodelled again later in the sixteenth century.  Then in 1700, the first Earl made further extensions to the house similar to a French château which is how it appears today and later opened as a country park to the public in 1977.

The castle is still the private home of the Earl of Glasgow and his family but is open for tours on set dates during the summer period.  In 2007 when the the castle’s concrete facing needed replacing, Lord Glasgow invited four of the world’s more leading graffiti artist from Brazil to work alongside Scottish talent to create a unique burst of colour and decorate the walls with urban art. The project which cost £20,000 was still in place in 2011, when the Earl sought permission from Historic Scotland to keep the graffiti permanently. It is a stunning sight to behold and very attractive and eye catching as well.

Entry to the grounds is free, with maps being provided to visitors – this includes the glen and gardens.  There is a £5 fee per person for entry into the Secret Forest and £5 per child into the Indoor Play Area (for 1 hour). Parking is charged at £5 per car.

What are their Opening Hours?

Where is Kelburn Castle?

FAQ

About Kelburn Estate