A week in Galloway

Southwest Scotland receives little tourist traffic in comparison to the Highlands and Islands. The rural Galloway region (west of Dumfries) comprises the historic shires of Kirkcudbright and Wigtown (separated by the River Cree). Plans to open a national park here were recently abandoned due to strong local opposition and it looks as if this secluded corner of Scotland will remain off the beaten track. We booked six nights in a self-catering apartment near the town of Newton Stewart, which has a good range of facilities including supermarkets and a cinema. The enormous Galloway Forest Park is nearby It took around two and three quarter hours to drive down via Glasgow and Ayrshire. There was a security presence near Turnberry as American President Donald Trump was in town on official business. Our accommodation was across the Cree from Newton Stewart, at the top end of a village called Minigaff. We were right on the edge of a forest and birds sang constantly.

The main road in the southwest is the A75 - running from Dumfries to Stranraer. It swings by the edge of Newton Stewart, meaning it would be fairly easy to get around. On our first full day, we drove round to Gatehouse of Fleet - a planned industrial settlement designed and built in the mid-18th century. Local landowner and entrepreneur James Murray developed several industries around his Cally Estate and this required housing for the influx of workers. Three mills produced cotton but this ground to a halt around 1810 due to an inability to compete with larger operations in central Scotland with better transport connections. A new lease of life was granted in 1832 when the disused buildings were equipped with modern machinery, including power looms. The canalisation of the River Fleet enabled an expansion of the sea trade. Once again, business declined and the model switched to bobbin manufacturing and the processing of bark for leather tanning. The site finally closed in the 1930s and left to decay. The lower mill was restored in the 1980s and opened as a visitor centre in 1991. Admission to the local heritage exhibition on the ground floor is free. There is also a tourist information service here. Aside from the industrial history, I learned about a couple of notable people from the surrounding area. Samuel Rutherford was a celebrated Scottish minister and theologian in the 17th century. His nonconformist views attracted the attention of the authorities and his best-known written work Lex, Rex was published in 1644. It was an attack on the absolute monarchy of the day, which believed it had the "divine right" to rule. As it turned out, King Charles I didn't last much longer on the throne and Britain became a republic for a decade. Upon restoration of the Kingdom, Rutherford found himself in hot water and was ordered to appear before Parliament facing accusations of treason. Knowing he was already close to death, Rutherford sent a reply stating he had already been summoned to face a superior judge. He passed away a few months later. A granite monument to Rutherford was erected in 1851, several years after the original structure had been destroyed by lightning. As they say in German - Der König schlägt zurück! Another local hero is mountaineer Hamish MacInnes. Born in 1930, he tackled many of the world's most challenging peaks. He was also regarded as the godfather of mountain rescue in Scotland, leading the Glencoe service for 30 years. He even designed a folding stretcher that is a standard piece of equipment worldwide. MacInnes was awarded the British Empire Medal for his exploits and also appears in the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame. He died at the grand old age of 90. I then wandered over to the display on lost Galloway railways. As you might expect, the region was hit hard by the Beeching cuts of the 60s. The long winding 73-mile cross-country route from Dumfries to Stranraer (also known as the Port Road) served Dalbeattie, Castle Douglas and Newton Stewart but was torn up in 1965, in the process severing a vital rail link to the Northern Ireland ferry service (access from Glasgow continued). There is an ongoing campaign to reopen this railway, based on the argument that the A75 carries heavy lorry traffic to and from Stranraer. Transferring these loads to rail would improve safety and ease congestion. Regarding passenger interest, we have already seen how the new Borders Railway has massively outperformed original forecasts. These projects however require many dots to be joined and there isn't usually the political will to do so. Somewhat ironically, we did have a fair degree of modal integration before the post-war expansion of the national road network.

Leaving Gatehouse of Fleet, we passed the grand entrance to the Cally Estate. The A-listed mansion was converted to a luxury hotel in 1934 and it boasts 56 bedrooms. The grounds contain a golf course and indoor leisure complex, with swimming pool. Our next destination was the harbour town of Kirkcudbright, which maintains a fishing fleet of over 20 vessels. Much of the catch is processed locally, making a significant contribution to the economy. Small cargo boats occasionally visit the port, which sits at the mouth of the River Dee, with the Solway Firth and Irish Sea lying beyond. A royal burgh and county town for many centuries, Kirkcudbright is a bustling place with wide streets in the centre. The branch railway from Castle Douglas closed in 1965. We ate lunch by the water and headed round to Broughton House, owned by the National Trust. En route, we dog-legged around MacLellan's Castle, a tall ruined tower house, dating from the late-16th century. Now in the care of Historic Environment Scotland, the grounds can be accessed by obtaining a free ticket during opening hours. Amusingly, a Rapunzel figure looks out from an upper window and her hair dangles downwards. She was installed in 2021 as part of an arts festival. Broughton House is the former home of artist and local lad Edward Atkinson Hornel, who was one of the esteemed Glasgow Boys - a circle of influential artists and designers that came together in the late 1800s. After living and working in various countries, Hornel acquired the Kirkcudbright townhouse in 1901 and settled there for the remainder of his life. He created his own studio, library and private gallery, amassing a large collection of artwork and historical documents, including a substantial amount of material relating to poet Robert Burns and also the Galloway region in general. Hornel died in 1933 and a trust was established to preserve Broughton House and its contents for the benefit of Kirkcudbrightshire, although his sister Elizabeth retained the right to reside within the property for the rest of her life. A 1992 fire placed financial pressure on the organisation and the National Trust stepped in to add the property to its portfolio. We rocked up at the front door, only to discover we had picked the only day in the week when the house was closed to visitors. A consolation prize of access to the rear garden was on offer and we trooped round to the side gate. A colourful piece of paradise lay on the other side of the portal. The Japanese-themed grounds are truly spectacular and bursting with exotic vegetation. Narrow curving stone paths led to two small lawn areas and there was something new to discover as you turned every corner. The bottom terrace gave elevated views across the marina on the River Dee. A real oasis of inspiration.

Hornel and his sister designed the two-acre layout themselves. The artist had drawn inspiration from a year-long stay in Japan in the 1890s. He handled most of the planting duties personally and added a glasshouse. As we left, there was no real sense of disappointment that the house had been inaccessible. We'll just have to return one day for a complete tour! I decided to visit the Stewartry Museum, while Nicole headed back to the harbour. Opened in 1893, the museum building hosts the county collection and features mainly human stories and natural history specimens. A wooden-floored balcony runs right around the oblong plan and a large collection of ancient stuffed birds (and other creatures) are displayed in tall glass cases. These animals probably weren't ethically sourced back in the day, ditto the bird eggs that supplemented the taxidermy. I was however able to compare and contrast the sizes of various species in relation to each other, something not always possible in the field. For instance, it's fairly common knowledge that a raven is larger than a crow, but you really appreciate the difference when presented with two specimens side by side at close quarters. I was also able to examine the crossbill, a bird I have only ever seen briefly in real life. Kirkcudbright grew around its harbour and international trade was being conducted in the mid 15th century. Smuggling became rife around Scotland in the 1700s. It had long been a small-time operation but the introduction of punitive commodity taxes (to pay for wars) created a high level of demand for illicit goods. The Galloway coast, with its many coves and inlets, was ideally suited to black-market runs and the excisemen found it challenging to cover such a large area. Sometimes they uncovered an operation but were unable to intervene due to being hopelessly outnumbered. A percentage of the cargo value was the reward for capturing a vessel, and the game of cat and mouse continued. Farming is the mainstay of the Galloway economy and the rearing of beef cattle developed on a large scale from the late 17th century. Before the coming of the railways, the beasts were driven to English markets on the hoof. The distinctive Belted Galloway cow has a thick white band around its midsection and is second only to the Highland breed in terms of public recognition. Kirkcudbrightshire is known locally as the "Stewartry" - on account of the territory being managed by a Crown steward in medieval times, rather than a sheriff, who was appointed to run a shire. I headed back to the harbour to meet Nicole, picking up a couple of local walking guides (and papers for my dad) from a traditional newsagent. Nicole had purchased a large painting of a hare, which now sits on our living room wall.

From the town fishmonger, we bought grey mullet for dinner and we snacked on a dressed crab at the Galloway Smokehouse on the way back to Newton Stewart. The next day would largely be dedicated to books. Like Kirkcudbright, Wigtown is a royal burgh and county town and was once a thriving centre of commerce with a busy port. However, the development of modern road and rail links did not favour Wigtown and it became increasingly isolated throughout the 20th century, losing key industries and administrative status. The closure of the nearby RAF base didn't help matters. Regeneration was required and in 1998, the town was rebranded as a trading hub for new and second-hand books. Around a dozen outlets are clustered around the centre and many people come to peruse the shelves. The annual festival draws a healthy crowd and attracts big-name authors, who perform readings. New businesses have sprung up to cater for the influx of visitors and the whole project has been a resounding success. Around 20 years ago, Nicole, my mother and I came down here on a day trip from Fife. Approximately three hours each way. Today would be a far more leisurely affair. You would need a couple of days to fully explore all the bookstores so I read a few blogs and selected a handful of shops to check out. The first place we entered (New Chapter) wasn't actually on my list but we happened to park outside. They had a fascinating wall display of items that had been found inside old books, including lottery tickets, newspaper clippings, postcards, family photos, invoices, handwritten notes and membership cards, along with actual bookmarks of all shapes, colours and sizes. Given our different literary tastes, Nicole and I took individual paths around the town. I crossed the road to visit The Bookshop - a business established decades before the relaunch of Wigtown and apparently the largest traditional second-hand dealer in Scotland, with more than a mile of shelving and around 100,000 titles to browse. I had read about Captain, the shop cat who roamed the premises, and was looking forward to meeting him. Worryingly, the most recent reference to this local legend had been dated 2022. My fears were confirmed by a blue plaque by the shop entrance. The Captain had indeed departed this earth. The inscription read "He was black and white. He took no shite. Remember me, I have already forgotten you" - a fitting epitaph that will resonate with all cat owners! The store is owned by Shaun Bythell, who wrote an absorbing account of trials and tribulations of running an independent shop. The Diary of a Bookseller has been translated into 28 languages and three follow-ups have been published. I had a good rummage through the various rooms and picked out a biography of rock musician Neil Young and a memoir of a railwayman who helped launch a heritage line in Wales. I heard Dutch and German voices within the shop, proving the international appeal of Scotland's book town. At the counter, I was served by Shaun himself and he confirmed the Captain had been a bit of a character. Shaun's own books were prominently displayed by the till - and why not!

I wandered through the town square down to the Old Bank Bookshop, whose name is pretty self explanatory, passing the grand County Buildings, currently awaiting refurbishment. Once again, I was confronted with packed shelves and I poked around but didn't find anything that took my fancy this time. My third port of call was Well-Read Books, which opened in 2018 within a former pub. Managed by retired Queen's Counsel Ruth Anderson, the shop has no specific specialisation, but one room is dedicated to crime, science fiction and fantasy. A small selection of new paperbacks can be found by the entrance. I purchased the Glasgow Trilogy by George Friel. The constituent volumes describe urban life in Scotland's largest city before the widespread demolition of the old tenements. I also found a tale of an intrepid traveller making his way from Berlin to Latvia by train just after the collapse of communism in eastern Europe. Thirdly, I spotted a collection of interviews with men who had fought in the First World War. A varied little haul for me. Unfortunately the ReadingLasses (nice wordplay) bookshop/café was closed due to the owners being on holiday. It is Britain's only book outlet where every title is female penned. Hopefully we will be back at some point. I can heartily recommend Wigtown to all book lovers, but it should be borne in mind that the vast majority of the available stock is second hand. You can even stay at the Booktown Bunkhouse. We drove down to the harbour to eat an alfresco lunch and visit the public bird hide. The tide was out in the bay, leaving the mudflats exposed. A sand martin nesting wall with embedded slots had been constructed in the adjacent field and the little birds (the smallest member of the swallow family) flew back and forth. We pushed southwards on the peninsula, arriving at the village of Whithorn. A branch railway from Newton Stewart served the area until 1964 (although passenger services were withdrawn in 1950). Whithorn is steeped in religious history, being the first recorded site of a Christian church in what is now Scotland, erected around 400 AD. The priory is located just off the main drag. Established in the middle of the 12th century, the opulent building fell victim to the Scottish Reformation of the 1560s and is now open to the elements in a ruined state. I wandered around within the four walls and gazed across to the Roundhouse, a full-scale replica of an Iron-Age dwelling based on archaeological evidence from excavations at the nearby Black Loch of Myrton. The original house (built circa 430 BC) was exceptionally well preserved due to immersion in the surrounding peat bog. The unearthing project provided valuable insights into construction techniques as well as the daily lives of the inhabitants. Three guided tours are offered per day and we had just missed the last one. The ticket also covers admission to the audio-visual presentation and exhibition at the Whithorn Trust Visitors Centre. We settled for a coffee in the small café area. I picked up some literature for the Whithorn Way - a walking trail that begins at Glasgow Cathedral and covers a wide variety of terrain over its 155-mile length. One for the future.

On the third day, we set off for Mull of Galloway, Scotland's most southerly point. The finger-like peninsula extends into the Irish Sea and we stopped at Drummore Harbour, which has good bird-watching opportunities. The village contains the last convenience store in Scotland as you head towards the southern extremity. The road became unfenced single track and we jostled for position with flocks of sheep as we passed through several miles of pasture. Finally we reached the tip of the known world and parked up by the RSPB centre. A stonechat sat in a bush on the other side of the fence. I read an information panel about the Mull of Galloway Trail - a route of 24 miles that runs up to Stranraer, eventually linking to the Ayrshire Coastal Path. Britain is become better connected with every passing year. A few hundred yards ahead, I could see the lighthouse, built in 1830 by Robert Stevenson (who else?). At the RSPB building, I bought a couple of pin badges and looked at the displays. The seabird colonies had mostly departed but gannets treat viewers to spectacular diving displays over the summer. Porpoises are also known to frequent the surrounding waters. We walked down to the tip of the land mass, not actually the most southerly point as the headland turns slightly east. The Isle of Man was visible on the horizon and the Cumbrian coast could also be identified. We walked back up to the lighthouse, past the old keeper's garden and a large foghorn mounted on the clifftop. Full automation was enabled in 1988. The sea is treacherous here, due to opposing tides swirling together. It cost £5 to climb up to the lighthouse cabin and I scaled the internal spiral staircase. At the top, I enjoyed 360-degree views and could see Ireland in the distance. The two lamps are mains powered but a back-up battery bank provides two days worth of additional electricity if required. The guide pointed out a jagged rock protruding from the mainland into the sea (named Gallie Craig), the actual southern extremity of Scotland. The foghorn is now used only for occasional demonstration purposes. This measure was introduced to prevent ship crews confusing signals from other vessels with a blast from the shore. The lighthouse windows were previously cleaned manually, with the keeper walking around a narrow wraparound ledge, while gripping a safety rail with one hand. This must have been a daunting task in the wind and rain. Indeed the lower balcony was very blustery when I stepped on to the exposed circular platform. I waved to Nicole who was sitting on a bench below. Back on terra firma, I studied a set of fingerposts, informing me that Douglas lay just 37 miles away on the Isle of Man. Meanwhile it was 2800 miles to Senegal, the winter destination for the gannets. Later in the afternoon, we drove up to Stranraer for petrol and continued along the shores of Loch Ryan to reach Corsewall Point. Another shore lighthouse stands here. Computerisation arrived in 1994 and the keepers' accommodation has been converted into a hotel and restaurant. The place was deserted when we arrived and we able to walk all the way around, spotting a manx shearwater among the waves. Meanwhile, ferries rumbled by in both directions . A man arrived in a car and enter the building. Most likely the caretaker. Internet searches suggest the hotel is still open. Perhaps only for special functions?

We drove back to Stranraer, which lost its final ferry traffic in 2011. Sailings to Belfast and Larne now depart from Cairnryan, seven miles further up the coast, which has no rail service. The switch makes little difference to vehicle drivers but the integrated harbour station at Stranraer is now redundant in terms of sea trade, while also inconveniently located for those travelling purely to the town. Moreover, the train timetable for the southwest has been cut due to lower overall demand. Bus links at Cairnryan fill the gaps but there is a lack of joined-up thinking here. Returning to our accommodation, we made plans for the next day. The National Trust manages a stretch of Solway Firth coastline around the village of Rockcliffe. The tide was out when we arrived and the sheltered sandy bay contained a number of rock pools. Coastal walks lead past areas of meadow and a causeway links the uninhabited Rough Island to the mainland. The island functions as a bird sanctuary and visitors are requested to stay away during the nesting season. We didn't have sufficient time to follow the walking trails and instead ate lunch by the beach, before moving on to the nearby village of Kippford. Again, a pleasant place by the water. After calling into a pottery, we headed to Threave Gardens, just outside the busy town of Castle Douglas. The National Trust acquired Threave Estate in 1957 and the grounds around the main house were developed as a visitor attraction, while also serving as an open-air classroom for the School of Heritage Gardening since 1960. The landscape of the wider estate is undergoing a 100-year project that aims to promote biodiversity and restore natural habitats such as wetland, marsh and grassland. Increasingly intensive farming practices had driven out most of the wildlife over the years. Generations of budding gardeners have been trained at Threave and new recruits arrive every year to work with the extensive plant collection and ornamental displays. The scheme has gained an international reputation and the latest addition to the estate is the Garden of Contemplation - a space designed to encourage peaceful reflection. We entered via the visitors centre, which contains a large café. The house tours had already finished for the day, but we had ample time to explore the parkland and formal areas. We decided to hike up to the main house and work our way across to the walled garden.

Towering over the landscape, Threave House is a B-listen baronial mansion, built in 1872 for the Gordon family. The striking red sandstone structure was apparently inspired by Castle Fraser in Aberdeenshire (which we were due to visit the following week). The most notable feature is the balustraded drum tower which faces northeast and contains the entrance, leading to a remarkable staircase. As well as offering commanding views of the estate and surrounding farmland, the house also looks towards the distant Galloway Hills. By the time the National Trust took possession of the estate in 1957, upon the death of Major Alan Gordon, there was talk of demolishing the house as it was badly in need of costly renovation. Fortunately the grand property was saved and the principal rooms have been refurbished to reflect life in the 1930s. Student gardeners are also accommodated here throughout the year, giving them the opportunity to live and work on site. The mansion should not be confused with Threave Castle - a ruined tower house on an island within the River Dee, a mile and a half away as the crow flies. The castle is cared for by Historic Environment Scotland and is accessible by boat, although no visitors are currently allowed due to masonry works. We walked towards the walled garden, one of the finest in southern Scotland and originally designed to supply the main house with fruit, vegetables and flowers. Today it is used to to demonstrate horticultural techniques and educate trainees. Indeed, a handful of young people were working within the compound. The produce today is sent up to the café kitchen. The yew-lined central avenue leads to the display glasshouse – a sensitive reconstruction of the Victorian original. The interior is divided into three zones of differing temperatures. The collection includes cacti, orchids and bromeliads. There are also koi carp in the indoor pond. We made our way back up to the visitor centre as closing time approached. A visit to Threave is highly recommended. A short drive brought us to the centre of Castle Douglas, where we parked near the bottom of the long and sloping King Street, the main thoroughfare of this 18th-century market town. It grew exponentially with the coming of the railway in 1859 (now sadly closed). There are many independent shops and eateries along, including the types of businesses long since vanished from places of similar size. Officially designated a Food Town, a visit to Castle Douglas allows you to take a (lengthy) stroll down memory lane. My planned destination was the Sulwath Brewery - whose premises are tucked away along a narrow lane, which opens out into a small courtyard with seating. The tap room has several beers on draught and a range of bottles are available in the shop to take away, alongside the usual merchandise. I selected a few styles, including Black Galloway Stout and a session ale called Criffel. I also ordered a pint at the bar, with Nicole opting for water. Named after an ancient name for the Solway estuary, Sulwath began life in 1996 and the beers were originally produced on a dairy farm before the operation moved into the old bakery it occupies today. Traditional methods are used throughout the brewing process. Nice to see real ale alive and well down here.

Our last full day in Galloway was upon us and we had a wander along Newton Stewart High Street before heading out to the fringes of Galloway Forest Park, the largest of its kind in the entire UK. Attracting almost a million visitors each year, the park famously has "dark-sky" status due to the absence of light pollution. A 10-mile drive brought us to the small village of Glentrool, effectively the gateway to the Galloway Hills. The local community centre is called the Glentrool Hive and welcomes visitors daily (except Mondays). Inside is a craft shop, art gallery and café, along with toilet and showering facilities for walkers and wild campers. A self-catering accommodation unit is available to hire, sleeping a total of five people. As luck would have it, a community meal was just ending as we arrived and we were able to choose from the selection of cakes made for the occasion. Nicole bought herself a hat from the shop and the whole place had a positive vibe. The Hive occupies a former school building and opened in 2022. The project aims to promote the social and economic growth of Glentrool and nearby Bargrennan. The website lists a varied programme of events for residents and visitors, including dog training, knitting, indoor bowls, bookbinding, forest walks and a dark skies tour. Bargrennan is the historic settlement, while Glentrool grew around the expanding timber industry in the 1950s. This was originally a labour intensive process and housing was required for the incoming forestry workers. As machinery gradually replaced the human workforce, the number of families living in the area dwindled and the village school closed in 2010. The new Hive facility thereby saved a derelict building and breathed new life into the community. It was a pleasure to personally witness the venture thriving. We drove south through Wigtown, out to a coastal village called Isle of Whithorn - completely separate from the historic royal burgh of almost the same name. There was ample parking space by the harbour and we ate our packed lunch on the quayside. Apparently the settlement was originally a true island but became connected to the mainland via a causeway that morphed into the main street. The harbour houses mainly leisure craft but there are still a few working lobster boats. Back in the 1800s, there were strong trading links with Ireland and the Isle of Man. Various scenes from the classic 1973 horror movie The Wicker Man - starring Christopher Lee - were filmed in and around the village. We wandered over the headland (the site of an Iron Age fort) towards Isle Head Lighthouse - a square white-painted stone tower standing four metres tall. The date of construction is unknown but is believed to be before the 18th century. The area was used for anti-aircraft gun practice during WW2. A remote-controlled plane was flown up and down the coast and the gunners would try to cripple it. A flat concrete base adjacent to the lighthouse was the location of a wartime control station and it now supports a memorial to the 2000 Solway Harvester tragedy, which resulted in the loss of seven local fishermen. The boat sank in stormy seas while heading for the Isle of Man and the entire crew was drowned. A sad reminder that maritime disasters still occur. The two youngest victims were just 17 years old.

We worked our way around the coast to Port William village. It looks towards the Mull of Galloway and has a handful of shops and a large café stands by the harbour. The busy caravan park near the centre no doubt boosts the local economy. We watched a family fish for crabs from the pier and they pulled out quite a few specimens using a bucket and rope. Apparently strong smelling bait is a surefire way to attract the arthropods. Visitors can't fail to spot the life-size bronze statue of a fisherman leaning on a barrier and gazing out to sea. Smugglers were active here in the 17th and 18th centuries, bringing in illicit goods from the Isle of Man, where duty on luxury items was considerably lower. Legitimate deliveries of heavy items by boat continued until 1930, when the tentacles of reliable road transport finally reached the far southwest. We returned to our accommodation for the final time, both in agreement that the overall trip had been worthwhile. A lot had been packed into a few days and it's an area we would definitely return to. Notwithstanding the arguments over the National Park status, Galloway has a quiet charm and shows a different side of rural Scotland. Homeward bound on the A714, we passed under a lengthy viaduct carrying the main railway line to Stranraer. Unusually, the road looped through two of the arches at different height levels. Passing through Irvine, we continued up the Ayrshire Coast towards Culzean Castle & Country Park. The road took us right past the Turnberry golf resort, now owned by the current leader of the United States, Donald Trump. The complex includes three links golf courses, a five-star hotel, other accommodation units and a golfing academy. The president purchased the operation in 2014, renaming it Trump Turnberry. The setting is spectacular, with the elevated grand hotel overlooking the Firth of Clyde. The golf courses touch the shore and the distinctive granite island Ailsa Craig is clearly visible. Turnberry has hosted the Open Championship on a handful of occasions. The first staging in 1977 featured one of the most famous battles ever fought on a golf course - the legendary Duel in the Sun. Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson - the leading lights of the day - broke away from the field and contested the tournament on their own, with Watson prevailing to win the second of his eventual five Open titles. Unbelievably, he almost won the famous Claret Jug at Turnberry again in 2009, at the grand old age of 59. A lax shot on the final green denied Watson the privilege of becoming the oldest ever winner of a Major tournament. Niklaus meanwhile won a record 18 big events over an illustrious career, bagging the Open thrice. Both men are personal heroes of mine. Trumpy-boy, not so much.

Culzean Castle is owned by the National Trust and stands in a commanding position on a clifftop. An image of the property graced the reverse side of Royal Bank of Scotland £5 notes for over 40 years. The surrounding estate is huge and it took a while to drive up to the parking fields after passing through the entrance gate. Our membership cards allowed us to be waved through and the place thronged with visitors. Hardly surprising on a glorious Sunday during the school summer holidays. A classic car show within the grounds was also helping to bring punters in. We had been here many years ago but I had forgotten about most of the attractions on offer. I did recall the spectacular coastal location and lush lawns. We walked along the old carriage drive, which leads to the castle by way of a viaduct above garden level. We ate our lunch in a quiet corner and then took in the spectacular sea views before commencing the self-guided castle tour. The first room had an ornate display of 700 antique flintlock pistols on the wall. The collection was assembled by Archibald Kennedy, 12th Earl of Cassillis and 1st Marquess of Ailsa, who purchased them from the Tower of London where the guns were in the process of being decommissioned. All of them had been used in battle. Culzean was designed in the late-18th century by esteemed architect Robert Adam for David Kennedy, the 10th Earl. Neither man lived to see the completion of the project. The castle and estate served as the opulent family base for many generations until the National Trust took charge in 1945. This move enabled the Kennedy clan to avoid a substantial inheritance tax bill. Part of the deal was to allow the widow of the 4th Marquess to live in the west wing for the rest of her days. The top-floor apartment was gifted to General Dwight D Eisenhower in recognition of his role as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe during WW2. The decorated soldier first visited Culzean the following year and returned several times. He served as President of the USA from 1953 to 1961. The castle underwent major refurbishment in 2010 and draws a quarter of a million visitors per year. I passed through the library and climbed the fabled oval staircase to the upper level. Unusually, it was the final piece in Adam's jigsaw as he fashioned the modern castle around a cluster of older buildings. Three types of Greek columns are used here: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. A beautifully crafted skylight illuminates the scene. The tour continued through various grand spaces. The castle interior never became frozen in time, with rooms being repurposed to suit the social norms of the times, while furnishings reacted to the latest fads. I descended to the kitchen, which was recreated in the 1990s after the original fittings had been removed by the National Trust to provide a public tearoom. There was an ulterior motive at play here. It was not felt that the paying public would wish to see the parts of the castle inhabited by cooks and servants.

We proceeded to the walled garden, passing a row of classic cars, which included a Peugeot 306 - the first vehicle model I ever owned. Production began in 1993, over three decades ago! The large growing compound dates from the 1780s. It was extended to eight acres in 1830 and a spine wall halves the garden into a production zone (north) and pleasure area (south). Eight stone sculptures are contained within. Personally, I found the place rather overwhelming and the vast open space is way too much to appreciated from a single vantage point. A lot of traipsing around on gravel paths is required. We passed the nuttery, which offers six varieties of tree, hazel being the most common. Grapes were grown under glass as far back as the 1850s and the present vinery is a modern reconstruction. Fruit featured heavily over the centuries and the peach house dates from late Victorian times. Apricots, nectarines and even melons were all produced with some success. A spectacular outbuilding is the glass-panelled Camellia House, erected in 1818 and originally planned as an orangery. Despite the elaborate underfloor heating system, the house failed to produce fruit and later became a conservatory. Flower growing proved far more successful and the venue was fully restored in 1995. It can be hired for weddings today. I cut through the Fountain Court gardens in front of the castle. Unfortunately the elegant water feature was dry but the surrounding terraced greenery was very pleasant and I wandered into the 1840 orangery building in the far corner. It now contains an assortment of exotic plants and is another Culzean venue that can be hired for social functions. Back over at the viaduct, I explored the icehouse within the thick walls. Uncovered during maintenance work in 1982, the egg-shaped cavity. The cold store does not appear on any known drawings but is reckoned to date from 1780 when Robert Adam engineered the main approach road. A second (and larger) icehouse is located near the swan pond but I didn't visit this one today. I think a whole day could be dedicated to exploring the wider estate beyond the actual castle. Occasional tours of the smugglers caves are offered. Both icehouses fell out of use at the beginning of the 20th century when electric refrigeration became a practical reality. A surviving industrial relic is the gas manager's house, down by the sea shore. Culzean had its own supply of coal gas from the 1840s onwards to light the castle and home farm. Coal was brought in by boat and the manager was responsible for ordering sufficient supplies to meet the estate's needs. The exhibition covered the life and career of Ayrshire-born William Murdoch - founding father of the British gas industry and one of the most mechanically inventive geniuses ever to come out of Scotland. He greatly improved the efficiency of the steam engine and built an early working model of a steam carriage but remains largely unknown to the general public, possibly due to his status as a salaried employee of the celebrated (and more assertive) engineer James Watt. Registering patents was an expensive business and Murdoch never acquired the exclusive rights to any of his inventions. It was fascinating to round off the day with an unexpected insight into the life of a brilliant yet underappreciated Scot. After a coffee at the cobbled farmstead, we continued our homeward journey.

Passing sings for the Electric Brae, we made a short detour to a check out a landscape phenomenon that has long intrigued me. The optical illusion gives the impression that a vehicle can roll uphill. The road in question is the A719, which was busy with cars pouring out of Culzean near closing time. Therefore we decided it wouldn't be safe to stop and play about with the gravity. We had come on a whim and simply shrugged off the mild disappointment. I later learned a sensible way to experience the trickery is to approach from the other direction, stop in the marked lay-by and release the handbrake, whereupon you will roll backwards, seemingly uphill. Good to know for next time!