Maidens Travel Guide

 hevbell Says:  At the main end of the Swan Pond there is this Duck Island, where a lot of the ducks will nest and congregate here for people to feed them. I always remember one winter when the pond was frozen over. There was a little channel that ran around the edge of the island and a few... 

 hevbell Says:  Snowdrop season! One of the first signs that spring is here is when you see the white carpet of snowdrops appearing! 

 hevbell Says:  To see Culzean from another perspective, walk along one of the cliff paths. Its not quite as precarious as it maybe looks in the photo as I was a little off the path when I took it. Its really different from other parts of the park and if you are there on a clear day the... 

 hevbell Says:  First stop, particulalry if its your first visit, should be the visitor centre located within this old farm complex. There you can see a map of the park to give yourself an idea of where you want to go, speak to rangers or find out whats going on, take a ranger guided walk... 

 hevbell Says:  This is a huge pond which is home to, among other things, (yep you guessed it!) swans. Its really beautiful at all times of year and one of the main attractions of the park. At one end of the pond there is a car park which is next to a grassy area with plenty picnic tables... 

 hevbell Says:  The country park employs ranger guides and in summer they do various ranger guided walks. Me and my mum did one or two when I was younger and they were always infomative and interesting and tended to be very much off the beaten path so you would see parts of the park that... 

 hevbell Says:  In recent years a lot of work has gone on to restore buildings etc around the park including the castle itself and the viaduct across to it. The building pictured, which is called the Pagoda, was pretty much a ruin hidden away in the woods when I was growing up but has now... 

 hevbell Says:  There is a cafe - pictured - and a restaurant in the grounds of Culzean. The restaurant is situated at the Visitor Centre and this cafe is beside the Castle in the stable buildings opposite. I've only eaten in the restaurant and usually just a snack or a quick drink after a... 

 hevbell Says:  This is what used to be a railway line linking Culzean with Dunure and Maidens. The tracks are long gone and you can now walk along it. Its pretty off the beaten path, I'm sure most visitors don't know its there as its in the north part of the park. It can be quite muddy... 

 hevbell Says:  This small pond is hidden away up on the hill behind the deer park, I guess it was intended as a spare water supply for putting out fires if the need arose. now its just home to a few ducks! 

 hevbell Says:  This small orchard lies just to the north of the walled garden, between there and Happy Valley, and contains the herb garden. 

 hevbell Says:  This is definitely a little off the beaten path but it used to be one of the old entrances to the estate 

 hevbell Says:  The best parts of this park are the things you come across by leaving the main roads and paths and getting off the track abit. I came across this little burn in the woods when I went exploring while waiting for a friend to show up. It was right near the park entrance but I'd... 

 hevbell Says:  Enjoy the large variety of flowers and plants that you'll see in Culzean at various times through the year. I love how different it looks in the different seasons. This was one of the earlier Rhododendrons on Happy Valley 

 hevbell Says:  The castle itself sits high up on the rocks overlooking Culzean Bay and the Isle of Arran