Home > New Search > Culzean Castle
Culzean Castle 
ca-LANE
Maybole, South Ayrshire, Scotland
Started 1772
Completed 1790
Status: Fully Extant
ca-LANE
Maybole, South Ayrshire, Scotland
Started 1772
Completed 1790
Status: Fully Extant
Special Info / Location/ Date
Special Info
Phonetic Pronunciation of House Name
ca-LANE
Location
Country
Scotland
District Today
South Ayrshire
Historic County
Town / City
Maybole
Latitude
55.354012
Longitude
-4.6843
Date
Start Date
1772
Completion Date
1790
Circa Date
Images
The Oval Staircase
Click on thumbnail for a larger view
;)
The Oval Staircase
;)
;)
The Saloon
;)
The Camellia House
|
Images From Flickr This is a new feature that we are testing publicly. We apologize if not all Flickr images are associated with the house record. Please bear with us as we work to refine the accuracy of the images retrieved.  Castles of Scotland - Culzean castle  Culzean Castle from the Fountain Courtyard in Ayrshire Scotland  Culzean Castle  Culzean Castle  Swan Lake- Culzean Castle  Culzean Castle  Culzean Castle  Culzean Castle  Culzean Castle standing on a cliff edge  Culzean Castle, Ayrshire (1987)  Camellia House at Culzean Castle and Country Park  Culzean Castle  Culzean Castle  CULZEAN CASTLE  Culzean Castle |
Architects
| Designed | Added Nursery Wing |
| Date | 1877 |
| Designed | Extended House and remodelled for the 10th Earl of Cassillis |
| Date | 1777-92 |
Extant / Listed / References
Extant
Extant Type
Fully Extant
Extant Details
Listed
House Listed As
Unknown
Gardens Listed As
Unknown
On SAVE Britain's Heritage's List of Buildings at Risk
No
Country House: Yes
References
Vitruvius Britannicus
Vitruvius Scoticus
J.B. Burke (Burke's Visitation of Seats)
Vol.II, p.128. 1853.
Country Life
XXXVIII, 328, 360 plan. 1915. XCVIII, 956 plan. 1945.
J.P. Neale (Neale's Views of Seats)
Vol.VI. 1823. Scotland, 1830.
Access / Ownership / Seat
Access
Open to Public Please note: Houses listed as being open "By Appointment" are usually country house hotels or B&Bs.
Yes
Historic Houses Association Member
Phone Number If calling from the U.S., delete the first "0" in British numbers.
01655-760-274
Fax Number
01655-760-615
Email
Website
Awards
Sandford Award, 2004.
Current Ownership
Current Ownership Type
The National Trust for Scotland
Primary Current Ownership Use
Visitor Attraction
Current Ownership Details
Seat ("Seat" is loosely defined
as any family that occupied the house for a period of 2 years or more)
Today Seat of
A Past Seat(s) of
Earl of Cassillis, Marquess of Ailsa; Kennedy family here since possibly the late 14th century.
Possible (Unsure) Seat of
History / Gardens & Park / Movies
History
Earlier House(s) / Building(s)
House Replaced By
Built / Designed For
10th Earl of Cassilis
House & Family History
The 5th Marquess of Ailsa donated the House to the National Trust for Scotland in 1945. Culzean is the most visited site owned by the Trust.
Collections
This field lists art objects that are currently or were previously in the collection of the house.
For information on the history of British currency, click here. To use a chart that allows you to compare the purchasing power of money In Great Britain from 1264 to any other year, including the present, click here. To use a currency conversion to see the current value of the British pound, click here.
For information on the history of British currency, click here. To use a chart that allows you to compare the purchasing power of money In Great Britain from 1264 to any other year, including the present, click here. To use a currency conversion to see the current value of the British pound, click here.
Comments
Culzean is considered to have the finest position of any country house in Britain. It sits high on a cliff overlooking the sea. House is believed by many to be Robert Adam’s 18th century masterpiece and contains his exquisite oval staircase.
Gardens & Park
Garden, Park, Follies and Outbuildings
Grounds include Scotland’s first country park, created in 1969. On Culzean's estate is also to be found the Ruined Arch, the Viaduct, the Ice House, the Camellia House, and the Pagoda.
Chapel & Church
Movies
Location for Movies / TV
"The Wicker Man" (1973 - as Lord Summerisle's island mansion). "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" [aka "Dangerous Liaisons"] (2003 - TV miniseries). "The Last Musketeer" (2000 - TV movie). "Building of Britain" (2002 - TV documentary series). "The Queen" (2006 - as parts of Balmoral Castle). "Most Haunted" (2002 - TV documentary, episode 1.9, no. 9). "Most Haunted Unseen" (2004 - TV documentary, from episode 1.9, no. 9). "Treasure Hunt" (1985 - TV game show, episode 3.10, "Ayrshire"). "Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat" (2001).
Bibliography
| Author | NA |
| Year Published | 1999 |
| Reference |
| Author | NA |
| Year Published | 1999 |
| Reference |
| Author | Colvin, Howard |
| Year Published | 1995 |
| Reference |
| Author | NA |
| Year Published | NA |
| Reference | Spring 2003, pg. 63 |
| Author | Moss, Michael |
| Year Published | 2002 |
| Reference | pgs. 196 |
Related Resources
There are no documents associated with this house.
