Culzean Castle

Culzean Castle sits on an amazing setting on the west coast of Scotland with stunning views over the Firth of Clyde. Entering through winding woodland, through an arch and under a viaduct the castle looks an idyllic home but it's past purpose was a fortress in times of feuding families and Scottish unrest. 

On entering the castle the first hallway is a magnificent display of armoury, not something I am usually taken with the the intricate designs in which they swords and weapons were laid was a spectacle in itself. 

The first mention of a tower in this location is in the 1400s with more significant buildings mentioned in documents dating back to the 1600s. Culzean Castle was the seat of the \Kennedy family, not related to the American President, but one of Scotland's oldest clan tracing their ancestry back to Robert the Bruce. 

The rooms in the castle were very plush in design and furniture. The oval staircase designed by Rober Adam was stunning, as were the views from the Red Drawing Room

I always enjoy discovering the kitchens and downstairs in old castles or houses. Culzean Castle had an amazing kitchen with so many ovens and of course shiny copper pans. It must have been very hot working in there. 

The grounds of the castle were quite steep being of the cliffs, it was a long way down to the early 1900s Gas House so we admired it from above.

Culzean Castle was a great place to visit, now owned by National Trust for Scotland it was full of history, beautiful art work and was in a stunning location. A great visit we both enjoyed. 

Snowshill Manor

 

Charles Wade owned Snowshill Manor which he turned into an elaborate stage for displaying all his passions.  He didn't actually live in the grand house but in a smaller dwelling that was once stables. 

It is impossible to write about all the items Wade had in his collection of varied and sometimes unusual finds. His reason for buying an item may be the colour, the craftsmanship or the design. He was very concerned with items and crafts being lost and so often bought many items to save them. He restored the Cotswold manor house to display them, I'll leave you to enjoy the photos - it really is a place to be visited not read about. 

As you can see his collections were very varied and quite unique. Every room had something different and intriguing, it's a place the really needs more than one visit. it's easy to see why he lived in the smaller dwelling - there's no room inside Snowshill Manor although he did hold many parties in the house, they must have been such fun.