Culzean Castle

[The “z” is silent.]

Yesterday evenings lashing rain had cleared and our morning dawned with a clear view across the Firth of Clyde to the Isle of Arran and you-know-where. Today was time for me to brave the grounds of the Scottish National Trust Property of Culzean Castle. The grounds feature a walled garden so, with the protection from the still present wind, I was hopeful that its shelter might produce something. There was also a “wildlife garden” which included a pond that looked promising.

Just beyond the campsite we entered the Scottish National Trust grounds, our English National Trust cards being valid. The grounds are extensive and it was still about a 15 minute walk down to the castle itself. Beside the roadway, a footpath meanders through woodland thick with wild garlic. What I didn’t see was any wildlife other than a few diptera.

Arriving at Culzean Castle itself, I was reminded of Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland – neither of these properties look particularly like my idea of a castle but more like very large houses. It is an impressive property and there is, at least, a battery of canons pointing seaward.

I went “ooh, ah” briefly before we set off in the direction of the walled garden passing a field containing a mixed herd of deer and llamas. We hung a quick left to investigate the wildlife garden. Francine consulted the park map and got us to the pond, which looked well vegetated and clean. It looked like decent habitat to us but it clearly didn’t look like good habitat to the critters. We saw absolutely nothing, nothing flying over the water and not even any pond skaters on the water. This was weird.

We returned to the large walled garden and began making our way around it. Once again, nothing. Well, to be honest there were a handful of bumblebees but otherwise the plants looked to have attracted nothing more. Feeling that I needed to surrender, I vented my photographic frustration on a white flag.

Lunch was beckoning so we made our way back from the disappointing walled garden to the café area at Home Farm. The food was good but I mention it really to highlight the espresso coffee which I believe to be the best I have ever tasted. I was so impressed that I had to go and ask what it was. I’d never heard of it – Nàdar – but it was on sale in the gift shop. £10 for a 227g bag but I just had to buy some.

Wandering back to the campsite, right outside the entrance Francine spotted what looked like a farm track heading up on our right. Furthermore, it was lined with a splendid hedgerow, better than anything we’d seen thus far. Finally I had some interesting insects to play with, chief among them being a hoverfly called Rhingia campestris (Common Snout), looking curious with the long snout peculiar to the genus.

Messing about in the hedgerow, I was clearly not obvious. Francine was more out in the open track but was moving little, so much so that a very surprising visitor turned up to start grazing. I’d never been anywhere near a Hare before so this was a special treat. I managed a few shots before it spotted me and hared off.

After a dull start it had turned out to be an interesting day.