Culzean Castle, one of Scotland's most stunning buildings, deserves a cache but the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) does not permit caches on this estate. For this reason this cache is hidden just outside the perimeter of Culzean Country Park close to the entrance.
Designed by renowned architect Robert Adam, Culzean Castle was built around a much older building between 1777 and 1792 for the 10th Earl of Cassillis, David Kennedy. In 1945 the Kennedy family passed the castle and extensive grounds to the NTS for public enjoyment in a transaction which included the stipulation that US General (later President) Dwight D Eisenhower be given use of part of the castle as a residence. In 1972 the castle appeared as Lord Summerisle's home in the cult film 'The Wicker Man'. Its clifftop location gives the castle a magnificently imposing view over all that it surveys, and the country park offers a variety of opportunities for education and for leisurely walking all year round. The castle is approached over a causeway via a gateway which was built as a scenic ruin. It is reputedly haunted by at least 7 ghosts including a piper and a servant girl.
On the shore line beneath the castle are a number of caves used by smugglers in the past and one cave (near Dolphin House) still contains the rusting remains of whisky barrel bands! The swan pond is a popular location for summer picnics and before the days of refrigeration supplied the big house with ice which was collected in winter and stored in two ice houses. As well as a splendid array of flora and fauna, the park also contains its own little gasworks, a monkey house (no monkeys now), a superb play area, and quite a lot of decorative military materiel.
The cache is very handy for people arriving by public transport. Others may choose to park briefly at the parking coords in the lane opposite the entrance to the park; please cross the road very carefully.