The magic of Culzean

[Spectral Morn]

Hi guys


Without doubt one of if not the best day in Scotland was had by myself and my wife a few days ago. Beautiful weather, scenery and somewhere new we had not visited before. So we went to Culzean Castle just a few miles south of Ayr. We new of Culzean mainly from a neighbour Ian who lived in the castle as a boy during the war. His parents worked in the castle when it was being used as base of operations for the American high command during the second world war. Ian one day walking to the castle in the rain was approached by a small convoy of military vehicles and one stopped and General Dwight D Eisenhower himself offered Ian a lift to the castle....WOW.

In the grounds of the castle there is a bookshop. I picked up two hard back books and 6 near mint classical albums on vinyl. Sadly to visit it you must pay to get into the grounds at the very least. We opted for castle and grounds £13 each..we choked at that but it was worth it.

Close to the Edge
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/3rdofJuneOnedaytriptoScotland037.jpg

The bay just below Culzean
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/3rdofJuneOnedaytriptoScotland044.jpg

Above us the walls
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/3rdofJuneOnedaytriptoScotland058.jpg

Main Gate
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/3rdofJuneOnedaytriptoScotland070.jpg

Gardens from the entrance Bridge
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/3rdofJuneOnedaytriptoScotland072.jpg

The Bookshop
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/3rdofJuneOnedaytriptoScotland033.jpg

Arran
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/3rdofJuneOnedaytriptoScotland036.jpg

Welcome to MY Castle
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/3rdofJuneOnedaytriptoScotland051.jpg

Is this pose okay
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/3rdofJuneOnedaytriptoScotland065.jpg

All images copyright of Argent Image.


Regards D S D L

[aquapiranha]

Very nice Neil, a lovely looking place. Also you had the good weather too!

[The Grand Wazoo]

Hi Neil,
There's that fab Scottish light again.
More great photos!

Are you there now?
If so, you should get yourselves up to Drumlanrig, the Duke of Buccleuch's place (actually one of several) near Thornhill, it's only a short hop from Culzean. Fantastic castle & grounds, great art collection. I used to live in a cottage in the park there - my first job out of college was as assistant to the Forestry manager there.

If you're not there now, then just forget I said a thing!

[Spectral Morn]

Hi Neil,
There's that fab Scottish light again.
More great photos!

Are you there now?
If so, you should get yourselves up to Drumlanrig, the Duke of Buccleuch's place (actually one of several) near Thornhill, it's only a short hop from Culzean. Fantastic castle & grounds, great art collection. I used to live in a cottage in the park there - my first job out of college was as assistant to the Forestry manager there.

If you're not there now, then just forget I said a thing!


Hi Chris

You worked at Culzean or Drumlanrig ? I know Thornhill near Sterling. Yes Scottish light is magical and tuesday was very special. No we were over on a one day trip to liberate a certain item from neglect...more info to follow;)...in about a week; and enjoy the rest of the day at Culzean.


Regards D S D L

[DaveK]

Nice pics (as usual) Neil and a 'nice' price to pay to get them :steam:. I suppose Scotland needs all the revenue it can get for when it goes independent and we English stop keeping it afloat :lolsign: - that should elicit some mild responses from those north of Hadrians Wall, eh Ali? :)
Peace and goodwill to all, and that includes Scotland ! ;)
Dave.

[aquapiranha]

In the news...

" Every day an area the size of Scotland clings to the rest of the UK for financial support..."

Just kidding! please no threats of violence!! ;-0

[The Grand Wazoo]

Hi Chris

You worked at Culzean or Drumlanrig ? I know Thornhill near Sterling. Yes Scottish light is magical and tuesday was very special. No we were over on a one day trip to liberate a certain item from neglect...more info to follow;)...in about a week; and enjoy the rest of the day at Culzean.


Regards D S D L

I was at Drumlanrig, but I know Culzean well.
Drumlanrig's near Thornhill in Dumfries & Galloway - about an hour's drive from Culzean. Midway(ish) between Dumfries & Ayr.

[Spectral Morn]

Nice pics (as usual) Neil and a 'nice' price to pay to get them :steam:. I suppose Scotland needs all the revenue it can get for when it goes independent and we English stop keeping it afloat :lolsign: - that should elicit some mild responses from those north of Hadrians Wall, eh Ali? :)
Peace and goodwill to all, and that includes Scotland ! ;)
Dave.

Well its a National Trust property they are based in England, and are IMHO rip off merchants. The trip cost £50...plus a few quid spenders cheap day out.

Well as someone who rails against English imperialism ;) (you invaded in the first place) I am sure the Scots will celebrate the day they can shout "Free at Last". :lol::lol: All slightly tongue in cheek of course. Anyway how does it feel to live in a country invaded and conquered by the Dutch ?


Regards D S D L

[aquapiranha]

I am just jealous because Scotland has beautiful countryside, magificent coastlines,proper whisky and err...oh, free prescriptions!

[The Grand Wazoo]

I am sure the Scots will celebrate the day they can shout "Free at Last".


.............in the meantime, they'll have to make do with playing the album by Mr Kossof & Co.

That's one argument I'm not getting into - the things I was held personally responsible for as an Englishman living in Scotland, you wouldn't believe!

Maggie Thatcher testing out the Poll Tax north of the Border?...........that was one of mine (apparently)!!

[Spectral Morn]

.............in the meantime, they'll have to make do with playing the album by Mr Kossof & Co.

That's one argument I'm not getting into - the things I was held personally responsible for as an Englishman living in Scotland, you wouldn't believe!

Maggie Thatcher testing out the Poll Tax north of the Border?...........that was one of mine (apparently)!!


It wasn't ?:scratch:...not what I heard decision enacted by "The parliament of trees ":lol::lol:

Regards D S D L

[The Grand Wazoo]

It wasn't ?:scratch:...not what I heard decision enacted by "The parliament of trees ":lol::lol:

Regards D S D L

You've been listening to Rush again haven't you, you naughty Dalek, you!

[DaveK]

"Anyway how does it feel to live in a country invaded and conquered by the Dutch ?"


Sorry if I'm just thick, or if my history knowledge is not what it should be (or maybe just another Senior moment), but the above quote has sailed straight over me.
My recollection of my history lessons is that we (English) were so fed up of stopping the Scots trying to move south to somewhere more palatable that we invited a large sub-contractor, based in the Italian capital as I recall, to come in and build a wall to keep them out. As usual, (maybe they set the precedent :) ), having filled the countryside with illegal foreign workers it took us ages, (centuries even), to get them to go home. ;)

Note for Admin and Mods: this is intended as a joke - sorry Marco, I just couldn't resist it - naughty of me I know !! :lolsign:

[Spectral Morn]

"Anyway how does it feel to live in a country invaded and conquered by the Dutch ?"


Sorry if I'm just thick, or if my history knowledge is not what it should be (or maybe just another Senior moment), but the above quote has sailed straight over me.
My recollection of my history lessons is that we (English) were so fed up of stopping the Scots trying to move south to somewhere more palatable that we invited a large sub-contractor, based in the Italian capital as I recall, to come in and build a wall to keep them out. As usual, (maybe they set the precedent :) ), having filled the countryside with illegal foreign workers it took us ages, (centuries even), to get them to go home. ;)

Note for Admin and Mods: this is intended as a joke - sorry Marco, I just couldn't resist it - naughty of me I know !! :lolsign:

William of Orange invaded the south of England marched on London drove all the English soldiers out and took the throne...he did marry Mary Stuart...which gave him away in to remove James.

Link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_III_of_England

Its funny how this bit of English History is overlooked...how many invasions ohhh Romans, Normans and thats it....nope The Dutch too:ner:


Regards D S D L

[DaveK]

Hi Neil,
Thanks for increasing my knowledge of English history - I found the link very interesting and informative - the first 300 pages anyway !! :) I will speed-read the remaining majority next time I am incarcerated in hospital :). However I feel that I must correct you, based on the information you supplied !!. The Dutch guy didn't invade us - no one in their right mind, not even a Dutchman, would invade England (a major world power at the time, if not the major world power), with a force of 14,000, 10,000 of whom were on foot. He was invited to come, he arrived with a mere nobleman's entourage when travelling ;), and was welcomed by all and sundry. It reads as if not a shot was fired, unless it was in celebration after their 'Welcome' party.!! :lolsign:
Cheers for now,

[Spectral Morn]

Hi Neil,
Thanks for increasing my knowledge of English history - I found the link very interesting and informative - the first 300 pages anyway !! :) I will speed-read the remaining majority next time I am incarcerated in hospital :). However I feel that I must correct you, based on the information you supplied !!. The Dutch guy didn't invade us - no one in their right mind, not even a Dutchman, would invade England (a major world power at the time, if not the major world power), with a force of 14,000, 10,000 of whom were on foot. He was invited to come, he arrived with a mere nobleman's entourage when travelling ;), and was welcomed by all and sundry. It reads as if not a shot was fired, unless it was in celebration after their 'Welcome' party.!! :lolsign:
Cheers for now,

Sorry ;)Dave typical English man answer:doh:...a foreign king Dutch took the English thrown from the King. He landed with a foreign army seized control of London and whether or not shots were fired (its my understanding that some fighting did take part on a small scale)...so it was an invasion...James did not invite them. The Dutch teach their kids it was an invasion, the best kind one, that you win with little loss. IMHO it was :ner:;):lol:

Sorry but the Dutch along with the French were a major force in the world then....England was on the up but not what it would be later on.


Regards D S D L

[DaveK]

Sorry ;)Dave typical English man answer:doh:...Am I to take it then that you are not fortunate enough to be born English ? That would explain a lot :) a foreign king Dutch took the English thrown (thrown?? - I assume that this is what is called a "Freudian slip" as you realise he was actually handed the throne (maybe even thrown it ?) by the vast majority of the population. from the King. He landed with a foreign army seized (was gifted) control of London and whether or not shots were fired (its my understanding that some fighting did take part on a small scale (yes, most likely drunken Dutch men fighting amongst themselves after getting drunk during the 'Welcome' party thrown for them by the grateful residents )...so it was an invasion...James did not invite them. (Nahhh, James might not have invited him, why should he - it would have been like a turkey voting for Christmas !! :lolsign:
The Dutch teach their kids it was an invasion, the best kind one, that you win with little loss. IMHO it was :ner:;):lol: Get real !! :) We teach our kids that the BEF and Dunkirk were wonderful victotries but every thinking person knows they were unmitigated disasters !! Typical British (English ?) propaganda, put out so that the thick plebs (us) don't turn on the 'donkeys' who lead (?) the 'lions' (our predecessors) and string them up from the lamp posts, which is what they so richly deserved,IMO.

Sorry but the Dutch along with the French were a major force in the world then....England was on the up but not what it would be later on. (but everyone new that our potential would be quickly realised once we had got rid of the 'donkey' King who was holding us back !!)
:lolsign:

Regards D S D L

Put another way, history is in the mind of the historian.
Cheers,

[Spectral Morn]

Put another way, history is in the mind of the historian.
Cheers,

True.... or the victors write it.

Yes actually I was born in Lincolnshire but my blood is half French, and the other half (apparently) pure Celtic Irish...in fact the family history can be traced back to the ancient Kings of Munster.

James was the rightful heir of the English crown then...so whether he was popular or not doesn't count....IMHO A foreign king took the throne....it was an invasion ;):lolsign:


Regards D S D L

[DaveK]

Nahhhh!, never !!

[Marco]

Am I to take it then that you are not fortunate enough to be born English ? That would explain a lot...


Excuse me while I puke! :bog:

Oh for that sorry fate to be bestowed upon any poor individual...

Long live the Celts!! :exactly:

Marco.

P.S Great pictures, Neil.

[DaveK]

Excuse me while I puke! :bog:

Oh for that sorry fate to be bestowed upon any poor individual...

Long live the Celts!! :exactly:

Marco.

.

Methinks he doth protest too much !!;)

[Marco]

Quite the contrary, old boy... One good 'poke' (or in your case several) deserves another :eyebrows:

;)

Marco.

[DaveK]

Hi Neil,
Whilst we have a marginally ;) different view on how many times England (God's own country, note Marco ;) ) has been invaded, we can ALL agree on the pics - beautiful - even put a superficial gloss on Scotland ! :lolsign:
Cheers,

[Spectral Morn]

Hi Neil,
Whilst we have a marginally ;) different view on how many times England (God's own country, note Marco ;) ) has been invaded, we can ALL agree on the pics - beautiful - even put a superficial gloss on Scotland ! :lolsign:
Cheers,

I would be quite happy to pack up and move to Scotland tomorrow or even now (if my wife would), but I can't think of anywhere in England that I would move to. England is that bit of space in ;)between Cornwall, Wales and Scotland :lol::lol:


Regards D S D L

[DaveK]

England is that bit of space in ;)between Cornwall, Wales and Scotland :lol::lol:


Regards D S D L

Hi Neil,
Actually, (strictly between you and I - for goodness sakes don't tell Marco !! ;) ), I have a lot of sympathy for that point of view. England has lot going for it (but I'll not start to list them or I'll be here all night :)), including scenery like National Parks, North Yorkshire moors, Lake District etc. and I'm claiming Cornwall as part of England despite Marco's waffle about Celts. Incidentally, how does a second generation Eyetalian get so involved in Celtishness ? :scratch:
My various jobs for the last 30 years or so involved me in a lot of travelling around UK (and mainland Europe and the Far East to a lesser extent), so I have seen a fair bit of the local scenery. I've yet to find somewhere that I would seriously consider moving to outside the UK. Cornwall I know very well, had dozens of family holidays there over the years, mainly around the very South West, St Ives etc., and even now my wife and daughter generally still go for a week each year to a flat on the harbour front there - I live like a batchelor for a week, sitting 5 Persian cats, 3 of our's and 2 of my our daughter's. Wales has some beautiful spots but I really haven't seen enough of it. I spent a wonderful week based in Oban, SCUBA diving, a few years ago and though I spent much of my time under water I saw a lot of absolutely beautiful scenery travelling from dive site to dive site. A guy I used to work with over 30 years ago went every year up around Cape Wrath and really used to sing the area's praises, That memory, reinforced by my visit to Oban, set a seed in my mind to do the Grand Tour up the west and north coasts of Scotland but I've never got round to it. I did a bit of travelling around Northern Ireland also, and my visits there, together with various articles and TV reports, have also set a seed in my mind to do the Grand Tour around the south, west and north coast of Eire, but again I've never got round to it - someday maybe !
Anyway, it transpires that we are not really so far apart in our views after all, history notwithstanding. :)
Cheers,

[Spectral Morn]

Hi Neil,
Actually, (strictly between you and I - for goodness sakes don't tell Marco !! ;) ), I have a lot of sympathy for that point of view. England has lot going for it (but I'll not start to list them or I'll be here all night :)), including scenery like National Parks, North Yorkshire moors, Lake District etc. and I'm claiming Cornwall as part of England despite Marco's waffle about Celts. Incidentally, how does a second generation Eyetalian get so involved in Celtishness ? :scratch:
My various jobs for the last 30 years or so involved me in a lot of travelling around UK (and mainland Europe and the Far East to a lesser extent), so I have seen a fair bit of the local scenery. I've yet to find somewhere that I would seriously consider moving to outside the UK. Cornwall I know very well, had dozens of family holidays there over the years, mainly around the very South West, St Ives etc., and even now my wife and daughter generally still go for a week each year to a flat on the harbour front there - I live like a batchelor for a week, sitting 5 Persian cats, 3 of our's and 2 of my our daughter's. Wales has some beautiful spots but I really haven't seen enough of it. I spent a wonderful week based in Oban, SCUBA diving, a few years ago and though I spent much of my time under water I saw a lot of absolutely beautiful scenery travelling from dive site to dive site. A guy I used to work with over 30 years ago went every year up around Cape Wrath and really used to sing the area's praises, That memory, reinforced by my visit to Oban, set a seed in my mind to do the Grand Tour up the west and north coasts of Scotland but I've never got round to it. I did a bit of travelling around Northern Ireland also, and my visits there, together with various articles and TV reports, have also set a seed in my mind to do the Grand Tour around the south, west and north coast of Eire, but again I've never got round to it - someday maybe !
Anyway, it transpires that we are not really so far apart in our views after all, history notwithstanding. :)
Cheers,

I am glad we haven't fallen out. There is much in England that is both special and beautiful but for me the sheer majesty of Scotland beats the best that England has to offer IMHO. Even the Lake District as beautiful as it is pales into insignificance next to Scotland's best, again IMHO.

Yes I know what you mean about Marco...now if he were say Spanish he might be related to the clan Milesians (Oisin in a new report into genetics http://killarney-ireland.info/genealogy/dark-irish-celt-genealogy.html) or http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/celts-descended-from-spanish-fishermen-study-finds-416727.htmlor http://halfmoon.tripod.com/Spain.html) who spread out of Spain, into France and then Ireland, thus claiming to be a Celt but the thing is Scotland seeps into your blood and soul and you wake up changed. You love it...and thats it. Assimilation complete.


Regards D S D L

[scrufftyguy]

Even the Lake District as beautiful as it is pales into insignificance next to Scotland's best, again IMHO.


The Lake District would be a fantastic spot if there weren't so many tourists (you wanna try living here!)...the tourists (of which I'm regularly one) are all a bit more spread out in Scotland which makes it far better!

Ade :)