North Firbank
from £110.00 Per night*
North Firbank, Culzean Castle, Ayrshire, KA19 8LE
T: +44(0)1244 356666
Inside the wall, after the gates shut
The reason to book this one is the address. North Firbank stands within the grounds of Culzean Castle and Country Park, so when the day visitors have gone the whole 260 hectares are effectively yours: formal gardens, around 600 acres of woodland, three miles of coast, the swan pond and the deer park. Guests also get one complimentary tour of the castle, subject to its normal opening hours and to availability.
The cottage itself is unshowy and easy. It is semi-detached, single storey, and restored by the National Trust for Scotland, with a kitchen and diner big enough for a table of six, a sitting room, two bedrooms and one bathroom. The king bed is a zip and link, so it can be made up as twins if you ask, and it looks out over the front garden. Heating is gas central heating and the fuel is in the rent, as are bed linen and towels.
Outside is the part people remember: a private sunken garden for eating in, plus lawn front and rear and a side garden with a patio and furniture. The nearest shop is a little over five miles away, so provision on the way in.
Good to know
- Single storey, but there is one step up into the cottage and two steps down into the kitchen.
- The bathroom has a bath with a shower over it, a basin and a WC. There is no separate shower cubicle.
- Two well behaved dogs are welcome. The cottage is non smoking.
- A travel cot and a highchair can be provided, but cot bedding is not.
- Shop 5.2 miles, pub 5.3 miles, Maybole 5.6 miles. The estate has its own farm shop and kitchen.
- Fuel, power, bed linen and towels are all included in the rent.
- The kitchen runs to an oven, hob, microwave, fridge freezer, dishwasher, washing machine and coffee maker, with FreeSat television and fibre wifi.
- North Firbank can be booked alongside seven of the other Culzean cottages, which together sleep 31.
- Short term let licence SA-00327-F. The EPC rating is band G, worth knowing if you are coming in winter.
Features
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Fully equipped kitchen
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Free wifi
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Wood burning stove
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Bathroom toiletries
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Modern bathroom
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Access to castle grounds
Location
Where it puts you
Culzean is the whole point and you are already in it. Robert Adam rebuilt the castle from the 1770s on a cliff top above the Firth of Clyde, and the grounds below it hold the beach, the walled garden and miles of woodland path. A guide to Culzean Castle is worth reading before you arrive, because the estate is bigger than a day.
Beyond the gates you are in Burns country. Maybole, the old capital of Carrick, is the nearest town, and Ayr is five miles further with its beach, its racecourse and its shops. The Robert Burns Birthplace Museum at Alloway is also National Trust for Scotland, so it pairs naturally with a stay here, and the rest of Ayrshire opens up south towards Galloway Forest Park.
Family walks in Ayrshire
Ten routes across the county, sorted by how far small legs will actually go.
Heads of Ayr
The cliffs and the beach a short drive north, and what to do when you get there.
Frequently asked questions
Do you get into the castle grounds outside opening hours?
Yes. Access to the estate grounds outside the regular opening times comes with the stay, and holiday guests also get a complimentary tour of the castle itself, subject to opening hours and availability.
Is there a shower?
There is a shower over the bath, rather than a separate cubicle, in the one bathroom.
Are dogs allowed?
Two well behaved dogs are welcome.
Is it suitable for someone who cannot manage stairs?
Everything is on one level, including both bedrooms, but there is one step up into the cottage and two steps down into the kitchen.
Where is the nearest shop?
The estate has a farm shop and kitchen. Beyond that, the nearest shop is 5.2 miles away and Maybole is 5.6 miles.
Can we book it with the other cottages?
Yes. It can be taken together with seven other Culzean properties, sleeping 31 between them.
Important
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Reading for the area: A guide to Culzean Castle