Most people who visit Culzean never go down to the beach, which is their loss. From the castle terrace a path and steps drop through the trees to a sandy shore directly beneath the cliffs, with the castle standing above you — one of the more dramatic views on this coast, and one you can only get from down here.
The caves
Large caves are cut into the rock along the shore. They were formed by the sea when levels were higher and are now well above the tideline, and they have accumulated the usual stories: smuggling, hiding places, and at least one ghost. There is a real history of smuggling on this coast, so the first of those is more plausible than the rest.
You can walk into the mouths of them. Do not go far in — they are unlit, uneven and unmaintained, and there is nothing to see once the daylight stops.
Above the beach stands the Gas House, the small complex that made town gas to light the castle until 1940, with an exhibition on William Murdoch inside the manager's house.
The beach
Sand and rock, backed by cliff and woodland, and usually near-empty even when the castle is busy. At low tide there is a good stretch to walk and decent rock pooling; at high tide it shrinks considerably, so time it.
The Ayrshire Coastal Path runs along the shore here between Maidens and the Heads of Ayr, so you can walk in from either direction.
Getting there and what it costs
The beach is inside the country park, so car entry to Culzean is paid. But there is no charge to walk into the country park on foot from the coastal path — which means the beach and the caves are free if you arrive on two legs from Maidens, about three miles south. See free things to do.
It is a proper walk down and a stiffer one back up, on steps and woodland path, so it is not suitable for wheels and it is a genuine climb with small children at the end of a long day. Cafés and toilets are up at Home Farm and the Swan Pond.
The country park is open year-round even when the castle is closed, so this works in winter. Twenty minutes from Girvan.
