While planning my golf itinerary on the west coast of Scotland, I did quite a bit of research on lodging options near Prestwick and Turnberry. After reviewing the website of Culzean Castle and various other articles on the castle, I was excited to find out that you could spend the night in one of the 6 rooms that make up the upper part of the historic castle.
Culzean Castle oozes history. Dwight Eisenhower stayed here 4 times while serving as President of the United States. You can even stay in the same room that Ike did, if you are willing to fork over the £400.00 per night. The suite happened to be full the night we were in town so we opted for the adjacent Ailsa suite which is the room where Eisenhower’s Chief of Staff slept when accompanying the former President.
Culzean Castle is spread out over 600-acres and set high atop the Isle of Arran coastline. The castle has stunning 180 degree views from the south to the north. After checking in, we set out to explore the vast grounds that surround the castle on the eastern side. Whatever direction you go, there are walking trails that lead you to beautiful gardens, cliffs that lead down to the sea, and lush forests with deer and other wildlife. The place is absolutely magical no matter which direction you go.
The lodging at Culzean Castle is 5 star all around. There is a full time butler staff at the Castle to help you with just about anything you could possibly need. One of my favorite parts of staying at the castle is the Eisenhower study. We enjoyed spending time in the large study before we went to Turnberry for dinner. When we returned home we had a pre-arranged whiskey flight waiting for us at our same table. Sitting inside the study and sipping on a late night Scotch prior to heading back to the room was one of the highlights of the entire trip. You could picture some of the important people of history enjoying the same nightcap.
We woke up the next morning and had one of the best meals of our trip. The breakfast at Culzean Castle is great! After finishing, we took the hour long tour that is offered to the public. The tour was interesting and the hotel guests get to enjoy it for free. It allows you to get a more in depth history lesson of the castle where you were lucky enough to have spent the night.
The Eisenhower at Culzean Castle Maybole, Scotland
In summary, I highly recommend staying at Culzean Castle. It is a little bit of a trek from the Prestwick/Troon area but it’s absolutely worth it.
