Day 18- Brodick Castle on Arran

Brodick Castle is close to the sea on the opposite shore from the ferry terminal.

This is a National Trust for Scotland property, so if you have a membership then entrance is free for you.

The grounds are extensive and there are at least two entrances on the left-hand side of the road as you head northwards . The gardens are lovely and extensive and not overly manicured, so natural woods dotted with rhododendrons and tree ferns are the first items visitors walk past. The main features besides the castle are the Bavarian Summer House and the lovely Walled Garden.

The Summer House seen in the garden today was constructed in a Bavarian style as a wedding present for Princess Marie of Baden. Her marriage to William, who later became the 11th Duke of Hamilton, was the catalyst for Brodick’s expansion into the luxurious castle seen today. Marie was the cousin of Napoleon III and the marriage elevated the Hamiltons to a new social standing. She was often marooned at Brodick Castle while her husband travelled widely across Europe, so the summer house was supposed to make her time on Arran pass by more quickly in familiar surroundings, for at least part of the time anyway.