September 2022

After a hiatus of three and a half years (Thanks Covid!) we were back in Scotland. Only this time we would not be alone. Our soon to be two year old son Cillian was making his debut pilgrimage.

After breaking up the journey in the balmy fifty degree heat of Doha, things were about to get cold and windy in the West of Scotland. All the Hamiltons were waiting to greet us at Edinburgh Airport with a big banner and even bigger smiles. After grabbing some coffees (Edit: Coffee is so expensive in the UK!) we headed to the carpark with all our bags. As we were loading the cars we noticed a large Royal Air Force plane taxiing on the runway. It was on a special mission, carrying the coffin of the late HRH Queen Elizabeth II to London for her State Funeral later that week.

A surreal moment, but then this entire trip back would coincide with the Prime Ministerial reign of Liz Truss and by the time we were heading back to Sydney we would have had 2 Heads of State, 3 British Prime Ministers, 3 Chancellor’s of the Exchequers. So much for Australian politics, the UK was about to get someone to hold their beer.

We had a lot more time than normal on this trip, plenty of time for Cillian to play with and get to know his ‘wee’ cousin Grace and plenty more to explore parts new and unknown. Cillian also had the opportunity to lay claim to one of the bedrooms – the newly christened ‘Cillian’s Room’ full of toys new and old.

The ‘Z’ is silent!

25 minutes drive south of Ayr Town is the wondrous coastal castle of Culzean. The former castle and home of the Marquiss of Aisla, the chief of the Kennedy Clan now belongs to the National Trust who have arranged for the castle to be renovated and re-opened to the general public.

It sits on a large Country Park with a number of forest walks that make up part of the Ayrshire Coastal Path, a lake as well as forty distinct buildings. A visitor centre, cafe and shops have been setup and there is even a really cute second hand book-shop in one of the old servants houses. This was the highlight of the visit for Cillian.

The approach to the castle is the best. As you walk from the cafe down past the second hand bookshop – your view is obscured by trees, but once you turn the corner and hit the postern gate – boom there it is in all it’s glory.

You know you are in Robert Burns country by the anti-littering sign in Modern Scots that reads:

Be ye Man – or Bairn or Wumman,

Be ye gaun – or be ye comin,

For Scotland’s Pride – no Scotland’s shame,

Gether yer litter – an tak it Hame!

The castle was designed and built by Robert Adam in the 18th Century and it has turrets, a drum tower and circular saloon that overlooks the sea, with a commanding view of Aisla Craig. It is very impressive and with a rich history that leads all the way to the White House having been visited by two former US Presidents.

There were various willow statues dotted around the grounds, the dragon in the lake and the octopus down by the Gas House to name just two of them. There is a trail of them you can follow and they were installed as part of Scotland’s Year of Coasts & Waters celebration in 2021.

We will dedicate an future stand-alone post to Culzean as it is deserving of that treatment.

To the Manor Born

Ayrshire has historically been a rich farming region. Access to the coast and rich fertile land allowed landowners to generate significant wealth. Since medieval and early modern periods a number of these wealthy aristocratic families built grand estates in and around the town.

These days a lot of them have either been bought by the council or have opened up to the public along with their lands and gardens providing plenty of places to visit nearby. They also are very likely to have some fantastic playgrounds, and in the case of BelleIsle – you can even see some deer.

The mansion house of Belleisle is only a shell now thanks to a major fire during renovation works in 2019, but the main draw is the playground and walled gardens. There is also a restored 19th century Conservatory. From Belleisle it is a small walk to a cracking cafe – The Secret Garden on Dunure Road, located next to the River Doon. They have great food and a lovely courtyard that backs onto the river. After lunch we walked down the country path to the Millennium Bridge and the Ayr coastal walk back up to town.

On another day we all went to visit the Heads of Ayr Farm Park – located just off the Dunure Road past Alloway. It’s a mixture of a zoo, adventure park and farm visit all wrapped into one. The stand out attraction, apart from over 80 different species of animal, is the Tam O’Shantar Express – a miniature railway track. There are numerous playgrounds, slides for adults and kids, as well as a barn full of John Deere toy tractors you can ride around on. You can also pay for bags at reception to feed goats with.

Birthday Boy

Not only was this a trip home but it was also a time of Birthday celebrations as Cillian would turn two while in Scotland. Karen’s mum Bernadette is a fabulous baker so we had timed this visit quite well.

We have had many birthdays and celebrations over the yeas at the Northfield Bowling Club so it was great to add Cillian’s 2nd birthday party to that list. A party complete with a balloon arch, bouncing castle, cakes and treats galore and an arts and crafts table. It was great for Cillian to meet the combined Hamilton and Filippi families and our friends from Glasgow.

A lot of Karen’s aunts and uncles lived in Glasgow so we made a few trips up to the big city so Cillian could spend more time with everyone. In particular he loved playing the piano at the Tuohy house and playing games with aunty Maggie and Rez. He also loved patting Charlie the dog at the Walkers and chatting with aunty Collette.

Oh and on a side note. Ayr was looking great on these cold Autumn days.

Next up is a blog post covering our day trip to the Island of Bute.

Would John make the ferry and get a last minute coffee or would he be stranded in the terminal as the rest of the family set sail. Find out next time.