8.7.11 – Dailly, Culzean Castle, and Girvan, Scotland

I'm not sure if we were experiencing jet lag or just exhaustion from the flights, but we slept in on Sunday morning. Of course this threw us off my not-very-realist schedule, but it couldn't be helped. Once up, fed, and caffeinated, we headed to the lounge to check e-mail (there was only WiFi in the lounge and only limited hours) and planned to stay a bit close to home, visiting Culzean Castle and perhaps venturing to the nearby beach of Girvan.

With directions in hand we were off for our coastal drive north, but still in South Ayrshire, to visit Culzean. It is definitely worth the trip. It reminded me a bit of Biltmore with the lush trees and foliage as you drive in, as well as the hydrangeas. I couldn't believe it when I saw the palm trees, but it is southern Scotland. The audio tour filled us in on Dwight D. Eisenhower's stay here (he was given an apartment, lucky man). The rain did cause us to be unable to take in the grounds, but we were the last to exit the castle.

Girvan was our next stop, first to get some gelato that I spotted as we turned into the public parking lot. Mine had Scottish toffee and was quite good. Kent stuck to the healthier raspberries. Seeing that the drizzle had ended and the sun was peaking out, we headed to the beach. It was way too windy and cold to fully enjoy, but luckily the water had not made the sand muddy, and it did give us an opportunity to get a closer view of Aisla Craig, which we saw on the beginning of the coastal drive. Makes me think of Devil's Tower in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Once we were thoroughly windblown, we headed back to the main square and had dinner at an Indian restaurant. I loved the saffron rice and was equally pleased with the charming bathroom trashcan. The day finished with a great deal of helpful information from the owner of the Girvan Gift Shop/The Sweetie Shop. I of course exited with sweeties.