We began with a drive around Troon and a compulsory stop for me, to take a few photos of the Royal Troon golf course clubhouse. One goal on this trip was to visit the pro shop to possibly purchase a wee souvenir. Indeed I did visit, and indeed I did make a purchase, and indeed the price was far from "wee". But I am now the proud owner and (given the weather,) a perpetual wearer, of a cosy navy blue vest with the Royal Troon insignia. I've hardly had it off since then as the weather has been, to be kind, suitable for adding an extra layer of warmth. And then we were off again.
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| Clubhouse at Royal Troon |
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| We entered here the next day |
Arguably the most famous name associated with Ayrshire is Robert Burns. I can claim no connection. However, Dorothy is a volunteer with the National Trust at the Robert Burns Memorial and Museum. She, of course, knows all of the other volunteers there and we had a few chats as we toured. On arrival, we made for the cafe to sample the coffee. During our pit stop, it began to rain - as promised in the forecast. However, as we put cups down on saucers in preparation for touring the grounds, the rain stopped and the sun came out again.
The Burns' memorial has been recently restored. It's quite magnificent and has a great deal of symbolism incorporated in the design. Having had inside connections during the restoration, Dorothy was able to climb the scaffolding and see for herself the minute detail of the original carvers. From the ground, nobody will ever see the fine carving on the tops of the pillars. There are a lot of Masonic symbols also. Water had done a lot of damage over the years and restoration took about 18 months. The local granite is nicely showcased in the finished work. We climbed to the viewing platform and had some lovely views of the surrounding countryside.
From there it was on to the old graveyard in Alloway, the name of the village. Right at the entrance is the grave of William Burns, father of Robert. Not far away are a few very old headstones that instead of words carved on the face, have representations of the person's life. The vertical hourglass means a natural death, a horizontal version means the occupant of the grave met an untimely end.
A visit to the Burns' cottage was not possible as it is closed while the roof is re-thatched. With the recent terribly cold and wet weather it is a painstakingly slow task, but we were able to watch the thatcher at work for a while.
Then it was off on another little drive to the grounds of Culzean Castle. (pronounced culleen). Wowser what a beauty. The grounds seem endless and there are lots of areas to explore. The castle itself was closed so no tour was possible. Below the castle are caves connected to the building above by an interior staircase. These caves, with access also to the sea, proved to be the feature that made "rum-running" possible and undoubtedly built, or helped to build, the fortune of the Kennedy family who owned the estate.
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| Culzen Castle |
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| On the castle grounds |
While on the grounds we met a friend of Robert's who happens to be a member at Royal Troon. I was introduced as a golfer and this lovely chap invited us to join him for coffee at the golf club the next day. What a wonderful coincidence, being at the right place at the right time. Oh yes, we accepted the invitation.
After our various tours, we stopped at a small cafe in Alloway for a bowl of soup and another view of the Burns cottage.
From there we headed back to Troon for a bit of a respite from walking and the rain began again. It was impossibly amazing that whenever we were sightseeing on foot, the rain stopped and the sun shone.
That evening we picked up some freshly caught and cooked "on the spot" fish and chips at the Wee Hurrie at Troon Harbour. I chose the sea bass and it was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. It was the perfect ending of another wonderful day in Scotland.
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