Culzean Castle
Ayrshire
Culzean Castle and Country Park, one of the National Trust for Scotland’s most important properties, was given to them in 1945. The castle, a castellated country house built from 1777 to 1792 by Robert Adam for the tenth Earl of Cassillis in a dramatic setting on the coast of Ayrshire, with 600 acres of parkland and the estate, is open all year. Following contact with the National Parks Service in North America, crucial in the early stages of planning, the park (the first country park in Scotland) was opened in the early 1970s in partnership with the local authorities. An education service was established, providing an excellent base for the future. The present day success of the educational programme at Culzean is indebted to these exemplary beginnings.
Based on an integrated scheme of incorporating the whole estate with the castle, the site offers a rich variety of interest of historical, architectural, environmental and natural resources. Rangers provide a service of more than thirty educational programmes for 18,000 school children each year. To ensure their programmes are relevant to the students, close liaison is maintained with the local education authorities and schools. The excellent facilities on site, such as the Home Farm Visitor Centre and the purpose-built education room in the Clocktower, provide the perfect base for activities and programmes, indoors and outdoors. Concentrated training of the loyal and committed staff and volunteers, long term planning and good operational skills are seen as essential to the operation. All the staff are involved in all the activities.
Schools pay a reduced admission fee and their carefully-planned time on the estate concentrates on activities (they are encouraged not to use work sheets but to absorb the environment). Schools can visit independently. A range of programmes covers history, art and architecture, geography, science, biology and conservation management using Culzean’s rich resources. These include stables, a gas house, woodland and cliffside walks, wildlife garden, pagoda, swan pond, aviary, camellia house and ice house. Exhibitions are considered essential, to encourage repeat visits, and highlight different aspects of the property: one illustrates wine-making methods based on the restored vinery in the grounds.
Culzean sees itself as the ‘standard setter’ for integrated heritage management and conservation. Simplicity in all aspects is regarded as key to their huge success as well as continual evaluation and contact with the local community, teacher training colleges and Paisley University. Funding is provided not only from the NTS but also from a loyal group of individual supporters and various Scottish educational foundations. JH
|
|
