Robert Adam’s cliff-top masterpiece rises above a world of woods, beaches, secret follies and play parks

Discover 40 buildings and secret follies in this country park, including the magnificent cliff-top castle.Don’t miss Robert Adam’s Oval Staircase – the dramatic centrepiece of the castle.Explore the woods, beaches, parkland, Swan Pond, deer park and cliffs.Admire the enormous collection of flintlock pistols and military swords.Run wild in the Adventure Cove and Wild Woodland play areas.This glorious 260ha estate was once the playground of David Kennedy, 10th Earl of Cassillis – a man who was keen to impress with his wealth and status. Opulent to the extreme, the park is planted with conifers and beech, sculpted around miles of sandy coastline dotted with caves, and finished off with a Swan Pond, an ice house, flamboyant formal gardens and fruit-filled glasshouses.

The castle itself is perched on the Ayrshire cliffs, incorporating everything the earl could wish for in his country home. It was designed by Robert Adam in the late 18th century and is filled to the turrets with treasures that tell the stories of the people who lived here.