Royal Artillery Cottage - Culzean Castle

Had a fantastic time will definitely come back again .

What a beautiful view of the sunset in such fantastic surroundings . Accommodation was perfect . At times it felt we had the whole grounds to ourselves perfect for walks with the dogs . Amazing time

Spacious cottage in an unbeatable location!

We enjoyed the views towards Arran and the sound of lapping waves - this is the ultimate place to unwind. Staff at the castle were super friendly, definitely take the free guided tour! We cooked our own dinners in the well-stocked cottage but there’s plenty of restaurants around - we enjoyed lunch in Dunure harbor and in the castle café. Definitely a place to come back to.

This is our 3rd stay in Artillery cottage and since the last time it has been done up.

But ,although the bathroom looked alot better and was less hospital bathroom looking it smelled really bad . We tried allsorts including my husband and my sons girlfriend on their knees clearing out he shower drain where they found a stone and alot of detritus and also the drain pipe isn't fitted right . So instead of spending 100s on fancy pots and battery operated bins they should really spend the money on the plumbing . Also we had to buy a set of Allen keys at a cost of £10 because the table was wobbling like mad ,almost impossible to use it. And the chairs. It hadn't been put together properly . I think for the money being charged I expected a table we could sit at for a meal. We really love Culzean its beautiful and peaceful. But as far as the cottage well I think it was fine before the redecoration only improvement was a hard floor in the hall way . Kitchen is well equipped A few more teaspoons too please. Everything was clean . Beds are soft but comfortable.

Royal Artillery is a wonderful cottage!

It’s spacious, comfortable and very well equipped. The views are fantastic. There are great walks around the castle and country park, so no need to get in the car every day. It was a very relaxing holiday. The only sound at night was the gentle murmur of the water, the only light was from the houses on Arran across the water. I slept most nights with the curtains on the sea side open to take advantage of all this. The cottage was warm when I arrived and a light was left on - it was a great welcome. Having read the reviews, I’d stopped to get food on the way and soon had a meal prepared. I’d love to stay again at Royal Artillery cottage.

Absolutely spotless property with excellent facilities and equipped with everything you need for a lovely holiday.

Perfect for us and our dog Ted, we only left the grounds twice during our stay. Miles of great walks, access to a couple of beaches. We can highly recommend, loved it here.

Very cold accommodation.

Despite what it says in literature, you cannot change the temperature in premises. Front door is ridiculously stiff and hard to open both entering and leaving. I’m a big strong man and I struggled with it every single time. The double bed is two small beds pushed together. A memory sheet which was far too small was then put on perpendicular to the shape of the bed. Its attaching strap was broken so it in no way fitted the bed. A badly fitted sheet was then put on top. Both the sheet and memory sheet came off on the first night. There was no comfort for the whole week. The kitchen wasn’t very clean. The cooker canopy was thick with dirt and grease, so much that I could write CLEAN ME! in it with my finger. The fridge was the most hopeless fridge I’ve ever encountered. You want a cold drink? Forget it. You’d be better leaving your drink outside overnight. Useless. Property has stupid sliding doors everywhere. Why? They should be replaced with normal doors. The code number for the barrier to access the estate grounds and the property were changed and I was not informed. The couch was terrible, offered no support. One sinks into it and my back was wrecked within minutes of sitting on it. I could not use it again for the entire week. The whole place needs to be deep cleaned as it is dirty and grimy.

Better than ever.

We have stayed at Royal Artillery now for a number of times over the years. We have always enjoyed our stays there. Imagine our delight and surprise this year to see that it had been excellently refurbished. We were so taken with the place that we have already booked again for next year. Highly recommended.

Fabulous setting in a very comfortable cottage, everything required for a comfortable stay, so much to see in the castle grounds there is no need to leave the grounds but places of interest nearby and great walking trails.

For sat nav to get there easily in what3words is “ spiking.scatters.reveal. We found this better navigation especially in the dark!

Royal Artillery Cottage is very well placed in the grounds of the castle (well worth a visit) and on the cliff overlooking the see (great views from all the rooms).

The cottage is very comfortable and well set up. The additional oil-filled heaters were needed but the cottage was lovely and warm with them. There were a few annoying issues. 1. Because the cottage needs the extra heaters they are stowed away in wardrobes along with other items (I couldn't get into the wardrobe in the twin room until I'd moved a heater, a child's high chair and a Henry vacuum cleaner). 2. Drainage in the wet room isn't sufficient to cope with the shower (they are clearly aware of this as a squeegee mop is provided to get rid of the substantial puddle that floods between the shower and the bathroom door even when it's a very short shower). I suspect it's a combination of a shower door that doesn't quite reach the floor (poor workmanship) and old drainage systems versus modern showers. 3. You have to provide your own toilet paper (we got one and a half rolls as a 'starter pack'). Given this is not a cheap cottage to rent, this seems rather penny-pinching. I suggest that they inform prospective clients about this on their website... then ask their marketing team how that might look. There was one problem that was concerning: on our first night the boiler started to leak all over the kitchen bench at 10pm. I phoned the emergency number but it went to voicemail, and I had to chase the office a couple of times in the morning to get it resolved. The boiler was fixed and the explanation for a lack of response is that there was no signal for the emergency mobile phone. This is something that should be addressed. All that said, my mother and I had a good time at the cottage and didn't let these irritants spoil the holiday.

Thank you so much for a lovely stay.

The views from Royal Artillery Cottage are stunning. We’ll be back!

The cottage is pleasantly decorated and very comfortable for us and our 2 grandchildren.

The location is amazing and we loved to be so close to the sea. A few things could be improved: instructions for washer dryer and coffee machine. A map - we had to go up to the visitor centre for one. A spare set of bedding/blanket/duvet. (We had an accident and needed to change bedding overnight and there was none. Housekeeping were v helpful and efficient the next morning.) Update directions to show staying on A77 until sign for Culzean (rather than going on B Road). Update notes to show access via A77 to Maybole Coop shop for necessities and also Maybole Swimming Pool for rainy days. Finally, more about Culzean Castle than the Lodge - the cafes are really a bit half hearted and you could do so much better and more by offering different options in each location, ie coffee/tea with cakes and Scottish pastries for lunch with proper china not polystyrene boxes. Perhaps a variety of higher quality Scottish themed meal options at the main home Farm restaurant. Build a picnic options at Swan Pond Cafe to add to the lovely ice creams at the Aviary and more cover to eat near the wonderful playground!

Came here on day visits many times and always had to drive home so never had chance to be there in the evening to watch the sun go down, until now.

I spent 4 nites in this cottage with grandchildren, we all absolutely loved every moment, everything you need was provided, staff were all so polite and helpful, will definitely be booking again, highly recommended

We had taken our granddaughters as they had heard so much about the adventure playground.

However when we arrived there was a notice saying it was closed for maintenance. If we had known that in advance we would not have booked at this time. At the very least we should have been told not all the facilities were available.

A beautiful cottage in a stunning location.

Accomodation, fixtures, fittings, were top notch. I have no hesitation in giving this property and location 5 stats.

Amazing week, despite coffee machine saga.

Excellent staff, very helpful, informative and all went that extra mile. Fabulous place to walk, view gardens and just relax. Will be back.

We have stayed at the Royal Artillery Cottage many times and were delighted to see that it has had a complete refurbishment since we last visited.

Delighted with the upgraded WiFi and, bathroom and kitchen facilities. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay as this one of our favourite places to visit and we have been visitors to Culzean Castle for many years. We, including the dogs, love having the park to ourselves when it is closed. We would thoroughly recommend staying here.

We had a really good holiday here, wonderful views from the cottage across to Arran and fabulous grounds.

Fulmars soaring by the kitchen window. Cafe in courtyard was excellent. Front door very difficult to open. Like many holiday cottages, no storage space in kitchen for food items although there is plenty of space for a set of shelves in the kitchen.

Had a lovely stay , weather certainly helped .

This is our 4th stay at the flat and the location can not be beaten . Slight problem with the hot water . We googled a fix and it worked fortunately . We would definitely book again

Another superb visit to Royal Artillery Cottage.

As ever, lovely and clean. It was nice to see new bedding, a new larger screen TV for evening viewing and an excellent upgrade to the WiFi to bring it in line with todays expected facilities. Any problems and the on site team are so, so helpful. We had a slight problem with the Freesat box. It was sorted very promptly and efficiently. If I could add one thing. As a ‘sassenach’ from south of the border could I ask that the rubbish disposal processes be updated. It may sound silly, but the colouring and use of the different rubbish bins is so different, and it took us a while to realise which coloured bin was for which type of rubbish. All in all I cannot recommend the site, accommodation and service enough. Absolutely brilliant. Already booked for next year.

One of my favourite places has always been Culzean Castle so to be able to stay in one of the residences is a real privilege.

Having the park almost to yourself in the morning was my idea of bliss - just me and my daft Labrador

Fantastic views!

Very good for disabled travellers. Pristine throughout. One flaw - none of us, including staff from NTS on site, could get the central heating to work. However, NTS staff were so helpful in providing space heaters.

Absolutely loved the cottage and location!

Plan to return.

A fantastic location with astonishing views.

We loved looking over to Arran though a pity windows so small so not as much could be seen. The bathroom and conversion did not meet our expectations for this price- the water in the shower did not drain properly but there was plenty of hot water. There was mould residue on the wooden clothes rack in the kitchen & needs replacing. Kitchen equipment adequate. Beds were comfortable for us. Electric chargers on site don’t work after hours. Decor was fine and main bedroom roomy.

Lovely cottage, we had a brilliant week.

We were warm and cozy with gorgeous views across the Firth of Clyde and the opportunity to roam the very beautiful grounds of the fabulous Culzean Castle. Would heartily recommend, what a gem!

Stayed the last week of February and it was was lovely, nice and quiet just what was needed.

Being disabled it suited my needs exactly. Everything you needed for a stay was there. The only negative point and it’s a very small point would be to oil the runners on the doors as very squeaky, couldn’t sneak in for midnight feast

Love the flat and will probably stay again .

Our only feedback is the double bed . It is too springy for our backs.

Excellent accommodation.

Well appointed. Unlike some earlier reviews we had no problem with the heating. The oil filled radiator in the bedroom wasn’t needed, but we appreciated its presence for potentially colder weather. This was out third year using the accommodation, and we have never been let down. We have booked next year already.

The location is outstanding and the property although adequate in size is rather spartan.

However, a big disappointment was the the heating was faulty. This was more annoying as there have been a number of reports saying that the heating had been faulty on previous occasions: not a satisfactory situation as we were without the proper heating for our first night. However, in reporting the fault, Hayley brought us oil heaters to heat the house and she was an outstanding asset.

Really lovely place with fabulous views and doorstep access to a beautiful country park.

Huge main bedroom and bathroom. Smaller twin room and kitchen all with sea views over Arran. Surrounding area rich in places to visit, eat and walk. Downside was really noisy plumbing with a vibrating airlock and gurgling in the boiler when kitchen sink empties or toilet flushed! Running cold kitchen tap cleared it temporarily. Underfloor heating also not working as intended thermostats set for low 20s - reached maximum of 13 degC in twin room, 14 degC in corridor and main bedroom, 17 degC in living room and 19 degC in kitchen although it felt cooler. NTS Hayley really kind and quick and helpful on day 1 and space heaters rapidly delivered which did a fabulous job heating the rooms. We called again and we had a further visit from NTS maintenance staff (?Andy) who turned up the thermostat targets but without improvement. Heating Engine / Plumber did not come as we were advised they would on day 3 Monday but we didn’t chase as we were having a lovely holiday in a beautiful place and were very comfortable.

The cottage is superb, the grounds are stunning but can someone please sort out the underfloor heating.

Initially it wasn’t working so no hot water or heating but NTS staff reacted exceptionally well and had plumber in within a couple of hours, well done. Once fixed, the heating just kept heating and as I looked at thermostats they were all set to 25 or 26 degrees, our dogs thought they were on a hot plate. I reduced all to much lower temperature but after a while they all reset back to the higher temperature. Perhaps the thermostats could be made so that in order to alter temperature the NTS staff are required, I realise that is extreme but very evident that someone has been randomly attempting to adjust the temperatures and messing up the controls. Aside from that a great visit as always and really it isn’t the problems that cause issues, they only become an issue if they cannot be addressed and I have to commend the staff with how they dealt with us, even providing mobile electric radiators to warm the cottage until the heating could take over. Also a tv in the bedroom would be fantastic as being wheelchair bound I sometimes like to stretch out on top of the bed to ease pain and a tv would help pass the time more easily as I do this. Will definitely be back.

Lovely cottage in fabulous surroundings.

Such a treat driving through the park, past the castle to the cottage. Felt very special and easy parking for 2 cars. Lovely and cosy when we entered. Very well appointed facilities, especially the kitchen and amazing views from all the rooms. Only criticism was the mattresses - far too soft and unsupportive. Bed linen, however, was crisp and comfortable. Loved the tartan curtains and matching cushions.

We had a really great week in the cottage, location was fabulous.

Cottage itself was clean,warm and nicely furnished, the kitchen was well.equipped and had everything we needed. The bathroom was a little clinical and could have done with a little decorative touch to make it a bit less hospital bathroom and more comfy cottage but that's minor really. Beds were soft but comfy A mat by front door would be good too . I really liked that the property was carpeted and not hard floors in the living area and hall so I hope you don't change that . Some sort of draught excluder on the outside door from the kitchen could be provided as in the stormy weather it was blowing a hoolie under the door and also rain coming in under the door to form quite a puddle on the kitchen floor We enjoyed the tea room and the walks on the estate , all in all a very special place and we will definitely be booking again. One touch I did really miss having stayed in many holiday cottages is there was no visitors book,they are really good to read previous visitors experiences and recommendations of places to visit ,shop and eat and also any quirks of the property that other visitors would find useful.

The cottage was better than expected.

It was clean and beautiful. The kitchen was well outfitted with utensils, dishes, pans, etc. The view out the windows was spectacular. The interior was cozy and comfortable. We loved our stay there! Note to owner: the kitchen sink warm faucet drips, wasting water.

Beautiful cottage on the lovely Culzean Castle estate.

Evening walks after Castle visiting hours were wonderful, felt like we were the only ones there. Cottage itself had all we needed.

This is our 5th stay in 2 years.

As always a fantastic stay in a wonderful location. We love having Culzean to ourselves when the park is closed. Thank you NTS

The cottage, location, upkeep etc was fantastic.

We’ve had a wonderful time and we will be back. The access to the extended grounds was just what we needed as a family. We couldn’t fault the place. The best thing is that, when staying in the cottage, you have 24/7 access to the gounds meaning you can go for walks in the exceptional surroundings whenever you want…..even when it’s closed.

Really lovely cottage in spectacular location, also a great deal of thought has been given to accessibility.

The cottage location and surroundings were fabulous.

The ramp at the door was too steep for independent wheelchair use and therefore limiting. The bed in the larger bedroom was too soft and the plumbing had an issue. Every time the toilet flushed it was noisy and the kitchen tap started running. The cottage was well appointed, but a wee bit salt/pepper would be good. We left our salt for the next visitors.

Location is second to none!

Surroundings are unique and beautiful and we thoroughly enjoyed the gardens, the country park and the views from the property. However, in the lounge it would’ve been helpful to have a higher level comfy chair for my elderly mum to get out of unaided as this is marketed as an accessible unit.

Well equipped spacious cottage in a beautiful setting.

Our 3rd stay here and will definitely be back. Great to see that the foliage had been cut away from the windows exposing the amazing views out to sea.

Lovely cottage right on the coast and beside Culzean castle itself.

Great grounds to explore especially after closing time when very quiet. Well equipped. Restaurants and cafes in nearby Maybole.

Great location and to have the park to ' yourself' in the morning is worth every penny .

We have booked again for next year . I just hope they get a new mattress, its too soft for our liking !

This is our second year at Royal Artillery and we were not disappointed.

Superbly clean accommodation. Kitchen equipped with everything you could possibly need. Considering it is pet friendly accommodation, not a hint of pet smells or hairs. Excellent.

Very comfortable flat with great views.

The whole place was immaculate.

Comfortable accommodation in a great location.

Happy to recommend and hope to return.

Great property in a stunning location.

The cottage was immaculate when we got there, the only criticism I have is the fact you walked in straight onto the hall carpet with dirty dogs.

A mat to stand on may be beneficial but definitely didn’t spoil our holiday

The grounds and garden are excellent, great access to the sea too.

The cottage could be made warm and cosy and the housekeeper came quickly when we needed help with the television ( if instructions had been left in the cottage we could have sorted it ourselves). But for the most expensive cottage we have ever rented in nearly fifty years experience we thought it was rather meanly resourced: no chairs in the bedroom, only six small plates, four mugs and breakfast bowls, minimal ovenware and no washing up liquid. The sliding doors are very heavy and noisy. The tree growth over the windows is disappointing and the ivy had not been cut back ( as promised in an earlier review ) we enjoyed our time but improvements to the above would make it better value.

Very well appointed and clean kitchen.

....Living and dining area 1 dining room chair requires fixing..very shaky. Overhead light very poor. Standard Lamp 1 bulb missing..no replacement left....Torches not working ..no rechargeable batteries as advertised.....Seating too low for disabled person ..a raiser could be fitted at very low cost...Sliding door between Dining and hall requires attention. Had to replace overhead light in hall bulb left...Bathroom Perfect. Bedroom 1 clean and tidy..bedroom 2 large and easy for wheelchair...however all mattresses require replacing as all were sagging in the centre so not a lot of sleep. Found myself sitting on the base and almost fell on the floor making this dangerous. The linen on all beds were Pristine this was great. I had asked for the double bed to have made into two singles this was not done. No linen left that we could do this ourselves. If all the little tweeks were done I would have no hesitation on recommending this cottage to anybody. It seems a great pity that the complaints let this cottage in such lovely surroundings down. And at the price I would have expected better and also being a member of the trust I felt very let down. Remember it is being advertised as a disabled cottage and this is from a disabled point of view. Evelyn Conn.

Another wonderful stay at Culzean.

Well appointed, comfortable cottage in a superb location. Wi-Fi was reliable all week, supporting 3-4 devices. I agree with other comments regarding the growth over the view from the windows. It is disappointing to have such a wonderful view obscured however we understand it is a very specialist job, pruning the growth from the cliff face and have been assured that this is in hand. We would be disappointed if this hadn’t been sorted by the time we return next year. The joy of having the grounds to yourself before and after day trip visitors is second to none. A very enjoyable week. Thank you NTS

No view from some windows due to overgrown young sycamore trees.

The views are part of the main attraction of this cottage. This can be very easily remedied by 10 minutes work with a pair of loppers/secateurs. The internet connection did not work. There was no information as to how to turn off the annoying orange lights in the rooms at night . Bathroom window does not open. All this is a bit thoughtless and unimaginative on the part of the landlords, esp as it is pretty expensive (£1196 for 6 days)

We had a lovely peaceful stay.

The cottage was clean and deceptively spacious in a beautiful location. We loved exploring the grounds once all the day visitors have left. The only thing to point out is the sliding doors were a bit of an issue as they do not run smoothly and make a bit of noise especially if you are trying to move around the property quietly so as not to disturb anyone first thing in the morning. We will definitely be back as Culzean is one of our favourite places to visit and we have stayed many times before in some of the other properties onsite.

We had a very peaceful and restful stay in artillery cottage.

The rooms are spacious, the beds are comfortable and we enjoyed the views of Arran and the sea from the windows.

For the most part the cottage was very clean with some noticeable exceptions.

We have enjoyed several NT properties in England, they have all been warm welcoming and full of character. This cottage offered none of these. The biggest problem is the underfloor heating does not warm the cottage sufficiently, the bathroom radiator made it the only really warm room. A dull week in July still needed to use the electric fire. The kitchen felt like a cold dark cave as what sunshine we had could not penetrate through the ivy growing on the window, in fact most of the views of the sea was obscured by ivy & trees. The cottage was every shade of grey & beige with nothing like pictures or ornaments to give local character. The state of the art coffee maker, but no washing up gloves kitchen rolls anti bac or dish cloths. Instruction manuals but no guest book or information on the area (I left some brochures for the next guests), which were given to me at the Burns museum by their very helpful staff. This cottage is in a wonderful location, and with some small changes could be a much better experience.

This is super little flat and very good if you are disabled, all very well kitted out.

Staying at the Castle is just such fun. We found so many different walks to do and could plan them around strolling somewhere for a coffee!!! The gardens are wonderful and the only extra thing we would have liked, was somewhere close to sit outside in the evening. As it was quite cold, that did not matter much and we could always walk to some of the nearby benches.

We had a wonderful holiday- the proximity to the sea and the many beautiful and varied walks ,provided rest and inspiration to us.

We fell asleep at night to the lapping of the waves .The house was very comfortable and beautifully cared for with period details in the interior furnishings. We cant wait to return

We enjoyed our stay - it was lovely to be able to have time to wander throughout the estate!

House is clean and comfortable but there are simple things which have been previously suggested ( reviews August/ October 2021) which have not yet been addressed. If attended to they would make a big difference to the experience of living in the cottage.

The cottage was very clean and comfortable.

The location was fantastic. Walking the dogs within the country park and along to Maidens was an absolute pleasure!

We stayed in January.

The cottage is heated by underfloor heating and an electric fire. It has single glazed sash windows which were very draughty. Heavy curtains but still draughty. The grounds of Culzean were amazing we explored every path which was a delight. A day visitor to the grounds could never do them justice. Would highly recommend.

The cottage and it’s location was excellent.

My only gripe was that a DVD player was listed but not there. For a dog owner and wheelchair user the location was faultless. Will most definitely be back.

Lovely accommodation.

Impressively clean and well appointed. I can’t fault the place. Non existent wifi which didn’t bother us in the slightest, though some people may rely on it. Would most certainly recommend it and use it again.

We found the cottage to be ideal for our holiday.

It was lovely and clean, had plenty of space and even though the underfloor heating wasn’t working, the radiators provided kept the cottage warm. The location was excellent, the views great and plenty of walks and beach for our dog Molly. A couple of things to note: the Wi-Fi speed wasn’t great and had to rely on 4G signal on our mobile phones (not that we should be ‘worrying’ about Wi-Fi on holiday

There is no disputing that this is a unique cottage in a great location and it was a joy to stay.

We had a fantastic week exploring the Ayrshire coastal path, traffic free cycle ways and Arran. However, there were some fundamentals which could be improved. The heating was barely adequate. Any warmth provided from the under floor heating was cancelled out by the draughts through the single glazed west facing windows and the gap under the kitchen door. A draught excluder against the door and secondary double glazing would help retain the heat. The gas fire in the lounge did generate some warmth but this did not extend to the bedrooms. The extra blankets provided proved to be essential. We generally consider ourselves to be fairly hardy, dressing appropriately in cooler weather and keeping our heating low at home, but the cottage was definitely chilly. Parking – we followed the instructions to park across the yard, so it was rather frustrating to find other vehicles parked outside the property with full views into our lounge and ground floor bedroom. It would have been preferable to have our car parked there so strangers could park further away. No visitor information was provided or a guest book from which we could glean any helpful advice. The internet was weak so it was difficult to access information. There weren’t any reference books etc. which may have been helpful. The shower drain needed unblocking. The water spread over the floor and the squeegee brush provided was fairly ineffective. This is probably a maintenance issue. The cutlery and crockery were in some instances in short supply. The cottage sleeps 4 yet only 2 desert spoons were provided. Larger cereal bowls and more mugs/beakers would be useful, along with some microwave dishes with lids. The instructions in the cottage requested that the dishwasher should only be used when full, but there wasn’t enough basic equipment supplied in order to do this, and we ran out of mugs etc. before it was full, so we mainly washed by hand. The ceiling drying rack was useful and clothes washed in the daytime, dried overnight.

Lack of storage in kitchen (very awkward)- and one bedroom.

Lukewarm water. Needed another 2 chairs: Broken chair in bedroom (asked for another but it wasn’t replaced). On a single bed- spring was giving out. We needed more info on how things worked, recycling, opening hours and consistent info generally. Ps it needs a wee brush and pan. But it’s a lovely spot. And they did find us a tea strainer !

It was great to stay within the castle and have it to ourselves when the day visitors had left.

The view from every room was fantastic and the sunset was incredible.