Details
Cultural Attraction: Castle and Garden
Region: Arran Isle – Argyll & Bute
Location: 2 miles north of Brodick Calmac ferry terminal on A841, Brodick, Isle of Arran, Scotland, UK KA27 BHY
Hours: Park open 10AM – 5PM daily. Castle and concessions closed Nov – Feb.
Pet friendly: Yes in park. Service animals only in Castle and walled garden.
Handicapped accessible: Yes to castle and concessions. No on most trails.
Restrooms: Yes
DEN Rating: 9/10
Website: https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/brodick-castle
Full Admission:
- Adults – $15.50
- Seniors (60+) – $11.00
- Children (5-15) – $9.00 (kids under 5 FREE)
- Family – $40.00
- 1 Adult Family – $29.00
- Young Scot – $1
Gardens and Park Only Admission:
- Adults – $8.50
- Seniors (60+) – $7.00
- Children (5-15) – $6.00 (kids under 5 FREE)
- Family – $23.00
- 1 Adult Family – $17.00
- Young Scot – $1
Managed By: National Trust for Scotland
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Brodick Castle is the historic seat of the Dukes of Hamilton on Arran Island. What began as a 13th century Viking fortress overlooking the Firth of Clyde has expanded over the centuries into the lavish palace we see today, with the current castle constructed in the late 1500s and the last expansion in the mid 1800s. An expansive estate surrounds the castle including a sumptuous Victorian formal walled garden plus miles of trails through the surrounding parkland.
What is now the front of Brodick Castle is also the newest section of the castle, constructed in the Victorian era.
Brodick Castle
What began as a Viking fortress over a thousand years ago is today Brodick Castle, the most prominent and largest castle on Isle of Arran, complete with a formal garden and a massive estate surrounding it. The oldest parts of the structure standing today date from the 1100s. This section, which is actually the front … Read more
What You Will See
Various portions of the castle are tourable, including a gorgeous dining rooms and parlours with fine period furniture. The main floor study / library is an amazing space where we hung out for some time looking at everything. The first floor hallway is incredible, with beautiful red velvet curtains adorning the windows. The art collection of 18th century author William Beckford is housed in the castle as well. Near the end of the visit there is, of course, a dungeon. The castle gift shop includes a small Victorian arcade which is pretty cool.
There are a few historical pieces in the furniture collection which are frankly pretty racist – the National Trust argues that hiding such objects feels like an attempt to sanitize the past and the public is better served by keeping them on display and acknowledging the history behind these objects which allows for visitors to engage in discussion.
The formal walled garden is just below the main castle terrace and is just lovely. It includes some really interesting plants as well as some nice garden statuary. The sloped angle of the garden creates a lovely view from the top. We spent a lot of time talking to a local artist who was installing a new garden sculpture here. He explained that the garden is able to successfully host the variety of plants it contains due to the mild climate of the island and protected location of the castle. As a gardener I was in heaven!
Beyond the main castle complex are acres of park and woods with a network of ten miles of trails. Most of the trails are wide and well built, offering viewing of a diversity of plants and trees as well as the possibility to spot the abundant Scottish wildlife including red squirrels and deer. A few trails lead past small waterfalls and pools. For families the big destination is the Isle Be Wild adventure play park – a forest playground with two sections: one for the little ones and another for big kids which has zip wires and bridges.
The Castle Cafe, located near the parking area, offers coffee and tea as well as light lunch fare and snacks plus indoor seating.
Tours
Castle staff are available in most spaces throughout the castle to answer questions and provide further insight into life at the castle as well as details about important historic objects. No guided tours are available.
Entry Considerations
For the most part there are no special considerations needed to visit Brodick Castle. There is ample parking and the castle is never so busy that advanced tickets are needed. Just show up and pay at the entry gate.
Facilities And Mobility Considerations
As far as castles go, this is one of the more friendly ones to folks with mobility limitations or disabilities. The main floor of the castle is accessible via a ramp, and the first floor via a lift. The upper terrace of the formal garden is accessible, as is the gift shop and cafe. There are wheelchair-friendly restrooms and priority parking. The trails are generally more rugged and vary from moderately difficult to extremely difficult in a wheelchair.
Overall Impression
Brodick Castle is well worth a visit. We spent two hours here but we could have easily spent the entire day. In two hours we saw the castle and garden but barely any of the trails. While the castle exterior is fairly plain, the period furniture and exquisite decor of the interior is gorgeous. If you are into rare or unusual plants you’ll love the formal walled garden. If it’s a nice day out I would plan to spend the afternoon here and spend some time strolling the grounds.
