From gardens to hidden art, I instantly fell in love
SEAN BATTY BRODICK CASTLE
I visited Brodick Castle in Arran as part of my Sean’s Scotland programme last year and instantly fell in love with the place.
It has beautifully kept gardens, almost tropical looking, and you should keep an eye out for all the hidden silver art installations, which glisten if you’re lucky enough to be there when the sun shines.
One thing that really blew me away was the Bavarian summer house, which is like nothing you’ll ever have seen before. Most of the inside is made up of pine cones and, as you look around in awe, you can just imagine all the work that went into making this and the other three that used to be in the grounds.
The castle has an amazing history and, while you’re there, you really feel transported back to a place of time of lavish Victorian luxury and leisure. While wandering the vast rooms, I could really imagine myself living that life and
I’m sure I’d have been very comfortable.
The recent works that have taken place at Brodick Castle have made this a perfect venue to spend a whole day, exploring the castle and gardens, playing in the newly created arcade room, looking out for red squirrels and topping it off with a visit to the gift shop. The castle is owned by the National Trust for Scotland, which has worked tirelessly to make this a great place for people to visit for generations to come. But NTS is a charity itself and we know it has been badly impacted by the pandemic, with a major drop in income. This puts properties it owns, like Brodick Castle, at risk.