Notes from the host
Towerhouse Castle Vacation Ren
Starting from £44.35 per person per night based on 16 people staying for 7 nights plus VRBO fees.
A discount has been applied for 4 nights stay or more, please enquire about price.!!!
Price per night is listed is for 2 night stay for 16 people.
Craufurdland Castle is one of the oldest in Scotland has been with the Craufurd of Craufurdland for nearly 800 years. Set in 600 acres of stunning Ayrshire countryside surrounded by woodlands. The home of Adity and Simon who live next door.
It's within 20 minutes of Glasgow yet you feel as if you're miles away from anywhere and can enjoy the tranquillity of the Estate with the hustle and bustle of Glasgow a stone's throw away.
The Estate now boasts a beautiful Cafe/ Restaurant, The Laird's Table serving Scottish local seasonal food with a stunning view over the tranquil Loch.
The 6 double bedrooms, all unique and beautiful, the Georgian Drawing room stunning with spectacular views, and steeped in history sleeps up to 16 guests.
Sleeps up to 12 plus 4, (16), 4 of the 6 bedrooms are ensuite. There are 4 large sofabeds in 3 of the 6 bedrooms. The main bathroom serves the other 2 bedrooms.
Please note: NO Stag or Hen Parties.
5 minutes from Jn 8 of the M77, Kilmarnock, Only 20 mins from Glasgow, 60 mins to Edinburgh.
Craufurdland Castle Tower House is one of Scotland’s Oldest Castles but has newly refurbished interior enjoying fantastic views over the Ayrshire Countryside and set within grand and impressive grounds. Towerhouse is located within the tranquillity of the ancient Craufurdland Estate, with the village of Fenwick, and the town of Kilmarnock within a mile of the two Estate gates. A mere 20 mins drive from Scotland’s biggest and most vibrant city, Glasgow, you can enjoy the tranquillity of the countryside in the morning, followed by the vibrant and lively city in the afternoon, with its numerous excellent restaurants, bars, shopping, museums, Art Galleries and every type of recreation and culture.
Craufurdland Estate offers the perfect outdoor space to enjoy the beautiful Scottish countryside with a wide variety of outdoor pursuits, including Highwire obstacle course, Archery and team activities such as crate stacking, walking through the woodlands and fly-fishing.
ENTRANCE and GARDEN
The Towerhouse experience starts as soon as you arrive at the commanding Entrance, flanked by imposing gate pillars, with views down the half-mile tree-lined avenue which leads to the castle. Keep your eyes peeled for the resident Roe Deer which often bound across the drive, and admire ducks, Heron and leaping Trout in the beautiful Craufurdland Loch.
As you reach the end of the avenue, you can wonder at the strange arched shaped ‘Bee Boles’ set in the wall of the Castle’s old Coach house and Stables (now a private house), before driving down to the castle, whose castellations and tower only appears over the tops of the Rhododendrons as you enter the gardens of the Castle. The imposing Gothic Façade of golden sandstone stands looking over the large gravel driveway which leads to the expansive front lawn with the Ha-Ha wall at the end of the lawn separating the grounds from the field beyond.
The entrance to the Tower house sits discreetly to the righthand side of the castle, within the 13th Century Tower, complete with castellation’s, balistraria and machicolation.
HALL
Entering the Hall of the Towerhouse is like stepping back in time, with the beautiful; sandstone Norman Vaulted ceiling, huge Flagstone floor. Pass through the arched door at the end of the hall to access the Kitchen, Dining Room or Main stairs, with the vaulted utility room and WC off to the right of the Hall.
KITCHEN and DINING
The kitchen boasts a modern bright and carefully designed layout. The quirky windows (one Arched, one Rectangular and one ‘dumbbell’ shaped remind one of TV’s Children to show “Playschool”) make a bright room, and with twin hobs, ovens, fridges, dishwashers, toasters, kettles, this is a kitchen set-up to cater for a house full of hungry mouths.
The Dining Room, connected to the kitchen, or accessed from the Hall, has a large Oak Table with Oak Chairs, comfortably seating 16 diners in Baronial Style.
STAIRS
From the Hall, we can also make our way to the Main stairs, a grand stone stair, with bold mahogany Balustrade. The four flights are climb to the first floor, lit by the large pitched roof lantern high on the ceiling above, illuminating the faces of the gallery of Houison Craufurd Ancestors portraits, who watch over this grand stairwell.
KING JAMES ROOM
On the third landing, next to the dignified 12ft portrait of William Houison Craufurd, is the quaint curved corridor which leads to the first of the 6 bedrooms in Towerhouse. As with all of the bedrooms, it is named after a historical connection to the family. The King James Room is a nicely proportioned room on the first floor of the ancient Tower, and as well as the super king-sized bed (or twin at request) and bedroom furniture this room have some surprises. In one of the deeply recessed windows sits a free-standing double end bath, behind one door, guests find the WC, whilst another hides a sink and mirror, and finally, the third window, which now looks into the building, houses a unique sash-window mirror dressing table.
Continuing up the stairs gives access to the main floor of the Towerhouse, were access to the Drawing Room, a further three bedrooms, and the stone spiral stairs are all found.
DRAWING ROOM
The Drawing room is a glorious celebration of Georgian splendour, with 10ft high windows with higher ceiling and decorative cornice. The Large Marble Fireplace dominates one side of the room, with light flooding the room from two other walls. More family portraits amongst other artworks occupy the walls, whilst the room is furnished with sumptuous Sofas and Arms chairs for the houseguests to relax and enjoy their surroundings and each others company, A large Flat-screen TV and DVD player and PS4 are unimposingly placed in one corner of the room, whilst a chest of drawing brims with cards and board-games.
BARD’S ROOM
The first bedroom we encounter from the first-floor landing is the ‘Bard’s Room’ which has a large picture window overlooking the Back-lawn, and the beautiful 1880 Focardi Marble Statue. With a matching set of Mahogany bedroom furniture, this room man can be set-up as Super-king or twin beds. Complete with ensuite bathroom with its own Roof Lantern, this is a spacious and bright room.
WALLACE SUITE
Next room found down the short corridor from the first-floor landing is the Wallace Suite. All guests gasp as they enter this magnificent Gothic vaulted room. With a ceiling which rises the height two and a half stories, this room is hard to describe fully. The front-facing wall is dominated by a glorious set of four gothic stain-glassed windows, 4 metres high apiece, rising from the 2-metre high window sill, and each with hundreds of diamond-shaped panes. The centre wall has a large fire-place whilst opposite in the centre of the room sits a set of antique iron spiral stairs which rises to the mezzanine floor. Either side of the fireplace are the large sofa-bed, whilst under the mezzanine floor is the door into the suites own ensuite bathroom.
QUEEN MARY ROOM
The third room on the first floor never fails to impress guests, the Queen Mary Room (formerly known as the Long Room), has a tall barrel-vaulted ceiling with wonderful thick cornice. Views of the front lawn can be enjoyed from the luxury of the antique four-poster bed, through the intricate, and tall gothic windows. The ensuite bathroom boasts a spacious shower room with underfloor heated tile floor (as in the other bathrooms).
KNIGHTS ROOM
The two final bedrooms are on the upper floors of the old tower and are accessed from the original stone spiral stairs. These two bedrooms share a large bathroom which is adjacent to the Wallace Suite. The first room on the spiral stair is the Knights's room, which is entered through its own wee corridor. The room with a low ceiling, two full-height windows, and numerous doors and cupboards set into its largely hollow walls would have been the original sleeping area for the tower, so is probably one of Scotland’s Oldest bedrooms still in use. It can be arranged with twin or super-king bed, plus the Tartan Sofa bed can be used for a third person/child.
THE GARRET
A further climb of the stone Spiral Stairs leads guests to the top of the ancient tower, and the ‘Garret’(old Scots for a room at the top of a tower). Ducking through the lower doorway, leads one into this ‘Harry Potter’ style room, with exposed roof rafters at in the ceiling, and views of the castellations through the windows. Again this room can offer accommodation for up to three Guests with super-king or twin bed, plus sofa-bed.
Towerhouse offers a unique, quirky castle experience for up to 16 guests, dripping with history, set in wonderful lush lawns, and with commanding views across the Ayrshire Countryside. Whether you want to luxuriate in the grandeur of the castle or imagine yourself battling marauding attackers, Towerhouse will surely be a stay to remember, and probably revisit!
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Hosted byAdity Houison Craufurd
