Kelburn Castle

Kelburn Castle is renowned for its spectacular mural painted by Os Gemeos. The castle is also the ancestral home of the Boyle family, who have lived here for about 900 years. Some parts of the castle are obviously very old, newer sections have been added over the years, with different parts of the building extended according to current architectural fashion. This makes the mural feel appropriate to the building and the estate, as it adapts to changing land uses and economic situations. Kelburn is famous for its Garden Party and other related music events, but this mural was what originally attracted peoples’ attention.

I took this photo the first time I ever visited Kelburn, when we were initially considering the idea of building mountain bike trails there. I wasn’t sure we could make bike trails a commercially viable project, but when I saw the castle I immediately recognised that we could have a high chance of making something cool. Since then I have taken many photos of the castle, but this one is still my favourite as it reminds me of the first time I saw it.

Kelburn Estate is generally very photogenic, and well worth a visit. Be aware they do charge for admission and car parking though. There are great views over the sea towards Arran, and the glen is a beautiful place for a walk too. You can get a good look at the castle from across the gorge at the Viewpoint stage. The Garden Party is a small and friendly boutique festival, with the castle grounds carefully lit and decorated to enhance the experience. I’d also recommend the mountain bike trails if you like that kind of thing – its not a full scale forestry commission style trail centre yet, but definitely worth a visit if you are in the area.