Exploring Culzean Castle

I’d never heard of Culzean Castle until I started working with the Trust, but the moment I saw its breathtaking imagery, I knew I had to see it in person. Arriving at the car park, I couldn’t believe our luck with the weather – the sun was shining, the sky was clear, and it was the perfect day to explore this remarkable place. Our visit was a fantastic opportunity for us apprentices to step out of the office and gain insight into the operations of managing a property.

The apprenticeship programme at the Trust is a recent initiative that offers positions within various departments, allowing young people like me to gain valuable skills. While I’m fortunate to work within the digital marketing team, my fellow apprentices have roles within the People team, Procurement team and at Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. I’m thoroughly enjoying my role and have already learned so much, enhanced my confidence and gained experience of working within a professional environment. In my time with the Trust, I’ve been fortunate to visit several properties, including Mackintosh at the Willow and Branklyn Garden. I feel privileged to play a small part in the Trust’s role of preserving these incredible places across Scotland.

I met the other three apprentices, and we started the day by going to the deer park. I was amazed by the number of deer and was even more surprised to see a few llamas. Feeding the animals was so much fun, especially the sassy llamas, who were far less timid than the deer! They provided great entertainment and some fantastic photo opportunities. While at the deer park, we listened to the ranger talk about his role and the work he does at Culzean. It was fascinating to learn how he takes care of the woodland surrounding Culzean – an ongoing project. After that, we walked to the walled garden and met the head gardener. He showed us around the two gardens separated by a wall, explaining how one was a ’pleasure garden’ for entertainment and the other was for growing produce. It was captivating to imagine what the gardens were like in the past.