Sunday Drive Sessions - Culross to Carlowrie Castle

Billy and I have been taking it upon ourselves to get out each weekend to find fun places to visit out of Edinburgh for the weekend.

This weekend we took ourselves to the historical town of Culross and onward to Carlowrie Castle for a lovely bit of autumnal fun. We can’t recommend this little day trip enough for anyone else looking to get out of town for a day or two.

EDINBURGH —> CULROSS: 1h 12m drive

When arriving in Culross you feel immediately transported back in time! Pronounced “coo-ris”, this wee town isn’t short of quaint cafes, little nooks and of course, iconic streets that were used in the famous TV series, Outlander.

Culross is Scotlands best preserved 17th century town and luckily was saved from complete ruin in the 20th century by the National Trust. Culross used to be a very busy port that saw many visitors coming and going, but the port declined in the 18th century as the stone and pier was being removed to help rebuild the port at Leith in Edinburgh.

Nowadays the iconic town of Culross is an absolute pleasure to stroll through and grab a wee tea and scones! From the cobblestoned streets to red tiled roofs, it’s such a special place to spend a few hours, if not a full day!

Next up, we have another stop scheduled for our day out of Edinburgh.

CULROSS —> CARLOWRIE CASTLE: 41m drive

You’ll probably recognise this castle as one of thee most photographed places in Scotland - and it’s not hard to see why! Those beautiful red leaves are an absolutely enchanting addition to this gorgeous castle with an incredible history.

In 1852 David Rhind, who was a celebrated Scottish architect, was commissioned by Thomas Hutchison to design Carlowrie Castle. Unfortunately, Thomas never saw the castle complete as he died in 1852, the year construction of Carlowrie began.

However one of the most interesting residents of Carlowrie was Thomas’s granddaughter, Isobel.
After the death of her brothers and fathers she found comfort during her grieving period in being outdoors.

Isobel was a woman of many talents, she was an artist, poet and travel writer. She collected plants for the Royal Botanic Gardens, spoke over 8 languages, pioneered new routes through impossible terrain and boarded ghost ships to capture some of the earliest documentary footage ever recorded. Talk about an INCREDIBLE woman! She was also a successful arctic explorer and botanist and traveled alone on expeditions that few people would even attempt today. Can you tell we’re obsessed with her?

The beautiful plants on the grounds (including many rare species) are all thanks to Isobel’s legacy, as she also worked tirelessly in the Victorian glasshouses and kept careful preservation of the formal garden layout (which still exist today)

This castle is absolutely spectacular to visit and we’re in love with the history behind it and the legacy that Isobel left here. Nowadays it’s been voted as one of the top 3 venues in Europe for exclusive use for weddings, corporate events and functions.

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading about our wee day out in Culross & at Carlowrie Castle, let us know below if you plan on taking a day trip out of Edinburgh anytime soon too?

If you’re due to visit Scotland soon and are feeling a bit overwhelmed by planning your trip, why not check out our 7 day Spellbinding Scotland travel guide here?