Return to main article
More than any other figure in Scottish history, Robert Burns inspires national pride, and it was in his native Alloway that the humanist poet found his muse. Scenes from his legendary tale, “Tam o’ Shanter,” are preserved within Burns National Heritage Park (burnsheritagepark.com). Visitors can walk through the thatch-roof cottage where Burns (1759–1796), the son of a farmer, was born. A museum next door holds a collection of his personal effects, including an original manuscript of “Auld Lang Syne.”
No visit to Ayrshire is complete without a tour of Culzean Castle (culzeanexperience.org). This sixteenth-century sandstone fortress clinging to a promontory above the Firth of Clyde was transformed two centuries later into a neoclassical mansion. Even the approach to Culzean (pronounced “cull-ANE”) inspires awe. The castle’s interiors are open from April through October for self-guided tours. Rooms in the top-floor Eisenhower Apartment, a six-bedroom flat reserved for the Supreme Allied Commander of Europe in appreciation of his wartime leadership, can be booked for overnight stays.
Copyright © 2008, American Express Publishing. All rights reserved.
Visit our other American Express Publishing Web sites:
Food & Wine |
T+L GOLF |
T+L Family |
SkyGuide |
Executive Travel
SUBSCRIPTIONS: Manage Your Subscription | International | Billing | Change Your Address or E-mail
Advertise |
Contact Us |
Site Map |
RSS Feeds 
AddThis