dundonald castle

Great views from the top, interesting history and great spider infested dungeon. You can grab a coffee and cake in the Visitor Center and there are plenty of good easy walks in the woods around the castle.

In this age of internet i have never visited a place that I have't checked out first , but this was on our first day on a recent holiday to the Scottish lowlands.This day it was torrential rain and rather than sit around the caravan all day my daughter said we should visit this castle which was't far away.In its day it was a major stronghold which has seen many changes down the years ,but still a fair amount remains.You do have quite a steep walk but its worth the effort and you can explore what remains there are.You come into a great hall with some furniture in it ,then you can go on a balcony and up some stairs to a tower.The most interesting part is the dungeon which in olden days was a hole you were dropped into, that being the only way in or out not even a window for light.You can go into it via modern stairs but watch out for the spiders, the whole ceiling has them attached to it.We got drenched on the way back down so were grateful for very nice visitor center with toiletsand a gift and teashop and very nice and helpful staff..There was a another room which had models and details of the castle through the ages.Over all this was a very nice and unexpected day out a great effort has been made to make this an attractive and worthwhile place to visit.If I am ever this way again I will visit this castle again for me and my family this place has something special about it

The Castle is situated at the top of a very large mound. It is however well worth the effort to climb up the winding path. A guide is available and will present the history to you if required, Inside there are large halls and small exhibits to show how it once looked. There is a metal spiral staircase which takes you up to the upper levels giving a good view of the surrounding area.At the visitor centre at the bottom is an interpretation centre showing the Castle from an iron age Hill Fort through its various phases to the present day.Free entry to members of Historic Scotland otherwise a small fee.

I'll confess first that we didn't even walk up to the castle ruins. We were there mid afternoon on a wet, grey September day and we were really looking for somewhere to have a sandwich so we called into the visitor centre where there's a very small 'tearoom'. They had no sandwiches left but we both opted for a cake - both the apple slice and the naughty chocolate cake were excellent. I had a latte - definitely one of the best. Good coffee and properly layered so it looked appealing too.The two staff were very friendly and chatty. We looked around the visitor centre to learn a little of the history of the castle and the area. If we're back in the area on a better day we'll go up to the castle AND call in for another latte!

Visited the lovely little visitor centre/coffee shop and was thoroughly impressed by the friendly and enthusiastic service. Had not been here since I was a child (only a few years ago !) and am sorry I have driven past so many times and not gone in before. I was unable to do the castle tour on this occasion but will do so in the future as other visitors were very impressed by the knowledgeable and super friendly guides who are mostly volunteers and are a real credit to the place. The exhibition room is very interesting and there is a small selection of gifts, postcards etc which are reasonably priced. The coffee was a treat and washed down the delicious chocolate cake very nicely. Trisha (the young lady who runs things) is a star and is bursting with pride when she chats about the castle, visitor centre and the amazing team who do such a great job. She even took the trouble to bring over a photo album of the castle for my Father to look at as he would be unable to walk up to it. I will certainly not hesitate to return to this little gem.

loved the history of this castle once owned as a holiday home by richard II ...we had a tour round by a freindly member of staff not sure of his name but well done to him we had fun with kids taking lots of great pictures the girl in the shop was freindly and chatted away to the kids ...the exhibtion part is great to find out all the castle ....the views were fantastic but had we hada bit better weahter we couldnt of seen more of beautiful scotland :)

I have been many times over the years and the exhibition area seems to have been upgraded but the contents reduced. The models of the castle over the years are very helpful and well made. Plenty of parking but a narrow approach road and a turning that can be easily missed. The castle looks rather 'Pillbox' like from a distance however it is much more interesting when seen up close and the carvings on the outside south facing wall were impressive as is the great hall.Had a tea and scone after a long wait to be served and was a but surprised to be asked to help myself to butter and jam from one of the three uncleared tables. As I left I was a bit disturbed to see tables being swept with a brush that was also being used for the floor. Usually a good experience with an informal touch.A peaceful place with a reasonable range of local and national literature for sale together with cut glass, reproduction coins, etc.

A fantastic view from the top of the castle hill. Friendly, knowledgeable staff on site and great coffee and cake when you come back down the the visitors centre. Browse the ever-changing exhibition or purchase reasonably priced gifts.

This castle is in quite good condition apart from the roof being removed some years back to prevent the owner paying tax on it.You need to pay £4.50 per adult and children under 5 go free. It is a nominal fee to pay for the upkeep of this lovely building but may still be a little expensive due to how small the castle is. There are 3 floors you get access to 4 if you include the dungeon at the basement level.The middle floor is no longer there but you have access due to a modern built platform. The top floor is in great condition and the views are amazing. The dungeon is very creepy and you have access to it but by ladder and if you do decide to go down beware of the cave spiders....The young girl that opened up the entrance for us was very pleasant and had a good knowledge of the building and it's history.Nice visit but no need to rush back..

This Castle is proud on a hill above the Visitor Centre where gifts etc can be purchased and ample parking is available The Staff are very dedicated to their Attraction. Visually the Castle is stunning and has views even to the Paps of Jura. You can clamber to the higher floor or descend to the cellars where Cave Spiders live. A Friend of the Castle was in the building and had a great knowledge of the building and gave an interesting account of it's History. A very striking and interesting building in a great location

Started by a very nice coffee and cake in the cafe, Toilets were clean with nice hand wash and hand lotion. we went just for something to day on a nice day and were not disappointed, staff are very friendly and if like us your teenage daughter was rather reluctant, it is ideal for a quick visit without boring her. Plan to do the smugglers trail next time, not expensive with great views, steep path up though

Spent about an hour and a half here today. This was a perfect amount of time to have a look around the inside and outside of the castle. Although didn't explore the dungeon due to the spiders!!!!!The staff are so friendly and infomative. If you enjoy castle ruins you'll enjoy Dundonald!

Part of the explorer pass which was very handy! The whole staff was very welcoming, kind and informative! The whole back history of the castle is interesting and the view is worth the stop :) great chats with the girls about Scotland! Thanks!

We visited the ruins to pass an hour and we were glad we did. We were given a in depth history of the castle and the occupants from the past by the lady manager and shown around the ruins. It is sad that the building was left to decay for so long before it was saved. However it is still very interesting and well worth a visit. When you come back down the visitor centre offers a coffee and cake at a very reasonable price. There is also a selection of gifts. As others have said it is a steep climb but for us it was well worth the effort.

with a family of 5 to contend with, finding something to suit all ages can be a trial! plenty of road signage which lead us here and what a pleasant surprise. beautiful old ruin with such amazing views I cant begin to tell you. There is a lovely cafe with a museum attached and a lovely gift shop with plenty to offer that does not break the bank. We bought tickets, teas coffees and cakes aswell as gifts the children picked out and even I couldn't complain when I handed over a few pounds. well worth the money. A young girl alison assisted us.The castle experience itself was very unexpected. We had a wonderful tour guide tricia who was fantastic with the kids. she held their interest the whole time and ours too.You even have the choice of a tour or not so it's not a mandatory thing and we weren't sure the children would be interested but boy did she do it! I hope her enthusiasm and love for the castle is appreciated by her bosses as I don't think my son has quietened about his tour since returning home. The centre is run by a charity organisation who look after the castle and a wonderful job they are doing. keep up the good work!!play park and walks surrounding the area and not far from other attractions we look forward to returning.