Historic Scottish castle with ‘breathtaking’ views named most scenic autumn destination
A castle on the Ayrshire coast has been named the most scenic autumn destination by new traveller data.
From the historic streets of Edinburgh to the dramatic mountain ranges tipped with snow and vibrant purple heather, Scotland has something for everyone to enjoy during autumn.
As searches for “Scottish autumn” have increased by a staggering 5,000% in the past month, new data from The House of Bruar on Scotland’s top ten most picturesque destinations to plan a seasonal trip has been released and a Scottish castle has made the top spot.
To identify Scotland's most scenic autumn destinations, the team compiled a seed list of Scotland’s popular gardens and castles and assessed each destination using two publicly available TripAdvisor metrics:
The total number of traveller photos uploaded to its TripAdvisor listing. The number of TripAdvisor reviews containing the keyword "beautiful" was then used as an indicator of positive perceptions of the scenery.
Destinations were then ranked and normalised from highest to lowest based on their final Scenic Score.
Securing the top spot with a flawless Scenic Index score of 100 is Culzean Castle , located in South Ayrshire. The destination itself has 2,712 TripAdvisor photos and 850 reviews describing it as 'beautiful'. Perched dramatically on a cliff edge overlooking the Firth of Clyde, this 18th-century fortress was designed by the renowned architect Robert Adam. It's the ultimate destination for an autumn day out, offering a sprawling 260-hectare estate to explore.
There have been records of a stone tower house near the burgh of Maybole since the 1500s, but Culzean Castle has since grown and evolved into one of Scotland’s most stunning pieces of architecture in the centuries following. It is now visited by thousands of people a year who enjoy its ‘stunning’ coastal views.
The castle came about thanks to clan Kennedy, who were one of the country’s most affluent family lines and who can trace their ancestry back to Robert the Bruce. It was David Kennedy, 10th Earl of Cassillis who instructed renowned Scottish architect Robert Adam to build a house - Culzean Castle - which reflected the family’s status and wealth. The expansive project was started in the 1770s but wasn’t completed until 1792, at which point both Earl and architect had passed away.
Ranked second with a score of 76, Inverewe Garden features 1,076 traveller photos and 286 mentions of its beauty. Created in 1862 by Osgood Mackenzie, this heritage garden is a unique oasis in the rugged Scottish Highlands. Because it sits on a peninsula that’s regularly bathed in the warm currents of the North Atlantic Drift, it has a rare microclimate that allows exotic plants from around the world to thrive.
Following closely in third place is Brodrick Castle with a score of 75, which is the subject of 884 photos and 315 'beautiful' reviews. Often referred to as "Scotland in miniature," the Isle of Arran is a fantastic autumn getaway, and Brodick Castle is its crowning jewel. Set against the rugged backdrop of Goatfell mountain, the castle offers a quintessential island escape with a rich Victorian heritage.
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