Brodick Castle and Country Park, Isle of Arran

Whenever my family and I used to visit the Isle of Arran during the summer holiday when I was a child, we always made a trip over to Brodick Castle and Country Park. I have always loved history and learning about Scotland, so heading to the Castle every year was something that I just loved.

Because we mainly visit the Isle of Arran during the winter months now, we actually haven't had a chance to visit Brodick Castle in a number of years (the castle is normally closed in November and December). So, when we had a weekend on the Isle of Arran at the start of July, I decided that one of my top things to do would be to revisit Brodick Castle again.

Since the last time we visited Brodick Castle (which was now probably over 10 years ago) the Castle has gone through so major renovations, so it was now quite different to how I remember it. But we had such a lovely time learning more about the Castle and the Hamiltons, the family that called this castle home.

If you're visiting during the summer months, be sure to check out the beautiful walled garden on the grounds of Brodick Castle. I love exploring a beautiful garden and see all the flowers and plants growing there. It would make an ideal spot to sit down and read your book for a couple of hours as well.

Some Tips

• We currently aren't members of the National Trust for Scotland, so we paid £16 per person for the ticket, which included access to the castle and the grounds. There are slightly different prices if you only wanted to spend time in the grounds, or are a concession, child or full family, so make sure you check out the National Trust webpage for the Castle to find out more about prices

• As I've already said, Brodick Castle and Country Park are not typically open in November and December, so if you are planning a winter break to the Isle of Arran (something I would actually highly recommend) do bear that in mind.

• We visited the Country Park this summer with my Grandma, who was in a wheelchair because of mobility issues. Although there is parking right next to the Castle for those with mobility issues, I'm not sure I'd necessarily say this attraction would work for those who need wheelchair access. My Grandma didn't come into the Castle, but most of the rooms you visited were upstairs. Although there were paths we could wheel my Grandma, most of these paths were incredibly gravelly, making it hard to wheel her. We still had a great time, but I hope this explains this for those who might need wheelchair access.