The Swan Pond walk at Culzean

At the start of the walk, there is a hut that overlooks the water. I could easily have stayed there for hours, watching the birds or reading a book. Just further on, a small path to the left led me up to the pagoda – built by the 2nd Marquess of Ailsa and once home to a range of exotic birds – before I headed back to re-join the main path.

A few dogs and their owners passed by as I continued along the path. It’s easy to see why this route is a favourite for local people seeking a peaceful morning walk. The Swan Pond loop itself is flat and only takes around 20 minutes. The back stretch runs through woodland and is dotted with benches, which are perfect for a mid-walk sit-down to enjoy the surrounding nature.

Continuing round towards the final stretch, I noticed a path that left the banks and headed further into the woodland. Following it for a minute, a path on the right appeared which led me to the ice house. The ice house was an 18th-century version of a fridge-freezer for the Kennedy family.

From there, I re-joined the pond path, stopping now and then to take in the scenery (and dodge a few more puddles). Not long after, I was back at the start. The morning calm had begun to shift with a few more dog walkers present, families popping into the café, and children heading to the Adventure Cove and Wild Woodland play areas.

The Swan Pond walk is one of the 25 routes featured in our Walk 25 campaign – a collection of walks of various lengths all across Scotland, in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Trust’s Footpath Fund.

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