Clifftop castles don’t get much more impressive than Culzean. Lying a little off the route, it’s surrounded by hectares of lush estate, with walled gardens, waymarked trails, a shingle beach, an adventure playground and a deer park. The grand castle dates from 1792 and was designed by Robert Adam, and inside you’ll find the striking oval staircase and elaborate displays of arms decorating the walls. You can even stay in this castle in the Eisenhower suite, named after the former US president, who was gifted part of the castle by the Marquess of Ailsa and visited on four occasions.