Horse Isle is a vacant island off the coast of Ardrossan, situated in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. Horse Isle serves a dual purpose, one being a natural shelter from dangerous weather for the Androssan harbor and a nature reserve for protected water fowl. The rocky areas around the island, form a natural barrier where the hazards from rising sea levels and storms can be lessened, providing a far less damaging consequence to Ardrossan’s harbor, protecting a major economic center for its citizens.

This natural barrier also has its dangers, for Horse Isle has historically been a place where many ships ran aground or sank due to its rocky shears and coastal dangers. The local historians believe that the presence of a derelict tower, the only man made land mark on Horse Isle ,was used as a lighthouse because of this threat, located at the south end of the island. A number of ships have been lost over the years including the brigs: Minerva in 1821, the Morning Star in 1871, and the tugboat Brigadier in 1960. The island still possesses the same dangers today although shipping lanes have since changed so that the occurrence of another wreck is highly unlikely. The two smaller islands known as North Islet and East Islet, run across its eastern coast with a number of other outcroppings stretching towards the mainland. A survey was conducted by the Eglinton Estates under John Ainslie in 1788, recording the name ‘Robinson’s Rock’ off the East Islet and ‘Witherow’s Rock’ around its West side. Horse Isle it self is no higher than 13 feet above sea level and one kilometer from the western most point of Ardrossan.

Horse Isle is now a nature reserve ran by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). Some of the various species it caters to are: Herrings, Black Backed Sea Gulls, and Eider ducks. The island has been designated with special protections because of sea birds and the assorted waterfowls that use its beaches as breeding, nesting and winter grounds. It is because of this that the island itself is left alone, preventing anything from disturbing or destroying the bird’s habitats.

What can be described as a place of stoic beauty, historical prominence, mixed with modern tastes and a touch of the natural world, Kelburn Castle provides a perfect place for both old world enthusiasts and new world adventurism. Kelburn castle is located near Fairlie, North Ayshire Scotland over looking the Firth of Clyde. The castle’s origin came from a band of knights arriving to the British Isles with William the Conquer called the De Boyvilles, later known as the Boyles. John Boyle is credited as the castle’s first architect, and handed it to David Boyle in 1581 who expanded it into a grander structure with towers that were erected on its opposite corners. The Boyles made their wealth from maritime shipbuilding and transportation, elevating themselves as Earls of Glasgow in 1703. Kelburn Castle started as a military keep before new editions were built, having a mansion attached to it in 1700, followed by a Victorian wing, enclosing one of the towers housing family heirlooms with a grand view of the Firth of Clyde in the later 1800s.

Under the current Earl of Glasgow with his wife Isabela, Kelburn Castle has turned into a public tourist attraction, enabling visitors worldwide to enjoy its surrounding glens, gardens, guided tours, and private parties. The family opened it in 1977 for public viewing, a plan that was decided due to the maintenance costs they endured. In 2007 architects advised that the concrete facing needed to be replaced to prevent any damage to Kelburn’s walls, prompting an invite for the world’s best graffiti artists to paint over its surface. The family decided it would provide a popular attraction since the facing was temporary, incorporating a creative back drop during the repair. The project was featured on the BBC’s “The Culture Show” in 2007 as well as its financial troubles televised in the documentary, “Crisis At The Castle”.

Kelburn Castle provides many activities and attractions boasting it to be a children’s paradise. It offers a play barn, adventure path, stockade forts, along with natural habitats to include the surrounding Kelburn Glen where waterfalls, garden trails, and a petting zoo are part of the experience. The Castle is open to guided tours, rent space for special events, and the most popular point of interest, one thousand year old yew and weeping Larch trees said to be Scotland’s national treasures.