Culross Palace

About the museum

Culross Palace, also called the Great Lodging, is a late 16th to early 17th-century merchant's house in the Royal Burgh of Culross on the Firth of Forth. It was built between 1597 and 1611 by Sir George Bruce, a successful merchant who traded with the Forth ports, the Low Countries and Sweden. Bruce also ran coal mining and salt production and is credited with sinking the first coal mine to reach under the sea. Many building materials, such as Baltic pine, red pantiles and Dutch floor tiles, came from his foreign trade. King James VI visited the house in 1617.

The palace was never a royal residence. It is now in the care of the National Trust for Scotland, which has restored its interiors and a model 17th-century garden with raised beds, a covered walkway and crushed-shell paths. Visitors can see original painted woodwork, painted ceilings with moral scenes, and restored 17th- and 18th-century rooms, with furniture and a collection of Staffordshire and Scottish pottery.

Culross is described as Scotland's most complete example of a burgh of the 17th and 18th centuries, with white-harled houses and cobbled streets, and it has often been used as a film and television location, notably for Outlander.

Highlights

• Merchant's house of 1597-1611 with original painted woodwork and ceilings
• Restored 17th- and 18th-century interiors
• Reconstructed period garden with herbs, fruit and vegetables
• Village of Culross, a well-preserved 17th-century burgh
• Outlander filming location, with a costume on display

Permanent exhibition

• Culross Palace – Restored 17th- and 18th-century interiors with original painted woodwork and ceilings, small connecting rooms and a reconstructed period garden.

Operated by

National Trust for Scotland

Admission & discounts

Prices are for the palace and garden without a donation. A ticket that includes a 10 per cent donation costs £15.40 for an adult, £12.10 for a concession, £8.80 for a child, £41.80 for a family and £27.50 for a one-adult family. Admission is free for National Trust for Scotland members at all Trust places. All tickets can be bought at the Townhouse shop on the day of the visit.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The palace, the Study and the Town House are unsuitable for visitors with limited mobility because of uneven surfaces and spiral staircases. The palace garden may be suitable for wheelchairs, with difficulty. The village has cobbled streets. Disabled parking is available at the west car park, and there are drop-off points at the palace and the Town House. Large-print guides are available, and an accessibility guide for Culross can be downloaded. Only assistance dogs are allowed inside the palace and garden.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Stroller-friendly: not available
• Baby changing facilities

Children of all ages are welcome. Children can follow a Lego figure trail through the palace and garden and can do colouring. Baby changing and a high chair are listed among the facilities. Buggies are not taken into the palace.

Getting there & parking

Culross is 31 miles east of Glasgow and 22 miles north-west of Edinburgh. From Edinburgh take the M90 north over the Queensferry Crossing, leave at junction 1 and take the A985 towards Kincardine. From Glasgow take the M80 north, then the M876 over the Kincardine Bridge, and turn right on to the A985. A bike rack is near the community play park.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop

Bessie's Café serves coffee and cakes. The shop sells gifts, Outlander-inspired products and, when available, herbs, fruit and vegetables from the organic palace garden.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

The palace offers a period setting for weddings, corporate events and family gatherings; enquiries go through the National Trust for Scotland.

Plan your visit