24/09/2023
I think this might always be one of my favourite stories, partly because most visitors to the elegant Culzean Castle have no idea there are mysterious caves hiding beneath their feet!
The original name for Culzean was Cove or Co' Castle and the cave system here is full of legends and mystery. Maybe a tunnel to hell, a smugglers paradise or even an entrance to the fairy kingdom.
One day, the Laird of Co' was wandering the castle grounds when a small boy approached him. The boy told him that his mother was sick and he had been sent to find her just a little bit of ale. The Laird was a kind man and immediately sent the boy to his chief servant to fill up a mug.
The servant wasn't happy about it, but he took the lad to the storeroom and proceeded to fill the mug. The ale flowed and flowed from the opened cask until it was dry, but the mug still wasn't full. The servant knew there was some sort of fairy magic involved here and refused to open another barrel.
The boy protested. He had been promised a full mug and it clearly wasn't full yet! The Laird arrived to see what the commotion was and he agreed with the boy. He was a man of his word, so even if it took all of the ale in the castle, the boy was going to leave with a full mug. In the end, a single drop from the next cask and the mug was suddenly full.
Years later, the Laird had been captured while fighting a war on the continent. He was held in a dark, dank dungeon and due to be executed the next day. His mind wandered back to his home, the castle and those peculiar caves when suddenly the door to his cell swung open.
The small boy walked in and he hadn't aged a day. He commanded, "Laird of Co', rise and go" and gestured for him to climb on his back. In minutes, the fairy boy had flown the Laird back home to Culzean Castle.
The astounded Laird asked the boy why he had come all that way to his rescue? The fairy replied that one good turn deserves another and the Laird had been kind enough to help him and his poor old mother.
