Dundonald Lodge Retreat

Dean Castle is a 14th century stronghold in Kilmarnock, once home to the Boyd family, who were lords of Kilmarnock for over 400 years. The keep dates from around 1350 and has walls two to three metres thick. Inside, the Great Hall displays collections of arms and armour, while the solar holds early musical instruments.

M&D's is an amusement park in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, bordering Strathclyde Park. It has two roller coasters, including Runaway Mine Train and the children's Big Apple, plus thrill rides such as Air Raid and a pirate ship, and Moby's Revenge, a three-lane dinghy water slide. Younger children have their own junior rides, including trampolines.

Tip: Check the park's website for opening times before you go, as hours differ between attractions.

The Dick Institute in Kilmarnock opened in 1901 and houses the largest museum and gallery spaces in Ayrshire, alongside East Ayrshire's central library. Its main gallery hosts major touring exhibitions, often in partnership with national institutions such as the V&A and National Galleries Scotland, and it has been described as "Scotland's finest municipal gallery".

Tip: The venue is signposted once you are in Kilmarnock, with car parking around it and town centre parking a 5-minute walk away.

Dundonald Castle is a fortified tower house on a hill above the village of Dundonald, between Kilmarnock and Troon in South Ayrshire. It was built for Robert II on his accession to the throne of Scotland in 1371, and he and his son Robert III used it as a royal residence. The tower still dominates the hill.

Burns Cottage is the birthplace of Robert Burns, Scotland's national poet, who was born here in 1759. Built by his father, William Burnes, in 1757, it is a long, low, thatched building of clay with four rooms, set on the main street of Alloway in South Ayrshire. It forms part of the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum.

Tip: Head for the kitchen alcove first to see the bed box where Burns was born.

Dumfries House is a Palladian country house near Cumnock in Ayrshire, built in the 1750s by the architects John and Robert Adam. It is known for still holding much of its original 18th-century furniture, including pieces specially commissioned from Thomas Chippendale. The house was saved for the nation in 2007 and now serves as the headquarters of The King's Foundation charity.

Tip: Check the Dumfries House website to book a house tour before you go, as the house is visited by tour rather than turning up.

Kelvingrove is a major art gallery and museum in Glasgow's West End, set in Kelvingrove Park. The Spanish Baroque building opened in 1901, and its 22 galleries display over 8,000 objects. The collections range from natural history, Egyptian antiquities and armour to Scottish history, design and Charles Rennie Mackintosh, plus one of Europe's great civic art collections.

Tip: Download the floor plan or the free digital guide before you go, to pick out the must-see objects first.

Culzean Castle is a clifftop castle on the Ayrshire coast, designed by Robert Adam in the late 18th century for the 10th Earl of Cassillis. Inside, the dramatic Oval Staircase is the centrepiece, and there is a big collection of flintlock pistols and military swords. General Eisenhower was given an apartment at the top of the castle, and he stayed there several times.

Tip: The estate is big, so download the map or pick one up on arrival. Waymarked trails offer four different routes around the park.