The Traitors has turned a quiet corner of the Scottish Highlands into essential viewing for millions of fans, and the biggest question new viewers ask after series one and the second series is simple: where is the Traitors castle in Scotland? The real castle behind Claudia Winkleman’s ultimate game of deceit is Ardross Castle, a 19th-century baronial mansion set roughly 30 miles north of Inverness. Its dramatic backdrop of sweeping woodland and gardens has become as iconic as the treachery, backstabbing and barefaced lies playing out inside it.
Where Is The Traitors Castle Located In Scotland
Ardross Castle sits in Ross-shire, about 30 miles north of Inverness and roughly 10 miles inland near the village of Alness. It’s the same filming location used across all four UK series since 2022, and its remote Highland setting is exactly why contestants feel so cut off from the outside world once the gates close behind them.
The castle itself is built in the Scots Baronial style, redesigned in 1880-1881 by architect Alexander Ross for owner Sir Alexander Matheson. That gothic architecture, with its turrets and misty mornings, is what gives the show its haunting, atmospheric look and makes it instantly recognisable to anyone who’s watched even one episode.
Most of the show’s most memorable moments happen inside the castle’s more than 30 rooms, including the grand drawing room used for roundtable eliminations and the breakfast room where murders are revealed each morning. Contestants don’t actually sleep there, though — they’re housed in separate accommodation nearby, away from the cameras.
From my experience covering filming-location stories, what makes Ardross stand out from other reality TV backdrops is that it’s a genuine private castle rather than a purpose-built set. Every creaking floorboard and drawing-room shadow the cameras catch is real, which is part of why the show feels so cinematic compared to other British television gameshows.
Where Is The Traitors Castle Located – Distance And Access
If you’re wondering exactly how far Ardross is from major cities, it’s about a 39-minute drive from Inverness and roughly 3 hours and 45 minutes from Edinburgh. That relative isolation from Scotland’s bigger cities is a deliberate part of the show’s design, reinforcing the sense that contestants are genuinely cut off in the Highlands.
The castle and its surrounding countryside — heather, ancient trees, an ancient loch, and land dotted with wildlife like baby deer — form the visual backbone of the series. Claudia Winkleman herself has described the Scottish Highlands scenery around Ardross as some of the most beautiful she’s filmed in, and viewers regularly comment on how the landscape shapes the mood of every episode.
For anyone tracking the show’s UK version versus the US version, it’s worth noting the American Traitors series films at a different gothic castle in New York rather than Ardross, so the “real” Ardross experience is unique to the UK and Celebrity Traitors editions filmed since 2022.
History Of Ardross Castle
Long before Traitors and Faithfuls plotted against each other in its halls, Ardross had already changed hands several times. The estate began as a hunting lodge built by the 1st Duke of Sutherland in the late 1700s, later passing to the 2nd Duke of Sutherland before being sold.
In 1845, Sir Alexander Matheson — who’d made his fortune through the Jardine Matheson trading house’s tea and opium business — bought the property for £90,000 (around £9.26 million today) and commissioned architect Alexander Ross to redesign it in the grand Scots Baronial style seen on screen now.
After Matheson’s death in 1886, the castle was sold in 1898 to businessman Charles William Dyson Perrins, heir to the Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce fortune, who modernised the property with electricity. When the wider estate was broken up in 1937, the castle itself passed to Mr and Mrs Austin Mardon, who lived there until 1983.
That’s when the McTaggart family purchased Ardross and began developing its gardens and grounds into what viewers see today — a history stretching from an 18th-century hunting lodge to a Victorian opium-and-tea fortune to the reality TV landmark it’s become.
Who Owns The Traitors Castle Today
The McTaggart family has owned Ardross Castle since 1983 and still runs it today. The family’s background spans property development, business and philanthropy, with Sir John Mactaggart, 4th Baronet, and Fiona Mactaggart, a former Labour MP for Slough between 1997 and 2017, among its notable members.
Rather than opening the castle to daily public visits, the McTaggarts operate it as an exclusive-hire events venue — booked for weddings, corporate functions and private events, alongside its growing reputation as a sought-after film and TV filming location.
Can You Stay Or Visit The Traitors Castle
Ardross Castle does not offer public tours, and it doesn’t let out individual rooms — not even the contestants sleep there during filming; they’re whisked away to a nearby hotel each night instead. If you’re picturing living out a Traitors fantasy inside the actual grand drawing room, that fantasy stays firmly private.
- Whole-castle hire starts from around £5,500 a night in low season for around 18 guests
- Wedding packages start from roughly £40,000-£45,000, covering exclusive-use accommodation for up to 41 guests across fifteen bedrooms and estate cottages
- A full two-night wedding celebration for around 130 guests can run to about £45,000
- The castle is hired “as is,” with couples bringing their own caterer and bar
You can view Ardross from nearby footpaths, but don’t expect to be welcomed through the gates — security is tight, especially during filming, and there have been Reddit accounts of visitors being turned away at the gates even outside filming season.
How Much Is The Traitors Castle Worth
Given the show’s £120,000 grand prize, fans are often curious what the actual castle behind it might be worth. As a Category A-listed structure covering around 22,000 square feet, Ardross has been valued at just shy of £3 million for the building alone.
Factor in the full 100-acre estate around it, and estimates climb to nearly £17 million — though it isn’t for sale. The McTaggart family has held it for over forty years with no sign of letting go, and the property essentially pays for itself through weddings, private events and filming income like its Traitors deal.
Will The Traitors Continue To Be Filmed At Ardross Castle
Given how central this stunning Highland location is to the show’s appeal, it’s likely to remain the setting for years to come. Reports indicate the BBC has reserved Ardross Castle for filming purposes through to 2030, which should keep the location tied to the franchise for several more series.
Worth noting: the Irish version of Traitors films at a different location entirely, Slane Castle in County Meath, so Ardross remains specific to the UK and Celebrity Traitors editions.
Loch Glass: The Coffin Challenge Location
One of the most memorable moments from the fourth series took place not inside the castle but on Loch Glass, a sweeping body of water framed by Highland hills and forests. Its still, isolated waters set the tension for the coffin challenge, where Faithfuls and Traitors paddled coffins across the loch.
Lochs are a beloved, iconic feature of the Scottish landscape — Scotland has over 30,000 freshwater lochs and lochans, including famous names like Loch Lomond and Loch Ness — and Loch Glass’s remote setting made it a natural extension of the show’s Highland atmosphere.
Boat Of Garten Railway Station: The Journey To The Castle
Each series traditionally begins with contestants arriving via Boat of Garten Railway Station, a charming rural station in the Cairngorms National Park, sometimes nicknamed the “Osprey Village” for its resident birds of prey and forested surroundings.
The station itself dates back to 1863 and carries genuine ties to Scotland’s railway heritage, having once served as a junction on the Great North of Scotland Railway — a fitting, atmospheric first impression before contestants are driven into the isolation of the Highlands.
Highland Forests And Grounds: The Walled Garden Challenge
Beyond the castle walls, several outdoor challenges take place across the wooded areas and estate grounds surrounding Ardross Castle. The forested landscapes and dense ancient woodland provide a natural obstacle course, and the Walled Garden challenge in particular makes use of winding paths through this greenery.
The Chapel: Where The Faithful Ask Their Questions
Some of the show’s most intense moments happen in the chapel, where challenge-winning Faithfuls get to ask the Traitors pointed questions. Newer than the rest of the estate, the chapel is quiet and dimly lit, contrasting sharply with the wide-open Highland landscapes seen elsewhere in the series. Like most of the estate, it’s not publicly accessible.
How To Get To The Traitors Castle In Scotland
You can’t spend the night at Ardross, but a drive-by or photo-op from a respectful distance is possible if you plan your Scottish Highland journey carefully. By train, the typical route runs from Edinburgh Waverley station toward Inverness or Alness, sometimes with a stopover in Perth, and journey options can include one or two connections depending on timing.
Booking through a train app in advance usually gets you the cheapest tickets. From Alness railway station, it’s roughly a 10-minute cab ride or a 5-mile hike to reach the area near the castle. The Station Hotel in Alness is a popular overnight base, and nearby attractions like the Dalmore and Teaninich distilleries, Teaninich Castle, and the River Averon Sluice (a good spot to catch sight of herons and fish) make for a fuller day trip.
Alternative Castle Hotels You Can Actually Stay In
If Ardross’s private-estate status leaves you wanting a Traitors-style castle experience you can actually book, several UK castle hotels offer that same historic, atmospheric feel:
| Castle Hotel | Location | Notable Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Thornbury Castle | Gloucestershire, England | 16th-century Tudor castle linked to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn |
| Dalhousie Castle | Edinburgh, Scotland | 13th-century fortress with the Dungeon Restaurant |
| Fonab Castle | Perthshire, Scotland | 19th-century castle on Loch Faskally with a luxury spa |
| Glenapp Castle | Ayrshire, Scotland | Scottish Baronial masterpiece built in 1870, overlooking the Firth of Clyde |
| Tulloch Castle | Scottish Highlands | 12th-century home of Clan Davidson, near Inverness |
| Langley Castle | Northumberland, England | 14th-century fortress dating to Edward III’s reign |
| Amberley Castle | West Sussex, England | 900-year-old medieval fortress near the South Downs |
| Roch Castle | Pembrokeshire, Wales | 12th-century fortification with a glass-walled Sun Room |
Can You Visit The Traitors UK Filming Locations
While Ardross itself stays private, the wider Scottish Highlands surrounding it can be explored responsibly. Basing yourself near Inverness — often called the cultural capital of the Highlands — gives you easy access to nearby lochs, forests and historic towns, letting you combine scenic drives and rail journeys while respecting that filming sites aren’t all open to the public.
Visiting Ardross
Ardross operates as a private, exclusive-use venue rather than a National Trust-style attraction, so casual day visits aren’t really possible. Access largely depends on the estate’s events calendar, though you can drive north from Inverness and see the gates that open every episode of the show.
Can You Reach Ardross Castle By Canal
Unfortunately, no — Ardross isn’t near any navigable canal or river route, so approaching it by boat isn’t realistic. Scotland’s famous canals, like the Union Canal and the Forth and Clyde Canal near Falkirk, don’t pass close enough to make a canal visit possible.
What Other Castles Can You Visit By Canal That Are Like Ardross Castle
If you like Ardross’s dramatic architecture and sense of being cut off from normal life, a few Gothic-style alternatives are actually reachable by canal boat:
- Edinburgh Castle, Scotland — accessible via the Union Canal through Falkirk
- Warwick Castle, England — sits on the moor near Warwick, one of the UK’s top tourist attractions outside London
- Dudley Castle, England — a majestic Gothic Revival attraction in the Black Country, connected to the canal network and now home to exotic animals
- Chirk Castle, Wales — a medieval fortress near Wrexham, a National Trust site spanning 480+ acres with 19th-century Gothic Revival alterations
FAQs
Where is the Traitors castle located?
The Traitors castle is Ardross Castle, located in Ross-shire, Scotland, about 30 miles north of Inverness near the village of Alness.
Where is the Traitors castle in the Highlands exactly?
It sits roughly 10 miles inland from Alness in the Scottish Highlands, about a 39-minute drive from Inverness and nearly 4 hours from Edinburgh.
Can the public visit the Traitors castle?
No. Ardross Castle is privately owned by the McTaggart family and doesn’t offer public tours, though it can be hired exclusively for weddings and private events.
Is the Traitors castle a real place?
Yes, Ardross Castle is a genuine 19th-century Scottish Baronial mansion, not a purpose-built set, and it has been privately owned since 1845.
Who owns the Traitors castle now?
The McTaggart family has owned Ardross Castle since 1983 and continues to run it as an exclusive events venue today.
How much does it cost to stay at the Traitors castle?
Whole-castle hire starts around £5,500 a night in low season, while full wedding packages for larger groups can run from £40,000 to £45,000.
Will future series of The Traitors still film at Ardross Castle?
Reports suggest the BBC has reserved Ardross Castle for filming through to 2030, so it’s expected to remain the show’s home for several more series.
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