Where Is The Traitors Castle?

It’s finally here: the third season of The Traitors. Presented by Claudia Winkleman and based on the Dutch series De Verraders, the first series gained a cult following back in December 2022, seeing 22 ordinary Brits picked up and dropped off at a Scottish castle, where a £120,000 prize pot is up for grabs should they make it to the end. The show gained acclaim in particular for being a breath of fresh air and normality, harking back to a golden era of British reality TV. But where is The Traitors filmed? And, more importantly, can you visit the iconic castle? C&TH reveals all…

The Traitors Castle aka Ardross Castle. (BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry)

Where Is The Traitors Filmed?

The Traitors is filmed at Ardross Castle in the Scottish highlands, and this is where the contestants eat and socialise throughout the series. The first series was filmed here in May 2022, while filming for the second series took place in September 2023 and season 3 was filmed in summer 2024. Meanwhile, the challenges take place at different locations nearby, with the contestants transported in Traitors-themed 4x4s. For example, the final challenge in series one – involving a dramatic helicopter jump and a speed boat zipping across a vast loch – was filmed at Loch Glass, which is located approximately 30 minutes away from Ardross Castle by car.

Ardross Castle is situated in a rural area, lying 30 miles north of the nearest city, Inverness. Built in the Scottish Baronial style, Ardross Castle is set within over 100 acres of parkland and was built in the 19th century, mainly by Irish immigrants to the area; as a result, the surrounding village is named Dublin. Previously a hunting lodge for the 1st Duke of Sutherland, Ardross Castle has been privately owned by the McTaggart family since 1983.

The Traitors season 3 contestants. (BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry)

Where Do The Traitors Contestants Sleep?

The players in The Traitors do not sleep in Ardross Castle. Instead, they are transported by 4×4 back to an unknown hotel every evening. So where is it? We have reason to believe they stay in a hotel near Inverness Airport, instead, which is under an hour’s drive away. This explains why the contestants show up to breakfast in small groups rather than one by one – because they’ve travelled by car together.

We think they stay in Inverness because, in early 2023, The Traitors US presenter Alan Cumming revealed to The Daily Beast that ‘None of us stayed in the castle. None of us. [The contestants] all stayed in the airport hotel in the Inverness airport.’ Meanwhile, Alan slept in a little house in Inverness, which may well be the case for Claudia, too.

‘How glamorous,’ he quipped. ‘You come to Scotland, and you stay in the Inverness airport hotel.’

Why, then, do we see Faithfuls being murdered in bedrooms that look like they’re in the castle? Dramatic effect, it seems. In series one, we saw contestants climb the stairs of the castle as if to go to bed, but it turns out this was all filmed for show, and the contestants were always transported to a different hotel in the evening.

On filming at Ardross Castle and in the Scottish highlands for series one, Claudia Winkleman said: ‘I thought I’ve been to beautiful places. I have never been anywhere more beautiful than the Scottish highlands in my life. It felt sometimes like we were in a painting if that’s not too cheesy.

‘On day two, we saw a double rainbow and everyone was like oh my gosh, and the crew were crying, there were baby deer, there was beautiful heather, there were ancient trees, and an ancient loch,’ Claudia added. ‘We were all taking pictures. I FaceTimed my kids to say “you’ve never seen anything like it’s magical”. And then by day four, there had been another three double rainbows. I mean, by the end of the three weeks where we had seen 50, it was like, “don’t care”. But it’s just the most beautiful landscape.’

The Traitors 4x4s outside Ardross Castle. (BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry)

Can You Visit The Traitors Castle?

Yes, you can visit Ardross Castle – if you have a wedding to plan or a corporate away day on the horizon, that is. If you’d like an experience much like that of The Traitors, Ardross Castle promotes its outdoor team building activities as a selling point. Think GPS treasure hunt, country sports, and throwback school sports sessions.

Likewise, if you’re looking for an iconic wedding venue, look no further: Ardross Castle has you covered. With space for up to 120 guests, every wedding is bespoke, with no cookie-cutter packages. Think strolls through rolling parkland, drinks in Italian gardens, dancing in the Great Hall – all in the knowledge that your new favourite reality TV show was filmed right there. 

Discover more at ardrosscastle.co.uk

WATCH

Once they have aired on BBC One, all episodes of The Traitors season 3 will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer. See the full release schedule here.