Where is The Celebrity Traitors Castle? Ardross Castle location, history, visiting and can you rent it out in 2026?
Another series of famous faces are about to enter the famous castle.
It’s been nearly a year since Celebrity Traitors hit our television screens becoming one of the most talked-about shows of 2025.
Traitor Alan Carr schemed his way to a memorable victory after somehow outwitting an all-star cast featuring a host of famous faces including Stephen Fry, Celia Imrie, Jonathan Ross and Nick Mohammed.
Now the wait for new episodes is almost over, with series two launching on BBC One at 8pm on Thursday, October 1, and continuing for two weeks.
A total of 21 famous faces will be entering the Traitors Castle in Scotland hoping to win a big cash prize for their nominated charity, including the likes of Richard E. Grant, Ross Kemp, Bella Ramsey, James Blunt, Maya Jama, James Acaster and Michael Sheen.
They’ll be split into Traitors and Faithfuls, then encouraged to lie their way to a £120,000 top prize.
The contestants (and some genius editing) will provide most of the twists and turns, with Claudia Winkleman perfectly cast as the host, and the castle that houses the game is one of the undoubted stars.
Here’s everything you need to know about it.
What is the name of the castle used in The Traitors?
Located on the site of an old hunting lodge in the Highlands, Ardross Castle is the setting for the BBC’s The Traitors. It is set within beautiful formal gardens and over 100 acres of parkland on the banks of the River Alness in the Scottish Highlands, just north of Inverness.
What is the history of the castle?
The Ardross Estate was bought by the 1st Duke of Sutherland in the late 1700s. He built a hunting lodge on the land, before his son, the 2nd Duke of Sutherland, sold the estate to Alexander Matheson in 1845. Matheson was a merchant banker who made his fortune trading tea and opium and paid around £90,000 for the estate, which he extensively developed, including commissioning architect Alexander Ross to re-design the hunting lodge as a castle in the Scots Baronial style, adding around 30 extra rooms and 700 acres ‘of pleasure grounds’.
Matheson’s son, Sir Kenneth Matheson, sold the estate following his father's death in 1898 to C. W. Dyson Perrins, a captain in the army and businessman who was half of Lea & Perrins of Worcester sauce fame. He modernised the castle, including adding electricity, and spent several months there with his family each year enjoying parties, hunting and fishing.
The estate was broken up and sold in 1937, with a Mr & Mrs Austin Mardon buying Ardross Castle, Lealty Farm and over 80 acres of land, living there until 1983 when the estate was sold to current owners the McTaggart family, who are working to restore the former the gardens and renovate the castle and estate properties.
Is Ardross Castle open to the public?
The castle is privately owned and not open to the public – so you can’t just turn up and expect a tour.
Can you hire Ardross Castle?
Ardross Castle is available to rent for a number of different purposes – including weddings of up to 120 guests, corporate events and team building day.
Inside, a number of rooms of varying sizes are available to rent – including the Great Hall, the Monasterial Room, the Morning Room, the Ardross Room and the Drawing Room.
Meanwhile, plenty of activities are available in the gardens, such as a GPS Treasure Quest, a Quest for the Best team building challenge and country sports.
You can find more information here.
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