The dramatic psychological game show The Traitors has returned to our screens with a brand new series, bringing fresh intrigue and deception to BBC audiences. Following the tremendous success of the celebrity edition, which saw comedian Alan Carr emerge victorious after captivating 15 million viewers with his nervous yet cunning performance, host Claudia Winkleman is back to oversee another high-stakes competition.
A Scottish Castle with a Complex Past
Both the UK version of the show and its American adaptation, presented by Scottish actor Alan Cumming, utilise the atmospheric Ardross Castle as their primary filming location. This magnificent Scottish estate provides the perfect backdrop for the show's tense missions and dramatic banishments, with its lavish interiors hosting the crucial discussions that determine each player's fate.
From Hunting Lodge to Opium Trader's Estate
The castle's history is as intriguing as the television programme filmed within its walls. Originally purchased by the 1st Duke of Sutherland in the late 1700s as a hunting lodge, the property underwent significant transformation when it was sold in 1845 for £90,000 to Sir Alexander Matheson, a Member of Parliament and prominent opium trader.
Matheson aimed to attract agricultural tenants to the estate and commissioned architect Alexander Ross to redesign the property in the distinctive Gothic Scottish Baronial style. This ambitious project added approximately thirty rooms to the original mansion at a cost of £7,000, alongside the creation of ornamental lawns, a picturesque pond, and an elegant fountain.
Changing Ownership Through the Centuries
Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Ardross Castle passed through various ownerships before being divided and sold in 1937. The property found its current custodians in 1983 when the McTaggart family purchased the estate and embarked on extensive renovation works, including planting new trees across the grounds.
Modern Usage as Event Venue
Today, this historic castle serves multiple purposes as both a commercial venue and television production location. The space is regularly hired for weddings and corporate conferences, while continuing to attract film and television productions seeking its atmospheric settings.
According to recent reports, hiring Ardross Castle for a wedding accommodating up to 130 guests over two nights begins at approximately £45,000. Interestingly, while The Traitors films its overnight scenes at the castle, contestants do not actually stay within the historic rooms during production. Instead, both Traitors and Faithfuls reside at the nearby Courtyard by Marriott hotel close to Inverness Airport, returning to the castle each day for filming.
The castle remains available for private and corporate events, offering modern organisers the chance to utilise the same dramatic spaces that have hosted some of television's most tense psychological confrontations, all within a building that carries centuries of fascinating history within its walls.
