Where is Celebrity Traitors filmed and can fans visit

The Celebrity Traitors is filmed at Ardross Castle near Alness in the Scottish Highlands, but the imposing building comes with a surprise for viewers imagining a celebrity sleepover. The cast leave the castle at night, and fans cannot book a bedroom or turn up for a tour.

The second celebrity series returns to the same estate used by the regular British programme and the American edition. Its turrets, sweeping grounds and grand interiors have become central to the show, providing a suitably theatrical setting for conversations in which almost nobody can be completely sure who is telling the truth

Where is Ardross Castle?

Ardross Castle stands in Ross-shire, north of Inverness, beside the River Alness. The property includes formal gardens and more than 100 acres of parkland, giving the production extensive surroundings as well as the castle itself.

The building is designed in the Scottish Baronial style, which uses features such as turrets and towers associated with older castles. Although it looks ready for a medieval siege, the house seen on screen largely reflects 19th-century development.

Its appearance makes it particularly effective for The Traitors, where an ordinary breakfast can feel like the opening of a murder mystery. The setting stays familiar across the British and American productions, while the players, hosts and rules change.

Who built the Traitors castle?

Ardross began its earlier life as an estate with a hunting lodge, built after the first Duke of Sutherland acquired the land in the late 1700s. In 1845, the second Duke sold the estate to Alexander Matheson.

Matheson commissioned architect Alexander Ross to redesign the castle, incorporating an earlier mansion and adding around 30 rooms. Improvements across the estate also included roads, planting and landscaped walks.

A later owner, C. W. Dyson Perrins, had business interests in Lea & Perrins, the Worcestershire sauce company. After acquiring the estate in 1898, he continued modernising the property, introducing electricity, while a formal garden designed by Edward White was another addition.

The estate was broken up and sold in 1937. The McTaggart family acquired the castle estate in 1983 and undertook extensive renovation of the buildings and restoration of the gardens.

Where do the celebrities sleep?

The bedrooms suggested by the programme’s country house atmosphere are not where contestants spend the night. The celebrity cast have been reported staying at the Courtyard by Marriott beside Inverness Airport.

Away from filming, players are kept apart to prevent unrecorded conversations about the game. Those arrangements help preserve the competition, because a private exchange or an unexplained absence could give someone information the rest of the group does not have.

Can fans visit Ardross Castle?

Ardross Castle and its estate are private, with no public tours or individual visits. The property is not a hotel, so viewers cannot reserve a room for their own Traitors weekend.

It does operate as a venue for private events and filming, but those bookings do not make it a public attraction. Anyone considering a private event should check the official Ardross Castle website for current availability and booking information.

Where to watch Celebrity Traitors 2026

The Celebrity Traitors begins on Thursday 1 October at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Episodes are scheduled for Thursday and Friday evenings, with catch-up available through iPlayer.