Every great reality competition needs a stage, and few stages do more atmospheric heavy lifting than the one on The Traitors. The Traitors: New Blood, the first U.S. season built around an all-civilian cast of 22, was filmed at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, the same brooding fortress that has housed the franchise since 2022. Here is what is on the record about the castle, its history, and how fans can (and cannot) experience it for themselves.
Ardross Castle at a glance
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Location | Ross-shire, Scottish Highlands, about 30 miles north of Inverness |
| Address | Ardross Castle, Alness, Ross-shire, IV17 0YE |
| Estate | More than 100 acres of gardens and parkland |
| Current building | 19th-century Scots Baronial mansion |
| Origins | Hunting lodge built in the late 1700s |
| Key owner | Sir Alexander Matheson, bought the estate in 1845 |
| Franchise home since | 2022 |
| New Blood filming | May and June 2026 |
| Public access | Private estate, no tours or overnight stays |
Where exactly is Ardross Castle?
Ardross Castle sits in the Ross-shire region of the Scottish Highlands, roughly 30 miles north of Inverness, according to Sky HISTORY. The castle’s own website describes it as “just north of Inverness,” on the banks of the River Alness in the village of Alness (postal address: Ardross Castle, Alness, Ross-shire, IV17 0YE). The estate covers more than 100 acres of formal gardens and parkland, a scale that gives the show room to stage missions, arrivals, and outdoor set pieces without ever leaving the property.
A short history of Ardross Castle
The current building is a 19th-century Scots Baronial mansion, but the estate’s story starts earlier. In the late 1700s, the 1st Duke of Sutherland built a hunting lodge on the grounds. The property was later sold to Sir Alexander Matheson, who bought the estate in 1845 for £90,000 (worth about £9.26 million in today’s money, per Sky HISTORY). Matheson, who made his fortune with the Jardine Matheson trading company, commissioned architect Alexander Ross to build the castle as it appears today, adding roughly 30 rooms to the earlier house at a reported cost of £7,000.
After Matheson’s death, the estate was bought in 1898 by Charles William Dyson Perrins, heir to the Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce fortune, who modernized the house with electricity and added a formal garden designed by Edward White. The estate was broken up and sold in 1937, passing to Mr. and Mrs. Austin Mardon, who lived there until 1983. That year the McTaggart family bought the castle and began the renovations and garden restorations that turned it into the exclusive venue used for weddings, private events, and television filming today.
What the show actually films at the castle
Ardross is not a set: it is a working private estate, and the show uses it like one. The castle’s grand drawing room is the breakfast room viewers know, the site of each morning’s reveals, and the billiard room also features regularly. Round tables and the day-to-day plotting unfold inside the castle’s lavish interiors, while the day’s missions generally take place on the estate itself, among the gardens, woodland, hills, and the River Alness.
One popular illusion deserves a footnote. The contestants do not sleep at Ardross Castle. Reporting on the show’s logistics (via The U.S. Sun, summarized by Cinemablend) has placed casts at a Courtyard by Marriott near Inverness Airport, roughly a 40-minute drive from the castle, with separate cars ferrying players back each night while the edit preserves the fiction of castle life. The UK version more openly shows players leaving the castle at night.
Which Traitors versions film at Ardross?
Both of them. The castle’s official website confirms it has “recently been the location for The Traitors TV series, both UK & US versions,” and Ardross has been the franchise’s home base since the U.S. version launched in 2022. The UK edition, the U.S. celebrity seasons, the BBC’s Celebrity Traitors (whose second series filmed there in spring 2026 ahead of an autumn broadcast, per press reports), and now New Blood have all filmed at Ardross. It is the one constant across the franchise’s most-watched editions.
When did New Blood film there?
NBC’s own guide says New Blood filmed “in May and June of 2026,” a window echoed by Primetimer and the filming-location site Moviedelic, which dates principal photography to spring 2026, likely May and June. That puts filming roughly three to four months before the September 17, 2026 premiere, consistent with the show’s pattern of shooting in the Scottish spring and airing in the fall.
Can you visit Ardross Castle?
Short answer: no, not as a casual visitor. The castle’s official contact page is unambiguous: “Ardross Castle is not a hotel so it is not possible to book to stay for a night. The Castle and Estate are private and not open to the public at any time. There is no facility for tour parties or individual visits.” The page also states there is “no availability whatsoever for 2026 nor 2027.”
What the castle is available for is exclusive-use private hire: weddings, corporate events, and film and television shoots. NBC Insider has noted the property can be booked for weddings and film shoots, citing a Times report that a two-night wedding stay runs about £45,000. So while you cannot tour the Traitors castle on a weekend trip, the estate does take private-event bookings through its website.
If the show has you dreaming of a Highlands trip, the practical move is to base yourself in Inverness, the nearest city, about 30 miles south, and explore the region’s many castles that do welcome the public. For more on how the game works, see our Traitors rules guide. To follow the season, new episodes air Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and stream the next day on Peacock; see how to watch New Blood live.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where was The Traitors: New Blood filmed?
The Traitors: New Blood was filmed at Ardross Castle in Ross-shire in the Scottish Highlands, roughly 30 miles north of Inverness. It is the same castle used by the UK and earlier U.S. versions of the show.
When did The Traitors: New Blood film?
Principal photography took place in May and June of 2026, according to NBC’s official guide, roughly three to four months before the September 17, 2026 premiere.
Do the contestants actually stay at Ardross Castle?
No. The contestants do not sleep at the castle in any version of the show. Reporting on production logistics has placed casts at a hotel near Inverness Airport, about a 40-minute drive away, with players driven back each night while the show maintains the illusion they live in the castle.
How old is Ardross Castle?
The estate dates to a hunting lodge built in the late 1700s, but the castle as viewers know it is a 19th-century Scots Baronial mansion, developed from 1845 by Sir Alexander Matheson with architect Alexander Ross.
Can you tour Ardross Castle or stay overnight?
No. The castle’s official website states the estate is private, not open to the public, offers no tours, and is not a hotel. It is available only for exclusive-use private hire such as weddings, events, and film shoots, and lists no availability for 2026 or 2027.
Do the UK and U.S. versions film at the same castle?
Yes. Ardross Castle’s official website confirms it has hosted both the UK and U.S. versions of The Traitors, including the BBC’s Celebrity Traitors, making it the franchise’s shared home since 2022.
