The Celebrity Traitors wrapped up last week, and we’re already missing the candlelit halls, sweeping staircases and misty Highland mornings. The good news for planners: you don’t need a cloak to get the full castle experience. Scotland is full of castles you can hire outright for a corporate event or retreat, including the one from the show. Here are five that you wont be banishing from your shortlists:
The Traitors castle itself. The BBC picked this 19th-century Scottish Baronial estate north of Inverness for its gothic character, and it delivers in person: turrets, grand interiors and more than 100 acres of parkland and woodland running down to the River Alness.
Ardross isn’t a hotel, so you can’t book a room or drop in for a tour. The only way in is to hire the whole estate, which is open to corporate clients. It seats around 130 for events and sleeps roughly 40, making it a showstopper for incentive trips and leadership retreats.
2. Dundas Castle, near Edinburgh
Dundas has its own piece of the past still standing in the grounds: the Auld Keep, built in 1416, has watched over this estate for more than 600 years. Around it sits one of Scotland’s top five-star exclusive-use venues, on a 400-acre private estate around 15 minutes from Edinburgh Airport.
It’s one of the most flexible castles for corporate groups, with space for up to 200 guests in its Pavilion, plus 17 bedrooms for residential stays and a private boardroom. The estate is built for activity days, with falconry, clay pigeon shooting, a 4×4 off-road course, a nine-hole golf course and Highland Games-style challenges. Dundas also runs a medieval programme for corporate groups, and an all-inclusive day delegate package makes it one of the more budget-friendly ways to book a castle.
3. Ferniehirst Castle, Scottish Borders
Ferniehirst has seen more betrayal than most. Clan Kerr’s ancestral seat dates back to around 1470 and changed hands repeatedly during the Border Wars. In 1593 King James VI attacked it to punish the Kerrs for backing a rebel earl, and rebuilding began in 1598. Known as Scotland’s frontier fortress, it stands above the Jed Water just south of Jedburgh, and local legend says a Green Lady still walks its halls.
Inside, it’s far more welcoming than its history suggests. The Great Hall, with its huge stone fireplace, iron candelabras and portraits of James VI and the Kerr family, is made for long candlelit dinners, and there’s a tiny Turret Library for quieter conversations. Available for exclusive hire, the castle and its adjoining Lothian Wing sleep 18 across nine bedrooms, ideal for a small leadership team.
Picture mist rolling off Loch Ness at dawn, and a turreted castle on the shore with no one else around. Aldourie sits on the loch’s quiet south side, around six miles from Inverness, and is billed as the only habitable castle on Loch Ness. Its centuries-old Baronial walls are surrounded by 500 acres of gardens, woodland and wildflower meadows, with a boathouse on the water and a sauna yurt tucked into the trees by the loch, handy for anyone keen to keep watch for the monster.
Aldourie is exclusive hire only and comes fully staffed and catered, so your team can focus on strategy rather than logistics. Twelve en-suite bedrooms sleep 24 guests, and seven estate cottages can take up to 24 more for larger groups. Inside, classic Scottish country-house style meets a modern Danish design influence, making it one of the most polished retreats in the Highlands.
5. Fyvie Castle, Aberdeenshire
Every good castle needs a ghost, and Fyvie has one in residence. This blush-pink, five-towered castle in the heart of Aberdeenshire has 800 years of history and is steeped in myth, legend and folklore, so expect a few stories over dinner. It’s looked after by the National Trust for Scotland and holds a remarkable art collection, including works by Raeburn, Gainsborough and Batoni.
Fyvie is the pick for bigger events, hosting up to 120 for a drinks reception, 110 for dinner or 120 theatre-style. The grounds, complete with their own loch, have space for teambuilding, marquees and product launches. Overnight options are limited, although the castle’s Preston Tower apartment sleeps up to 16, so larger groups pair it with hotels in Aberdeen, about 25 miles away.