The Traitors is back and once again we are obsessed with every single aspect of the BBC show. The gripping game show, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, sees a group of civilians gather at a sprawling estate to battle it out for a huge prize fund. The catch? Some are secretly traitors who will "murder" their fellow opponents in the hope of eliminating all players and taking the prize money for themselves.
As well as the group of characters who have signed up for the show, we love watching The Traitors for its scenery. The show is aptly filmed in the huge stately castle in Scotland, providing the perfect backdrop for the murderous game of deceit and lies….
Where is The Traitors castle?
The Traitors is filmed in the stunning Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands. The 19th-century venue, which was built in the Scottish baronial style, boasts 100 acres of parkland on the banks of the River Alness and is located 25 miles north of Inverness. Its heritage dates back to the 1st Duke of Sutherland, who bought Ardross in the late 1700s and built a hunting lodge on the grounds.
The castle is now owned by the McTaggart family, who acquired the estate in 1983 and began to restore the gardens and extensively renovate the venue and its estate properties. The Formal Garden, Walled Garden, shrubberies and lawns have been revived thanks to the new owners, who have planted additional specimen trees, and extended the woodlands.
Speaking about filming in Scotland before series one aired last year, Claudia said the location was "beautiful", adding: "It felt sometimes like we were in a painting if that's not too cheesy. On day two, we saw a double rainbow and everyone was like oh my gosh, and the crew were crying, there were baby deer, there was beautiful heather, there were ancient trees, and an ancient loch. We were all taking pictures."
© Studio LambertCan you visit Ardross Castle?
Unfortunately, the castle is privately owned and its grounds are not open to the general public. However, it is possible to hire it. The venue is available to both corporate and private clients for weddings or work events.
The castle also organises indoor and outdoor activities, such as mountain bike hire and fly fishing on the River Alness.
Inside The Traitors location, the stunning 19th-century Ardross Castle in Scotland…
© LLARA PLAZA,BBCThe grounds
As mentioned, the castle is situated on the banks of the River Alness and boasts 100 acres of land.
The sprawling grounds and location by the water are perfect for undertaking those gruelling challenges in the hopes of racking up more money for the jackpot.
© Studio Lambert,BBCThe Traitors Roundtable room
This is where serious action goes down. Each evening, the group gathers to discuss and dissect each others' game plans, trying to figure out who is lying and who really is faithful. At each roundtable session, the group takes a vote and whoever has the most has to leave, before revealing whether they are in fact a traitor who was wrongly banished as a faithful.
The grand circular table makes it the perfect place for contestants to read each other's body language and reactions, and the wooden 19th century-décor adds to the gothic, historical theme.
© Llara Plaza,BBCKitchen
Unsurprisingly, the game players don't do much cooking on the show but this kitchen would be an incredible place to cook up a feast.
The room has lots of old features that compliment the castle's centuries-old layout, but there are gorgeous modern touches including huge gold lights hanging from the ceiling, with a matching gold tap and sunning marble-topped surfaces.
The Traitors season 2 contestants: Faithfuls and Traitors
© Mark Mainz- Andrew - Faithful
- Anthony - Faithful
- Ash - Traitor
- Aubrey - Faithful
- Brian - Faithful
- Charlie - Faithful
- Charlotte - Faithful
- Diane - Faithful
- Evie - Faithful
- Harry - Traitor
- Jasmine - Faithful
- Jaz - Faithful
- Jonny - Faithful
- Kyra - Faithful
- Meg - Faithful
- Miles - Traitor
- Mollie - Faithful
- Paul - Traitor
- Ross - Faithful
- Sonja - Potential Traitor
- Tracey - Faithful
- Zack - Faithful
© LLARA PLAZA,BBCEntrance hall
Host of The Traitors, Claudia, welcomed the 22 civilians onto the show during episode one which aired on Thursday, and immediately upon walking into the castle, they are greeted by a huge entrance hall.
There are high ceilings, long corridors and countryside touches that make it the perfect place to hold the games. It has to be said that Claudia's wardrobe matches the entire aesthetic perfectly and we are obsessed.
© LLARA PLAZAThe staircase
Claudia, once again, looks right at home in this photo showing the huge staircase at Ardross Castle. The grand stairs are wide and made of stone, with gothic artwork adorning the walls, too.
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© Llara Plaza,BBCGames room
The Traitors games room gives off serious Cluedo vibes, which is very apt given the aim of the game. We adore the bright orange velvet chairs with large, matching sofas.
The green cushions and dark teal velvet cushions complement the décor perfectly and even match the green of the snooker table centred in the room.
© Llara Plaza,BBCThe bar
After a tense roundtable session, the group often take themselves off the bar to recover and unpack the events of the game. The room has a huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling and a fully functioning bar that wouldn't look out of place at a swanky London hotspot.
The large seating area allows the players to relax and chat away, in front of a feature shelf on the wall adorned with vintage clocks and vases.
© Llara Plaza,BBCDining room
Each morning, the group reconvenes in the dining room one by one to find out who has been murdered the night before. They gather at the table which is always covered in the most tempting and delicious breakfast spread we've ever seen!
© LLARA PLAZA,BBCLibrary
We love that every single room in the castle has been designed and styled with the theme of the game in mind.
The contestants may not have much downtime to read during their stay at Ardross, but the library gets used in other ways, for example, during games where they have to find and spot hidden clues and items to collect. It's also where Claudia films a lot of her presenting pieces-to-camera.
© Studio Lambert,BBCThe turret
The turret is arguably one of the most important parts of the castle for the BBC show. Each evening, the traitors gather under the cover of darkness – and their iconic robes – to decide who they will be "murdering" from the group.
It's also here where they recruit new traitors to join them, and where Claudia often meets them to inform them of twists and turns in the game.
