Where Is The Traitors Filmed? A Walker's Guide to the Scottish Highlands

Whether you're a faithful or a traitor, there's one star of The Traitors that never seems to put a foot wrong: the Scottish Highlands.

While the twists, turns and round-table accusations keep millions of viewers hooked, the dramatic landscapes are just as memorable. From turreted castles to windswept hilltops, the Highlands provide the perfect backdrop for a show built on mystery, deception and just the right amount of paranoia.

If you've found yourself wondering where The Traitors is filmed, here's a closer look at some of the locations that have helped make the series so atmospheric.

Ardross Castle: The Highlands' most famous castle (at least for now)

Both the UK and US versions of The Traitors are filmed at Ardross Castle, a striking Scottish Baronial castle located around 25 miles north of Inverness in the Highlands. The estate was purchased by Sir Alexander Matheson in 1845 and later redesigned by architect Alexander Ross, who added many of the distinctive features seen on screen today, including its impressive towers, turrets and grand façade. Sir Alexander was also closely associated with the development of Scotland's railways, serving as the first chairman of the Highland Railway.

Set amongst formal gardens and more than 100 acres of Highland parkland, Ardross Castle looks as though it was designed specifically for dramatic television. The soaring entrance tower, sweeping staircase and richly decorated interiors have become almost as recognisable as Claudia Winkleman's knitwear. These days, the castle operates as an exclusive-use venue for weddings, events and filming rather than a hotel, offering accommodation for up to 41 guests.

The Fyrish Monument: Series 4's dramatic challenge backdrop

If Series 4 left you wondering about the mysterious ruins perched high above the landscape, you'll be pleased to know they're very real.

The Fyrish Monument sits atop Fyrish Hill near Evanton in Easter Ross and appeared as the backdrop for one of the series' most demanding challenges. Built in 1782 on the orders of General Sir Hector Munro of Novar, the monument was designed to resemble the Gates of Negapatam (now Nagapattinam) in India, commemorating a British military victory there.

Like many follies of the period, it wasn't built purely for decoration. Local tradition suggests the project was intended to provide employment for local people during a difficult economic period, and stories persist that Sir Hector would roll stones back down the hill overnight to create additional work for labourers the following day. Whether that's entirely true or not, it certainly adds to the folklore.

Today, the monument stands in splendid isolation overlooking the Cromarty Firth, providing expansive views across the surrounding Highlands. It is exactly the sort of place that feels perfectly suited to a challenge involving a great deal of uphill effort and increasingly dramatic facial expressions.

Why the Highlands make the perfect setting and how you can experience them yourself

Part of what makes The Traitors so compelling is its setting. The Scottish Highlands are renowned for their vast landscapes, remote glens, rugged mountains and sparsely populated scenery. There is a sense of scale here that's difficult to find elsewhere in the UK. The weather can change in moments, mist drifts through the hills and distant peaks seem to disappear into the horizon.

For a television show built on suspense, it's hard to imagine a better backdrop. The landscapes bring an added sense of drama and isolation that quietly heightens every challenge, every twist and every suspicious glance across the breakfast table.

The good news is that you don't need to compete for a silver bar or survive a round table to enjoy these landscapes yourself.

Our self-guided Hiking the Great Glen Way: Fort William to Inverness holiday follows one of Scotland's most famous long-distance trails through the heart of the Highlands, taking in lochs, forests and mountain scenery along the way.

Or, if you're looking to venture even further from the crowds, our guided Hidden Trails of the Hebrides holiday explores some of Scotland's most remote islands, where dramatic coastlines, wild landscapes and a slower pace of life make it easy to understand why so many people fall in love with this part of the world.

Thankfully, the only thing you'll need to worry about on either holiday is keeping an eye on the weather. The traitors, as far as we're aware, stay on television.