Where is The Celebrity Traitors castle and can I stay there?

Host Claudia Winkleman will set celebrities a series of challenges in the new show

Hit BBC series The Traitors returns on Wednesday night with a celebrity line up of contestants - including comedian Stephen Fry, Olympian Tom Daley and singer Paloma Faith.

Host Claudia Winkleman will pit a handful of secret traitors against faithfuls at Ardross Castle, a grand Highland property that is one of the reality TV show's biggest stars.

Delve into its past and the castle has links with the makers of Worcestershire Sauce, and the land it was built on has a connection with the notorious Highland Clearances.

Where is The Traitors filmed?

Ardross Castle sits in 100 acres of gardens and parkland

The Traitors is filmed in Ardross Castle, a 19th Century pile about 30 miles north of Inverness.

It is set in about 100 acres of gardens and parkland near the Easter Ross town of Alness.

The property was built more than 170 years ago in a Scottish baronial style, a type of elaborate architecture featuring complex rooflines with turrets and fortress-like battlements.

What's the history of the castle?

Ardross Castle in a photograph taken in 1960

More than 200 years ago - long before the castle was built - the land at Ardross was owned by George Granville Leveson-Gower, the 1st Duke of Sutherland.

He had a hunting lodge on the site where the castle stands today.

The duke was a controversial figure in the Highland Clearances.

In large parts of Sutherland, he had people cleared off land where they had lived for generations to make way for sheep farming and agricultural "improvements".

Some families were moved to coastal villages, while others became emigrants and made difficult journeys to Canada to start new lives there.

There is a statue of the duke on a hilltop north of Ardross.

Known locally as The Mannie, and overlooking Golspie, it has been the target of vandalism and even attempts to topple it.

A statue of the Duke of Sutherland - known as The Mannie - overlooks Golspie

Years later the estate at Ardross was bought by Sir Alexander Matheson.

Matheson made his fortune trading in China. He was an MP and an instrumental figure in the building of railways in the Highlands.

And he had the castle, so familiar to Traitors fans today, constructed.

Ross and Cromarty Heritage Society says that from 1847, about 400 workers were involved in the property's construction.

They built 30 rooms and laid out the castle's extensive grounds.

According to Ardross Castle's website, Sir Alexander also improved estate workers' housing.

After Sir Alexander's death, the country house and its estate was sold to businessman and philanthropist Charles William Dyson Perrins.

His grandfather William Perrins, in partnership with John Wheeley Lea, created the recipe for Worcestershire Sauce.

The Perrins family was also involved in the production of Royal Worcester porcelain.

Charles William Dyson Perrins joined the family business after four years serving in the Highland Light Infantry.

He and his family were annual visitors to Ardross Castle.

The Perrins' ownership came to an end in the 1930s and various parts of the estate was sold off.

Who owns The Traitors Castle and can I stay there?

In 1983, the castle was bought by the McTaggart family and they still own it today.

While not run as a hotel, the property is available as a wedding venue - its popularity undoubtedly boosted by its appearance in The Traitors.

In 2023, Loukas Tsarmaklis, a director of Ardross Castle Enterprises, told The Press and Journal they "try to keep a low profile... but there is no chance now."

"This has put us on the map and helped local B&Bs, tradesmen, taxi drivers, cleaners. It was a big operation for this part of the world," he added.

The castle's owners politely declined to comment on the impact the show has had to BBC Scotland News, but internet searches for the castle have been on the rise.

Ross and Cromarty Heritage Society said views of its page about Ardross increased significantly because of the US show.

Who is in The Celebrity Traitors?

Celebrities will be pitted against each other in the new series

Joining Claudia Winkleman in the castle will be stars of TV, film, music and sport.

They include comedian Alan Carr, singer and broadcaster Charlotte Church and former England rugby player Joe Marler.

Also, broadcaster Kate Garraway, presenter Jonathan Ross and content creator Niko Omilana.

Among those from the world of acting will be Mark Bonnar, Tamela Empson and Celia Imrie.