Dunrobin Castle

Overview

Dunrobin Castle is the most northerly of Scotland's Great Houses and is one of the most majestic, looking like a French château with its fantastic gardens. It is the largest house in the Highlands of Scotland with 189 rooms, and one of Britain’s oldest inhabited houses, dating in parts from the early 1300s. It was home to the Dukes of Sutherland, and it is now occupied by the Earls of Sutherland who are their descendants.

The falconry display is excellent and takes place in the gardens at 11.30am and 2:30pm daily from 29th March to 31st October.

The personal museum of the Dukes is also worth visiting for its shockingly large collection of hunting trophies (it was acceptable in the 1800s) and other curious items from around the world.

As you might expect with such a long history, Dunrobin Castle claims to have a few ghosts. One room, the "Seamstress's Room", is said to be haunted by the ghost of an imprisoned young maiden who fell from a window whilst trying to escape. Maybe just our imagination, but the room does have a "feeling" about it.

Dunrobin is one of our favourite castles. We love the entrance hall with its grand staircase and portraits which remind us of "Hogwarts" in the Harry Potter movies. The gardens also deserve a visit and you will get your best photographs of the castle from there.

Dunrobin Castle is one of the attractions featured in our North Coast 500 itinerary.