Fans couldn’t be happier that The Traitors is back (Picture: Cody Burridge/BBC/PA Wire)
The Traitors fans have two reasons to celebrate – the third series is well underway and also, the BBC have reportedly made a bold choice that indicates the longevity of the series.
Ardross Castle in Alness, north of Inverness in the Scottish Highland, is a location that viewers have got used to seeing on their screens and may continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
The soaring popularity of the gameshow hosted by Claudia Winkleman has been enough to urge the team behind the show to book the picturesque building and its surrounding land to ensure it remains part of the programme. The producers are said to have booked the Scottish castle, where the prior episodes have been filmed for the next five years.
‘The ultimate nightmare would be if the producers tried to return to Ardross Castle after the Beeb commissioned more series only to find it was unavailable,’ a TV insider told The Sun last year.
They added that the castle is in ‘huge demand’ for weddings, with the amount of bookings increasing following the show’s success.
‘Without taking this bold measure, it was at risk of becoming a victim of its own success,’ they continued.
Ardross Castle is sticking around (Picture: Shutterstock / Minukhin)
Ardross Castle has become synonymous with the UK show (Picture: Peter Jolly/REX/Shutterstock)
The production team are limited on when they can film the show too due to their desire to provide a moody and dark aesthetic. Long summer days are avoided, and instead late spring and early autumn are desirable.
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While the location may stay the same, fans will be getting something new this year – a celebrity version! The first of its kind will reportedly feature actor Stephen Fry, soap legend Danny Dyer and Friends star Courteney Cox.
Meanwhile, the third instalment of the beloved programme is more than halfway through – with two Traitors already revealed, some Oscar-worthy moments, and more secrets than we could have imagined.
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The setting is stunning (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)
Where is Ardross Castle?
The recruits join Strictly Come Dancing’s Claudia at Ardross Castle in Alness, north of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, around a 40-minute drive from Inverness airport.
The building was built in the 19th century in the Scottish baronial style and boasts formal gardens and 100 acres of parkland on the banks of the River Alness.
Unfortunately, it’s not open to the general public to visit, but if you wanted to pretend to be a Faithful or a Traitor, you may be able to host an event at the venue.
The castle is as iconic as Claudia’s red gloves (Picture: BBC)
Who owns Ardross Castle?
The 1st Duke of Sutherland bought Ardross in the late 1700s and built a hunting lodge, before the 2nd Duke sold the estate to Alexander Matheson in 1845.
He was the nephew of the founder of Matheson & Co, which traded in tea and opium, and gave plentiful capital for Ardross to be developed.
It’s gone through several hands in the years that followed, but in 1983 the McTaggart family acquired the estate and have renovated and restored the castle and grounds.
Claudia is the perfect host (Picture: Cody Burridge/BBC/PA Wire)
The location is also used for the record-breaking USA version, presented by Scottish actor Alan Cumming. The host previously removed some of the mystique around the show’s filming by revealing where the contestants really sleep at night.
‘Spoiler alert: None of us stayed in the castle. None of us,’ he told Daily Beast.
‘They [the contestants] all stayed in the airport hotel in the Inverness airport. How glamorous—you come to Scotland and you stay in the Inverness airport hotel.’
The castle is beautiful (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert/LLARA PLAZA)
The BBC’s investment makes sense as it’s quickly become one of their staple shows.
6.9 million people watched the last finale where the Traitor Harry Clark was victorious after tricking Faithful Mollie Pierce, and 300,000 people applied to battle it out for a share of £120,000 in the current series.
The show’s rules are relatively simple but lead to a game of complicated deceit.
The breakfast room is a recognised staple of the show (Picture: BBC)
There are two teams – Traitors and Faithfuls. The Traitors must not be discovered to win, and the Faithfuls must try to figure out who they are to win.
Each day every remaining person votes for who should be banished in a round table, and the surviving Traitors get to then secretly murder players too.
Metro has contacted the BBC for comment.
The Traitors began on January 1 on BBC One at 8pm, and continues Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 9pm.
This article was originally published on March 27, 2024.
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