A Scottish Highland castle has been named the best of The Traitors as the series returns

Few reality TV shows in recent years have had such a huge impact as the BBC’s Traitors.

The contestants in the series are divided into two groups – “Traitors” and “Believers”. The former must work together to eliminate the other participants in order to demand a huge cash price, while the latter is tasked with uncovering and expelling traitors in order to win the money.

The show took the UK by storm when it first aired last November, and is set to return to screens very soon – with a video teaser starring host Claudia Winkleman released over the weekend. As reported by the Scottish Daily Express, the traitors could be back within weeks.

Not much information has been released about the upcoming second series of the competition, although it is likely that it will use the same location as the first – Ardros Castle in the Highlands – which was also the setting for the US version of the series hosted by Scottish actor Alan Cumming.

The 19th-century castle, located in Alness near Inverness, was built in the 19th century in the Scottish baronial style. It features stunning formal gardens and approximately 100 acres of parkland.

Since the premiere of The Traitors, Ardross Castle has gained many new fans, including Winkleman herself, who commented last November: “It sometimes felt like we were in a painting if it wasn’t so corny.

“And the first day, the weather systems were crazy. I mean, at one point, I turned on my weather app, and it was literally saying ‘no idea buddy, good luck, take your bikini and Kajol.’

The stunning property was sold to merchant banker Alexander Matheson – who made his fortune in the tea and opium trade – in 1845. Matheson paid nearly £90,000 for the property, which he then developed alongside architect Alexander Ross.

The two added about 30 additional rooms to Ardros Castle, as well as 700 acres of “pleasure grounds”. In the decades that followed, the castle was modernized, including adding electricity.

After changing hands over the years, the property was sold to the current owners, the McTaggart family, in 1983, and has since been extensively renovated.

Today, the castle is still privately owned. It is a luxurious, large-scale event venue and is popular for weddings and cafés.

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