If you loved the series Downton Abbey as much as I did, you were probably thrilled it was also released as a movie.
While most of the show was filmed at Highclere Castle in Hampshire, England, Downton Abbey’s “Duneagle Castle”, the setting for the season three finale of the show, took place in Scotland at the real-life Inveraray Castle, a place where I recently visited.
Inveraray Castle is located in an idyllic spot — on the northwest border of Loch Fyne amid some of the Highlands’ most impressive scenery.
Today, it is home to the Duke and Duchess of Argyll and their children, and its rooms tell the story of the Campbells, once the most powerful clans in the Scottish Highlands.
At Inveraray Castle
Inside, you can tour an impressive array of these rooms, many shown in the Downton Abbey episode, such as the Armory Hall, in which 16th to 18th-century arms adorn the walls.
In addition to the Scottish weaponry, the castle houses an outstanding collection of furniture and paintings.
Another special feature of the castle is its spectacular gardens, sixteen acres of stunning flowerbeds, park, and woodlands. Here, during the latter part of the 19th century, distinguished visitors such as Queen Victoria and David Livingstone were asked to plant trees, as was the custom of that time.
Some 75,000 people visit Inveraray castle each year. It is open to the public between April 1 and October 31.
Also in Inveraray
Before you leave, don’t forget to stop in the Castle Tea Room for some Toasties or Paninis. And the town of Inveraray itself is charming. Here are a few suggested places to visit:
Inveraray Jail, to have fun learning all about how wrongdoers here were punished back in the 1800s.
The George, where you can have a cozy meal by a roaring peat and log fire, or stay overnight.
Inveraray Bell Tower – climb the 176 steps to the top of the tower for a spectacular view of Inveraray and Loch Fyne.
Filming Downton Abbey at the castle
When the Scottish aristocrats who own this stately home were interviewed about the filming of Downton Abbey for The Daily Mail, the Duchess of Argyll, (who lives in the 17-bedroom castle with her husband, Torquhil, the 13th Duke), said of the cast: “They were charming. Especially Rob James-Collier, the actor who plays conniving footman Thomas, which rather threw us. I told him I had wanted to hate him.”
What a fabulous experience it must have been for the Duke and Duchess of Argyll to get to know the cast, and have Downton Abbey filmed in their home. But then, if your home is a castle, what more could you ask for? It’s the stuff of dreams.
Minus the electric bill, of course.
Traveling to Scotland? You may also like In the Heart of the Scottish Highlands: Exploring Inverewe Garden.
