Traitors-Worthy Scottish Hotels To Book Now

The Witchery, Edinburgh

The Traitors may not be filmed in Edinburgh, but if it’s the series’ gothic sensibility you covet, the Scottish capital is a must-visit. Think eerie graveyards, shadowy closes, higgeldy-piggeldy alleyways and ghost stories galore. The Old Town is the best place to soak it all up, particularly the medieval Royal Mile, with 11th-century Edinburgh Castle looming at one end and the Palace of Holyroodhouse sitting prettily at the other.

The Castle stands proud on Castle Rock, a dramatic volcanic crag that rises 140 metres and punctuates the skyline across the city. Right beside it sits one of Edinburgh’s most evocative hotels, The Witchery by the Castle. Opened on Halloween 1979 by local restaurateur James Thomson, then aged just 20, it began life as an opulent restaurant with a focus on great food, polished service and, of course, wine. It swiftly became an Edinburgh institution and, ghostly reputation notwithstanding, helped breathe new life into the Old Town. In 1989, a second restaurant, The Secret Garden, was added to meet soaring demand: another space brimming with antiques, drama and seasonal dishes, with candlelight casting flickering shadows across the room.

Not long after, The Witchery’s first five lavishly theatrical suites joined the fold, offering guests an equally immersive place to rest their heads. Today there are nine to choose from, spread across two buildings dating back to 1595 and bearing names such as The Vestry, The Library, The Armoury and The Turret, the latter two particularly appealing to Traitors fans. Each is individually decorated, with wood panelling, draped fabrics, gregarious wallpaper, intriguing antiques and a heady mix of medieval romance and candlelit drama. The old adage may insist that a picture paints a thousand words, but when it comes to The Witchery, you really do have to see it, experience it, sit and sleep among it to understand it.

Doubles from £575 per night including breakfast.

Prestonfield House, Edinburgh

Staying in Edinburgh, Prestonfield House is James Thomson’s second act: a 17th-century country house set within 20 acres of lush grounds you’d scarcely believe sits just five minutes from the Old Town. With 23 individually decorated rooms (including five opulent suites) infused with Thomson’s signature dramatic flair – think heavy drapes, four-poster beds, antique furniture and tactile velvet cushions – it makes another near-perfect Traitors stay. Thomson himself is a fan of the show, and Prestonfield House will particularly appeal if you’re drawn to the countryside cosiness of the Traitors castle.

In fact, alongside its Michelin Key, this sanctuary at the foot of Arthur’s Seat boasts a backlist of celebrity guests, from sports stars to Hollywood A-listers, all lured by the kind of unhurried indulgence that renders everyone blissfully anonymous. Staff that exude warmth, sofas you could spend the whole day sinking into and nostalgic breakfast dishes all make this a real home-from-home. Dining is fine and languorous, and fireside Afternoon Tea a cocooning, full-afternoon affair. Outside, the city centre is just minutes away by car, scaling Arthur’s Seat is easy breezy, and greeting the three Highland cows that call Prestonfield House home quickly becomes part of the morning routine.

The eclectic Owner’s Suite is, naturally, the most coveted key in the house, lavishly furnished and generously proportioned as it is, with three aspects taking in all of Prestonfield’s exceptional views. That said, there’s no short straw to be drawn here: each bedroom is characterful and cocooning, wrapped in velvet furnishings and layers of warm light from table lamps, floor lamps and sconces.

Doubles from £375 per night, including breakfast.

Glenapp Castle, Girvan

One Scottish hotel fully embracing the spell cast by The Traitors is Glenapp Castle. The 21-bedroom Relais & Châteaux property has made the official Traitors board game available for guests to play in a playful ‘when in Rome’ touch. And while Traitors country lies further north-east, there are plenty of reasons fans might want to check in to this grand address. Chief among them is the Castle Penthouse Suite, the largest and most luxurious penthouse in Scotland at 420 sqft, occupying the entire top floor of the castle, which has in fact only operated as a hotel since 2000. Built in a Scottish Baronial style not unlike the castle seen on screen, the one Michelin Key Glenapp Castle is set within 110 acres of private estate, encompassing woodland, gardens, two restaurants and a wealth of activities. Think falconry, games and sea excursions for the full experience of Traitors-esque missions.

Doubles from £415 per night, including breakfast.

The Torridon, Wester Ross

On a similar latitude to Ardross Castle (where The Traitors is filmed) but on the west side of the Highlands instead of the east, The Torridon may look like a castle, but it is in fact a particularly grand former shooting lodge. No matter: this is the UK’s most northerly five-star hotel which C&TH‘s Hotels Editor Fiona Duncan describes as ‘a calm bastion of good living in a remote and beautiful place’. (Read her full review here.) Expect the delicious dining and majestic mountain views worthy of a Traitor.

Doubles from £305 per night.

Schloss Roxburghe, Roxburghshire

A schloss in Scotland? Yes indeed – and Schloss Roxburghe does look like something you’d stumble across in the German countryside, if not a fairytale. Set across 300 acres in the Scottish Borders, guests can find 78 bedrooms and 51 cottages, a spa and heated infinity pool, fine-dining estate-to-plate restaurants, an 18-hole golf course and plenty more across this idyllic estate.

Doubles from £311 per night.

Gleneagles, Perthshire

While not a castle per se, this glorious Scottish sporting estate is certainly glamorous. A countryside playground, Gleneagles’ reputation precedes it; guests can enjoy the beauty lodge and spa, swimming pool, two Michelin-starred dining, and sporting pursuits spanning salmon fishing, gun dog handling, padel, climbing, golf, riding and more.

Doubles from £575 per night.