Everything you wanted to know about ‘The Traitors' castle but were afraid to ask
The grandiose castle on 'The Traitors' is an apt setting for the conniving game show, immersing players in a historic location in the Scottish Highlands. Both the U.S. and U.K. versions of the series use Ardross Castle, a 19th century structure once owned by the grandson of the creator of Worcestershire sauce. It's now owned by the McTaggart family, who graciously allow 'The Traitors' to take over multiple rooms and the vast grounds during filming.
'There's something about coming to a place that's so steeped in history and playing a game there,' says executive producer Rosie Franks. 'The castle has contributed so much to the identity of the show. We'd struggle to make the same show without it. It is a gift of a location because you don't need any TV trickery.'
'If it wasn't for that environment, I don't think the players would get so invested,' adds executive producer Mike Cotton. 'That feeling of being somewhere special in the middle of an isolated place allows us to create this very three-dimensional world they can inhabit.'
Here, Cotton and Franks answer all of your burning questions about 'The Traitors' castle.
How was Ardross Castle selected?
The producers looked at more than 40 castles. Scotland was always a draw, as was something with fantastical flourishes. 'It's like a Disney castle that's got Gothic and dark undertones to it,' Cotton says. 'We wanted something that had that feeling but also had a great hall where we could house the round table. We needed a really big room for that.'
Do we see all of the castle on the show?
Not even close. When 'The Traitors' first arrived, the team discovered that areas of the building were desolate. 'There's huge parts of that castle that we don't use within our show because they're not renovated or haven't been touched for a long time,' Franks says. 'Plus, to rig an entire 19th century castle with cameras would be a big job.'
'What you see onscreen is a majority of the downstairs of the castle,' Cotton adds. 'The cast can roam free in our space, but obviously we can't have them roaming free over the entire castle because it would be impossible to cover it.'
The castle's size has led to new discoveries during the series' run. 'It wasn't until Season 2 that we discovered it had this space that felt like a dungeon,' Cotton recalls. 'When Phaedra asked Kate to become a traitor, she was in this dungeon. It was a discovery we didn't realize was underground. We'd walked over it for a whole year.'
How many cameras are in the house?
There are about 50 cameras in the castle, most of which are hidden. In the great hall, the cameras are behind wood paneling that was built inside the room to surround the round table. There are also cameras in the pillars throughout the house in addition to actual camera operators. 'A lot of the pillars look like they've been there for 50 or 100 years, but they've actually been built specifically for us,' Cotton says.
Not all of the cameras are recording at once. 'We've got a gallery of screens where we can see all of them, and then we choose a certain number that we're recording,' Franks says. 'We're located separately in a production village in the castle's stable block, and we're very hands off with the game.'
Does the set change from the U.K. to the U.S. editions?
The sets are mostly the same, but the art does change. For the U.S. show, there are pictures of Alan Cumming and Andy Cohen added to the walls. Occasionally, small trinkets will be swapped out.
Does the set evolve between seasons?
Yes. The producers make 'small alterations,' Franks explains. 'We like to freshen up little bits each time,' she says. 'We did create a little secret room, which has been through different iterations. Last season, it was a wine cellar you access through the bookcase.'
'It feels like it's a real place,' Cotton adds. 'Yes, we fill it with some slightly eccentric decor at times, but we want it to be its own thing. With all these big Scottish castles, they don't redecorate every single year, so we don't either.'
What was the inspiration for the round table?
The round table is 14 feet in diameter to accommodate all the players. Season 1 production designer Mathieu Weekes looked at the table on the original Dutch show, 'De Verraders,' which featured a compass, and added the phases of the moon. It houses a few cameras and is as hefty as it looks. 'The top is a really big, solid piece of wood that's got some light slightly embedded in it,' Cotton says.
Are there Easter eggs in the decor?
Of course there are. The producers hide tongue-in-cheek details in the rooms each season. For example, the book that opened the wine cellar in Season 3 was titled 'The Seer,' a nod to the big finale twist. 'The artwork sometimes alludes to the tones of the show or things that are going on in the castle or missions,' Franks says. 'We like to drip-feed viewers throughout so that the whole thing feels like a joined-up experience.'
Do the players sleep in the castle during filming?
The producers refuse to answer this definitively because it could affect future games. 'The success of 'The Traitors' really does rely on us maintaining the integrity of the game, and that includes us keeping the details of what happens behind the scenes a secret,' Franks says.
'Keeping the traitors' identities secret is the No. 1 thing for us,' Cotton adds. 'For everyone to go to their rooms and go to bed, and then for us to get the traitors back out is a military operation. As soon as we start to talk about exactly where they sleep and how it works, we're really worried that might unpick it all. The players are desperate to find out who the traitors are and they'll go to any means possible to do it.'
Does the show film all of the outdoor challenges on the actual castle grounds?
Cotton says about 90% of them are filmed on site. The other 10% are done at a nearby loch. But one of the main attractions to Ardross was its 2,000 acres of land. 'It's got a river that runs through it. It's got its own hills, it's got fields, it's got forest, it's got marshland,' Cotton says. 'And we use all of that. Part of the appeal was that it has a huge natural playground around it that we could use for missions.' Are there any restrictions on using real fire when filming?
None. 'The Traitors' even has its own fire team to light the medieval-looking torches around the castle. 'We love fire,' Cotton says. 'There's nothing like when you go in somewhere and you can smell a wood fire. We always say that the game plays really psychological because they're immersed. So much of that is down to the castle and the set and the smells.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Cosmopolitan
an hour ago
- Cosmopolitan
Sabrina Carpenter Just Made Rare Comments About 'Drivers License' Drama—Here's What She Said
It may feel like it's been a lifetime since Olivia Rodrigo's 'Drivers License' first dropped—and since you've seen her name with Sabrina Carpenter's in the same sentence—but it's actually only been four years since that tired narrative took over our social timelines. In case you weren't chronically invested, allow me to catch you up to speed: drama surrounding a highly speculated love triangle between former Disney darlings Sabrina, Olivia, and Joshua Bassett allegedly inspired a slew of songs from each of the artists. All these years later, Sabrina has made a rare comment about it all (yes, including that 'blonde girl' lyric) as she promoted her upcoming album, Man's Best Friend, during a cover story interview with Rolling Stone. In 2021, a certain lyric from 'Drivers License' made waves as fans speculated it pointed back to Sabrina: 'And you're probably with that blonde girl / who always made me doubt / she's so much older than me / and everything I'm insecure about.' The rumor was only fueled further when Sabrina dropped 'Skin,' on which she sang, 'Maybe blonde was the only rhyme.' The following year, she released 'Because I Liked a Boy,' on which she seemingly laid out the aftermath: 'Now I'm a homewrecker, I'm a slut / I got death threats filling up semi-trucks.' When Sabrina was asked if her 'restless work ethic' stemmed from a desire to 'shed the 'blonde girl' accusation,' she admitted, 'I didn't really intentionally do that.' 'All I knew was that it wasn't going to stop me from doing what I loved, ever. That's kind of how I've always felt,' the 'Manchild' hitmaker revealed. 'Sometimes, it's about how you are able to be resilient. What that era taught me was to just trust myself, and trust that everything is going to work out the way it's supposed to, and trust that relationships are put into your life for a reason. You might not see that in the moment, but you see it later.' She then admitted that she's moved past that time in her life, adding, 'I don't think about it, ever' before quipping, 'I've tried being brunette, and it didn't look good on me, so this is what it is.' Elsewhere in the interview, she dished about Man's Best Friend and why she decided to drop a follow-up to her Grammy-winning album, Short n' Sweet, nearly a year later. 'If I really wanted to, I could have stretched out Short n' Sweet much, much longer. But I'm at that point in my life where I'm like, 'Wait a second, there's no rules,'' she told the publication. She added that artists like Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt used to drop 10-track albums once a year, which got her thinking. 'If I'm inspired to write and make something new, I would rather do that. Why would I wait three years just for the sake of waiting three years?' she said. 'It's all about what feels right. I'm learning to listen to that a lot more, instead of what is perceived as the right or wrong move.' That being said, now feels like a good time to press play on this instant classic:
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jameela Jamil Preps Her Own Makeup for the ‘Elio' Premiere: ‘An Homage to the '90s Supermodels'
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, WWD may receive an affiliate commission. Jameela Jamil stepped out in Los Angeles on Tuesday night for the world premiere of Disney and Pixar's new film 'Elio,' in which she voices the character of Ambassador Questa alongside costars Zoe Saldaña, America Ferrera and Brad Garrett. For the special occasion, she chose to do her own glam, opting against using a makeup artist to create a cat-eye aesthetic to go with inky black micro bangs. More from WWD Leslie Bibb Wears Blazer Minidress, Parker Posey Gets Textural in Feathery Look and More From 'The White Lotus' FYC Event Kendra Scott and Dolly Parton Launch Second Jewelry Collection Inspired by 'I Will Always Love You' Zoe Saldaña Turn Heads in Ultra-sharp Saint Laurent Plexiglas Wedges at 'Elio' Premiere 'Tonight is an homage to the '90s supermodel,' Jamil told WWD while getting ready for the carpet. 'The makeup is very Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, more is more is the goal of the night. I used my signature black eyeliner, with a bronze chrome eye shadow from Charlotte Tilbury.' For years, Jamil has trusted herself to execute her makeup visions not only for major public appearances, but on-set, too. She famously did her own makeup throughout the filming of 'The Good Place,' and she doesn't plan on handing the responsibility to someone else anytime soon. A mix of products from several different luxury beauty brands is preferred by her. However, she does tend to favor Charlotte Tilbury products, crediting their Collagen Superfusion Face Oil as her 'skin secret.' After going in with the face oil for the Tuesday premiere, she used Huda Beauty's #FauxFilter color corrector to conceal her exhaustion from traveling across nine countries in four weeks. 'I look like a Tim Burton movie character without it,' she said of the product. Next, she painted her face in the Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer Glow Enhancer and Ilia Beauty's Skin Rewind Complexion Stick as a makeshift foundation formula that achieved a natural finish. YSL Beauty's Setting Powder was added on top for her 'nerves,' as well as the Nars powder blush in shade Gina, Benefit's Hula Bronzer and roller liner, Charlotte Tilbury setting spray and Pat McGrath Mascara. 'I hate false lashes and I don't need to use them when I use this mascara,' Jamil noted. 'The absolute game changer in my makeup is my Haus Labs Bio-Radiant Glassy Highlighter Balm, which gives you instant glass skin even if you have the face of a dehydrated foot,' she added. For her bouncy blowout and wide curls, Jamil partnered with hairstylist and wig designer Terrie Owen. Her fashion, styled by Calvin Opaleye, included a black strapless gown with a crocodile bib by David Koma, Messika jewels and Christian Louboutin heels. 'I chose the dress because we had a futuristic theme for the premiere, and it made me feel like a sexy space alligator. And who wouldn't want to channel that?' Jamil said. $30 Buy Now at nordstrom Price upon publish date of this article: $30 $31 Buy Now at sephora Price upon publish date of this article: $31 $43 Buy Now at nordstrom Price upon publish date of this article: $43 $48 Buy Now at nordstrom Price upon publish date of this article: $48 $65 Buy Now at nordstrom Price upon publish date of this article: $65 $34 Buy Now at nordstrom Price upon publish date of this article: $34 $36 Buy Now at sephora Price upon publish date of this article: $36 $24 Buy Now at sephora Price upon publish date of this article: $24 $38 Buy Now at sephora Price upon publish date of this article: $38 $34 Buy Now at sephora Price upon publish date of this article: $34 $30 Buy Now at sephora Price upon publish date of this article: $30 $35 Buy Now at nordstrom Price upon publish date of this article: $35 Best of WWD Mia Threapleton's Red Carpet Style Through the Years [PHOTOS] Princess Charlene of Monaco's Grand Prix Style Through the Years: Louis Vuitton, Akris and More, Photos Princess Charlene's Monaco Grand Prix Style Evolution at Full Speed: Shades of Blue in Louis Vuitton, Playful Patterning in Akris and More


Vogue
5 hours ago
- Vogue
Coach Resort 2026 Collection
Before we get to Stuart Vevers's very—very—good resort collection for Coach (or winter, in the brand parlance) here's something he shared at the preview about where it all started. As a kid, he and his brother would go to theater shows in his native Carlisle in the U.K. where his grandparents would not only perform, but also be decked out in costumes of his granny's design and making. The Vevers kids would get dressed up too, like, for instance, wearing sailor suits when one year the show's theme was South Pacific. Years later, his grandmother would help Vevers make clothing to go out in, helping him sew the likes of PVC trousers so he could shake a tail feather. Flash forward some decades later and this latest Coach collection speaks to those formative years of his. It has a spirit of almost childlike naivete spliced with his usual unerring sense of what feels right for now. Vevers has mixed up, without much if any regard to gender, sparkly tulle tutus, washed and worn sweatshirts emblazoned with the visage of Disney hound Pluto, and cheery Peter Pan-collared sweaters which grandma could have knitted, with weathered and worn biker and aviator leathers, capes in tiger stripe fake fur or bejewelled chiffon, and yet more of the upcycled patch-worked jeans which have become a Coach thing, this time in soft black washed denim. 'It's a celebration of the joy of dressing up,' Vevers said, 'and it's what led me to use these personal references to my past. There's a bit of fantasy to it all too—I see that with the way my kids will get dressed up when they're playing—but here that's grounded with this tougher idea of Americana.' What all of this brings together, even the collection's leather bunny ears, crowns, and swords (his kids are going to have a field day when they get their mitts on them) is the warm familiar glow of familial nostalgia, and an unerring sense of the moment that is, in essence, what his Coach is about. It's also refreshingly uncynical, which might be its greatest attribute, when it's all too easy to be cynical about so much that's going on, particularly—especially—in fashion. (This joyful, life-affirming collection even warmed the heart of this old cynic.)