Duone Castle

Details

Cultural Attraction: Castle ruins

Region: Central Lowlands

Location: Castle Hill, Duone FK16 6EA, United Kingdom

Hours:

April – Sept: open daily 9:30AM – 5:30PM (excluding holidays)
Oct – March: open daily 10AM – 4PM (excluding holidays)
last entry 45 minutes before closing

Pet friendly: No (service animals only)

Handicapped accessible: No

Restrooms: Yes

DEN Rating: 9/10

Website: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/doune-castle/

Standard Admission:

Adults – $10.00
Concession (65+) – $8.00
Children – (7-15) – $6.00 (kids 6 & under FREE)
Family Tickets available

Same price for advanced tickets and walk-up tickets

Valid with Explorer Pass

Historic Scotland Membership accepted

Several partner organization passes accepted

Audio tours are free of charge

Out of the many castles we visited in our two-week trip to Scotland, Duone Castle (pronounced “doon”) was one of my favorites and one I highly recommend. Not only does this medium-sized Medieval courtyard castle which stands today as a partial ruin have a fascinating history, it’s also one that Hollywood has utilized as a set many times over the years, appearing in many scenes of Monty Python and the Holy Grail as well as being utilized for several big-name TV productions, doubling as portions of Winterfell in Game of Thrones and making appearances in Outlander.

What You Will See

Duone Castle was built in the 13th century and was rebuilt in the late 14th century following extensive damage from a siege. After falling into ruin by 1800 and then being restored in the late 19th century, it is in a state of partial ruin today. The castle does have a roof. Many of the chambers are empty, just stone walls and floors with a few pieces missing here and there. Other spaces, like the main hall, are partially decorated, with stained glass windows and dark wood paneling. The vast majority of the castle is explorable, with a few exceptions including the castle wall walk and the main hall balcony. And yes there is a dungeon you can enter!

Audio Tour

I cannot recommend the audio tour enough. You can download and run it on your own device yourself (best to do this ahead of time as internet is spotty here), but on our visit they simply checked me out a device on site for free. The tour is narrated by none other than Terry Jones from the cast of Monty Python, who did a wonderful job! The best part is that the tour includes special sections with all of the info on exactly what was filmed where for The Holy Grail and includes clips from the film. Having grown up a fan of the film I was really excited to visit Doune Castle but did not expect the audio tour to lean into its appearance in the film so delightfully! Fans of Outlander get similar treatment, with clips and info related to the show available.

Entry Considerations

We made a timed-entry reservation and I’m glad we did because there is not a lot of parking here and they keep the number of visitors at any given time low enough that the castle never feels crowded. Duone Castle is growing in popularity, but just showing up and purchasing admission at the door is usually still an option. If you plan on visiting multiple castles managed by Historic Environment Scotland within a two-week period I cannot recommend enough purchasing an Explorer Pass – it works out to be far less expensive. There is also only one, possibly two parking spaces for large vehicles like tour buses or camper vans, and parking is first-come-first served – if that’s your situation my advice is to book your visit for right as the castle opens.

A large stone fireplace fills the wall in a chamber in medieval Duone Castle in Scotland. — *A large stone fireplace fills the wall in a chamber, which also included nice stone tiles on the floor which were still in good shape. This was likely a royal apartment.*

Facilities And Mobility Considerations

There are nice, modern, fully accessible restroom facilities at the castle but they are in their own detached complex at the far end of the parking area. Use the restroom before you enter the castle. The main entrance brings visitors up a slightly steep ramp into the castle courtyard – an assistant might be necessary for guests in a wheelchair to make it up the ramp. Entering and navigating the castle itself means negotiating stairs. The stone staircases and passageways in the castle interior are narrow and the footing is often uneven. There are a few picnic tables around. The front lawn of the castle would be an amazing place to spread out a picnic blanket. The small gift shop is in the guards’ chamber as you come up the castle ramp.

The west tower of Duone Castle as seen from the castle courtyard. The castle’s great hall is inside the large window on the far right. The stairs on the right as well as the lawn below were used in the wedding slaughter scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Explore Nearby

There are some nice waterside trails around the castle, which are free to wander without purchasing admission to the castle. When we visited there was some restoration work happening right outside the castle wall so some areas were fenced off. The local trail network connects to the cute village of Duone. We stayed in town at The Woodside, a pub with outstanding food and second floor rooms, and really enjoyed it even though the room was pretty small. The staff was very nice, the included breakfast was fantastic, and the location was perfect.