Details
Cultural Attraction: Castle and Garden
Region: Argyll & Bute
Location: Inveraray PA32 8XE, Scotland, United Kingdom
Hours: 10AM – 4PM, closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Pet friendly: No (service animals only)
Handicapped accessible: partially
Restrooms: Yes
DEN Rating: 8/10
Website: https://www.inveraray-castle.com
Admission:
- Adults – $16.50
- Seniors (60+) – $14.50
- Children (5-15) – $12.00 (kids under 5 FREE)
- Student – $14.50
- Gardens only – $9.00
- Family Tickets available
Same price for advanced tickets and walk-up tickets.
Advanced tickets recommended during high season. Timed entry system in place.
Free parking if touring castle and/or gardens
Inveraray Castle is a historic home of the Campbell Clan and is today the home of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll. A portion of this grand fairytale castle is tourable, as are the extensive gardens around the castle. Built in the mid-1700’s and expanded in 1877, this Baroque castle is a popular showstopper and a centerpiece in the Argyll region which was used as a film location for Downton Abbey.
With its fairytale-esque French Baroque style, which would have been the pinnacle of high society taste when it was built in the early 1700’s, Inveraray Castle is one of the most visited castles in Scotland.
Argyll Elegance
Elegance and symmetry define Inveraray Castle in Scotland’s Argyll & Bute region. Built in the French Baroque style in the early 1700s and added to during the Victorian era, this stunning castle was the pinnacle of high society fashion and today inspires Disney-esque visions of fairytale princesses and masquerade balls. Today the castle is privately … Read more
What You Will See
There’s two main attractions at Inveraray Castle: the lavish interior filled with period and historical objects, and the sumptuous formal garden behind the castle. The interior has many tourable rooms across three floors with a one-way system in place. A few of the rooms, like the State Dining Room and Tapestry Drawing Room, are extravagently decorated in a decidedly Parisian style which would have reeked of sophistication at the time. A few bedrooms are tourable upstairs up the grand staircase. The basement level features the castle kitchen as well as the gift shop and tearoom. My favorite interior space was the Armoury Hall which had a lofty ceiling with wonderful natural light and a beautifully displayed collection of weaponry which was quite impressive.
The formal garden behind the castle is straight from a children’s story. The main area of the huge garden is level with gravel paths. Pull up a bench and enjoy the view, or stroll beyond the flower garden near the castle for wonderful views of the gorgeous castle exterior and the nearby loch. It would be easy to spend hours here on a nice day.
Tours
No tours or audio tours are available except as an accessibility aid. The Inveraray Castle website is quite good and has virtual tours of different parts of the castle.
I had to wait for a moment with no rain and no people in the view to get this shot of Inveraray Castle, both of which kept coming and going.
When Dreams Come True
You dream, read, and see pictures of places that seem like they cannot possibly be real, and then you visit Inveraray Castle and discover just how real a dream can become. I’ve never seen a place where such attention to detail was paid as here. The level of ingenuity, workmanship, and sophistication found here can … Read more
Entry Considerations
Inveraray Castle is quite popular and busy. Timed entry tickets are available on the castle website, which I highly advise getting if you are visiting in the summer. That being said walk-up tickets are available but you might have to wait a bit if the current time slot is sold out. Plan on spending 2-3 hours at Inveraray Castle.
Facilities And Mobility Considerations
The gift shop, tearoom, and main restrooms are accessed down a set of steps next to the ticket booth.
The first floor of the castle is accessible via a ramp. Stairs and the absence of a lift create barriers to wheelchair access to the other floors, but the website offers a virtual tour. Accessibility aids for hearing and visual impairments are available at the ticket booth, as is a wheelchair-accessible restroom. The garden is level but the gravel path surface may be challenging for wheelchairs to negotiate – ask at the ticket booth for wheelchair access to the garden.
Explore Nearby
We went down to the nearby River Aray to check out the water and Aray Castle Bridge. Cross the bridge and follow the blue signs on the right to hike up to Dun Na Cuaiche Watchtower, which was a hike I was hoping to do but the weather got really nasty so we decided to save it for our next visit. The hike is described as moderate and takes around two hours, with fabulous views. An easier walk from the same trailhead leads to Sweetie’s Seat, a huge log carved into a bench with a great view of the loch framed by trees.
After visiting the castle we went into town, which is a cute historic village along Loch Fyne. The main historic commercial block is along A83 south of the castle. All of the buildings are painted white, and there are a few little shops about. We had “Fancy Sandwiches” for lunch at Brambles of Inveraray – amazing! FYNE Fish ’n’ Chips & Bella Cafe get good reviews as well. There are a few hotels and inns around town, and Old Inveraray Jail and Escape Room is a fun attraction along the loch. Parking can be tricky to find right in the small business strip.
