Dunrobin Castle & Gardens — Attraction in Great Britain

On my recent trip to Scotland, all I wanted to see were castles, old houses, cemeteries, historic buildings....you get the idea. I wanted to soak up that all the history. So you know Dunrobin is special when I tell you it was my absolute favorite part of the entire trip.

I do think we were lucky with the timing of our visit in early October. We heard tales of the parking lot filling completely in warmer months, but there were only a few vehicles there when we went. Part of the great appeal was that we felt free to explore at our own pace, often reaching rooms where no other visitors were present! Aside from the velvet ropes, it often felt like we just happened to be hanging out in an old home. Don't miss the views of the gardens from the top floor windows either. To think that people got to live there with those gorgeous surroundings and then the prospect of the sea right behind is incredible. Keep an eye out for the many fresh floral arrangements and loads of old books. We also absolutely adored the portraits, continually discovering a new favorite. Oh, and did I mention they had a fire burning in the giant fireplace at the entrance to the castle? Ugh, it was all so dreamy.

After touring the home, we went outdoors to watch the hawk and falcon demonstration. This was truly interesting and a great bonus! The falconer was very friendly and answered our questions, allowing photos with the birds after the demonstration. Next, we wandered the gardens and how I wish we'd had more time there! Even at this colder time of year everything was so verdant, and we still found plenty to admire: blooming dahlias, salvia, cosmos, hollyhocks, and fuchsia to name a few. The giant dinosaur plant was incredible, and they are just starting a fernery in an open alcove of rooms under the stairs.

We had lunch at the tearoom which was quite well outfitted. They had a variety of options including steak pie, curry, and a burger. We all opted for the jacket potatoes with different toppings, even trying haggis (which was not bad and featured a delicious creamy gravy). Portions were generous and we probably could have shared. They also had some more snacky food you could grab and go like potato chips and candy, even baby ice creams made locally. Oh, and the baked goods were GOOD! My favorite food of all was the cherry and sultana tiffin.

Our stop was part of a tour, and it worked out well as they gave us extra time, but I would caution against following suit as those tours typically allow just an hour or so and that would not have been nearly enough! It would be easy to spend half a day or more here.

Lastly, there is a cute gift shop with pretty reasonable prices. Entrance to the castle itself seemed fair at about 14 pounds per person. Basically, just go! Even if I were to return to Scotland to explore things I might have missed, Dunrobin would have to be part of...

After 30 years I returned to Dunrobin Castle and was very pleased with what I found. The castle felt very welcoming and the staff were happy to tell me about their favorite parts and what they hoped I would not miss.

I loved every room with books. I was so impressed with the nursery/schoolroom because there were so many books and projects ready for the children to investigate and enjoy learning. The library was comfortable and inviting - though I would have tripped over the lionskin rugs.

It was good to get a feel for where the servants spent their time, too. I was glad to see they were often on the same floor as the people they were serving and had many conveniences to help with their work.

I am glad we were welcome to look out the windows and enjoy the gardens and courtyard. One of the guides reminded me that the only way to see the parts of the original castle was the sandstone wall visible when looking out over the courtyard.

The only thing I really missed was the ingenious lavatory basins in the women's restroom. Those have been removed. I'm sure they were difficult to keep sanitary but when I first saw them I realized that they were just what we women need if we are prone to dropping earrings or contacts into the sink. Those old basins had no drain holes. Instead they were a double basin with the upper one set upon a pivot along the edges and the basin could be rocked upward from one edge and the contents dumped to the piping below.

Dunrobin is a beautiful castle and should not be missed by anyone visiting the Highlands. Someday I hope they offer a tour of the old ice house since that old method of food preservation has long interested me. Speaking of food the tea room was very welcome at the end of my visit; the servers were kind and helpful and served me very good treats. Oh, I must also recommend the local taxi driver who kindly dropped me at the castle and picked me up after my tour;...

This grand and beautifully decorated palace of a castle is every bit as beautiful inside as what it appears on the outside. Situated high up on the east coast of the Scottish Highlands it is definitely an attention grabber. From it's grand french chateau appearance to it's tartan carpeted interior it captures the ooh and ah factor around every corner.

We visited mid August which is their peak season and it certainly was busy however the use of a 1 way system around the inside was a welcomed and well thought out system. My only gripe was due to the number of people we encountered, if yet stopped and stared for too long you ended up holding up those behind you which felt a bit unfair but you could always go round again and again if your legs had the strength.

For the kids, they had placed play mobile figures in different rooms which they had to search for whilst they adults took in the architecture and extravagance within every doorway.

There are steps leading down to the vast gardens which from my knowledge was the only access however I may be wrong but I did not see any wheelchair access.

There is also a falconry exhibition with shows when the birds wish to play ball however on our visit they decided they wanted a rest and i don't blame them as it was 22 degrees

There is a museum of many beheaded animals within and if you're against this sort of thing, there are warnings on The entrance so you're not blindsided by this when you walk in.

Overall this location has fantastic views, beautiful gardens, abundance of eye candy and lots of photos to be taken

My only negative was purely down to it being so popular that I made myself feel rushed so i didn't inconvenience or hold up those behind me so I give this location a solid 8.5/10. It would have received a 9.5/10 if I'd had been more selfish and had more time to take everything in but I'm not that...