We only had about 90 minutes at Dunrobin, and cannot say enough good about it. The house was delightful, the staff friendly, and the history within *ALL* of these walls was staggering. Really wonderful. The grounds would have been worth the price of admission all on their own, and at the time of our trip (June) it was perfect to spend the last open hours at the house and then walk through the gardens for another 30 to 60 minutes. There was much more to explore, and we would have loved to spend more time! read more

I love this place!! It's an amazing adventure! Dunrobin is an impressive castle, with a magnificent setting. I fell in love with this place!! Dunrobin Castle is North of Inverness, 1/2 mile from the town of Golspie. There is plenty of parking. Dunrobin Castle is the largest in the Northern Highlands with 189 rooms. Dunrobin Castle is also one of Britain's oldest continuously inhabited houses dating back to the early 1300s! The Castle, which resembles a French château, was used as a naval hospital during the First World War and as a boys' boarding school.   Dunrobin Castle is open from 1st April to 31st October.   Perched on a high terrace above walled gardens, Dunrobin Castle, with fairytale spires and turrets, rises above the North Sea like an illustration from a storybook. This place is overwhelmingly spectacular. It's breathtaking!   There are few places in the world to match the mountains, moors and beaches of Sutherland. The combination of color and texture is quite magical.   The name Dun Robin means Robin's Hill or Fort in Gaelic.   It was encased by a series of additions from the 16th century onwards. In 1785 a large extension was constructed. Remarkably this early keep still survives, much altered, within the complex of these later extensions, making Dunrobin one of the oldest inhabited houses in Scotland. We were there at the perfect time and got to enjoy a falconry show. It was spectacular! Watching those birds of prey at work was amazing. Falconry was originally developed as a means of hunting fast or difficult prey as food for the table, and is still practiced for this purpose in many parts of the world today.   To train one of these fierce and fabulous birds is a long and difficult process and requires patience, expertise and dedication. Dunrobin Castle does a great job of showcasing this ancient art. I highly recommend this as one of your stops if you're ever in this area of Scotland! October 2023 read more

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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 the plan again. read more

Are you serious right now?!?! This place! talk about a castle! This is what American tourists want to see when they come to Scotland! Obvi, I'm from the U.S. and when we got to Edinburgh and checked into our first hotel, the receptionist recommended this place. We decided to kill sometime between reservations and go and boy am I glad we did. This place is stunning! The gardens are phenomenal! It was freezing up here, but totally worth the drive. There's so much art and history and the place is a maze with 189 rooms! Only a fraction of that is open to the public at 14 pounds 50 per person to enter, and if you can fit it into your trip, do it! read more

Just a quick look We were on the way north when we passed this castle, so we decided to have a quick look. We are travelling with our dog, so we knew that the insides of the castle would be off limits for us. From the huge parking area the castle looks pretty good, like many said: fairy tale style. But a better look you can get if you walk past the castle on the right and follow the road down to the ocean. From there you get a real nice view of it....without all the coaches blocking the view. The seaside down here is very nice for a stroll btw. Can't tell you much about how it looks inside. But just one thing: Compared to many other castles we've seen the entrance fee is a bit hefty here. Still, a nice castle. If you are in the area, go have a look. read more

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My husband and I stopped at Dunrobin Castle on our way to John O'Groats. We had never heard of it and it was a spur of the moment decision as we saw signs for it off of the road. We are so glad that we stopped. I'm a huge Disney fan and Dunrobin looks like it must of been an inspiration for a Disney castle. It's stunning and magical with beautiful blue turrets and it majestically sits overlooking the sea. It's just stunning. The tour of the interiors took about an hour and cost ten pounds a person- money well spent. We learned all about the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland and saw some beautiful rooms and Victorian era antiques. The gardens are gorgeous and we even met a very friendly castle cat that was greeting visitors! Make sure to catch the falconry show. I've seen many bird shows and I've even worked at a zoo...this was the best bird show that I have ever seen. The falconer, Andy Hughes, has a way with the birds and also a great presence with the audience. This is a must-see! We saw a lot of castles on our UK trip and Dunrobin was my absolute favorite. read more

Fairytale French Chateaux in the Scottish Highlands ! This castle is another of my favourites. I was so impressed when I visited that it's design and location are deeply impregnated in my memories. It might not look as much when your drive up the path towards the building, but when walking around it and down towards the sea, you can see it's splendour. I believe that the history goes back to the 13th century and it has been the seat of the Dukes of Sutherlands for a very long time. I think they still own it. There are activities for the young ones and the adults, like the birds of prey. If you are a couple I can recommend the romantic walk in the beautiful gardens with wonderful views onto the North Sea and up to the castle. The castle itself does not appear ancient and you can feel some modern touches to the interior and exterior, but still its worth a visit, when you are in the Inverness area. read more

This is an amazing castle to visit if you happen to be in the Highlands of Scotland. The gardens are very impressive in the summer and there was a falconry and falconer who put on a demonstration while we were there. The castle and grounds looks like it's right out of a fairytale and I really got a kick out of looking at the birds of prey. Generally, I'm against animals being kept in captivity and used for any sort of entertainment purposes, but it was my understanding that the birds were rescued for various reasons and they looked well cared for by the Dunrobin falconer. I wasn't wowed by the interior of the castle. Typical roped off rooms with no shortage of stuffed dead animal heads mounted on the walls but there were breathtaking views of the North sea. I remember there being a little tea shop and having a soup and salad for lunch but when I think of the experience all that comes to mind is a Little Britain sketch about vacationing in Scotland. "Carrot cake, carrot cake, have ye any nuts?" Yeah, I'm pretty sure this was the same place. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9r25GhBWjc&NR=1 read more

One hell of a castle, even on a cold and blustery "summer's" day! The two main highlights are the castle grounds and the falconry show. The former is a feast for the eyes as you approach and explore; the latter a wonder for those who enjoy birds of prey and live entertainment. If you bring a large camera, fair warning- he WILL have a bird swoop down and graze your head! Entry for adults is £10 apiece, which is standard for most castles in the Scottish Highlands. Although they open the grounds to everyone (for free) once they close, and in winter the grounds are open daily. read more

A must visit for anyone interested in Highland History and the clearances. A fairytale castle with superb gardens and falconry displays.