Stirlingshire

Doune Castle

A courtyard castle of the late 1300s above the River Teith, built for the Duke of Albany and filmed for Monty Python, Game of Thrones and Outlander.

Visit website Call

Welcome

Doune Castle is one of the largest and best-preserved castles of the 1300s in Scotland, and walking into its great hall feels like stepping onto a film set, because it has been one many times.

It was built for Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, who ruled Scotland in all but name for more than thirty years, and it stands on raised ground above the River Teith at the edge of the village of Doune.

Inside are the towering gatehouse, still with its iron yett, the great hall with its minstrels' gallery and central hearth, and the Duke's Hall, restored in 1883. Fans know it as Castle Anthrax in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Winterfell in the first episode of Game of Thrones and Castle Leoch in Outlander. The audio guide, narrated by Terry Jones, comes with your ticket, and booking online gets the best price. The castle car park is small, so on a busy day leave the car in the free car park in the village, a ten-minute walk away.

Doune Castle on its grassy mound under a blue summer sky, the tall gatehouse tower on the left and the hall range and curtain wall to the right, Stirlingshire.

Doune Castle from the north: the gatehouse on the left, the great hall running to the kitchen tower.Press a mark to look closer.

Before you go

Tickets are for a set date and time, and booking online gets the best price.

The audio guide, with Terry Jones and Sam Heughan, plays on your own phone and comes with the ticket.

Hours: 1 April to 30 September, daily 9.30am to 5.30pm. 1 October to 31 March, daily 10am to 4pm. Last entry 45 minutes before closing.
Closed: 25 and 26 December, 1 and 2 January.
Tickets: Adults £10 online or £11 at the door; concessions £8 or £9; children aged 7 to 15 £5 or £5.50. Historic Scotland members free.
Parking: A small car park at the castle, with donations welcome. Motorhomes, caravans and coaches cannot use it.
The path: 275 metres from the car park, ending very steep on uneven cobbles that are slippery when wet.
Stairs: 22 to 26 steps to the great hall and kitchen, and uneven spiral stairs to the floor above.
Dogs: Not allowed, apart from assistance dogs.
By bus: The 59 from Stirling stops in Doune, half a mile from the castle.

Opening hours

Their website

Monday: 10am–4pm
Tuesday: 10am–4pm
Wednesday: 10am–4pm
Thursday: 10am–4pm
Friday: 10am–4pm
Saturday: 10am–4pm
Sunday: 10am–4pm

Did you know

Doune Castle in warm evening light, the round-fronted gatehouse tower and the curtain wall on their green mound, a path curving up to the gate.

Did you know

Built in one go.

Unusually for a castle of its size, Doune was planned and built in a single phase, and the spread of the masons' marks suggests the work went up fairly quickly.

Doune Castle from the air, the gatehouse tower and the walled courtyard among trees, green fields rolling away to the hills beyond.

Did you know

Two sides of the courtyard are missing.

Doune appears to be missing its south and west ranges, so two sides of the courtyard are plain curtain wall. The gatehouse and the hall range are all that went up.

A stone-vaulted room inside Doune Castle, sunlight from a small leaded window falling across the flagged floor.

Did you know

Large tabling and belly cheer.

Albany was famous for his hospitality, praised for his 'large tabling and belly cheer', and records show he entertained great numbers of lords and ladies at Doune.

A dim stone chamber inside Doune Castle, daylight through two leaded windows set deep in the walls.

Did you know

An escape on knotted sheets.

After the Battle of Falkirk in 1746, the Jacobites held government prisoners in the rooms above the kitchen. Some got away down a rope of knotted bed sheets, and one, John Witherspoon, later signed the American Declaration of Independence.

Doune Castle at sunset, the gatehouse tower dark red against a pink and violet sky, a flag flying from the top.

Did you know

Bring your own coconuts.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail was filmed here in 1975, with Doune as Castle Anthrax and several other castles. Visitors still practise their horse riding with coconuts, and Terry Jones narrates the audio tour.

The River Teith flowing between full green trees towards Doune Castle.

Did you know

A royal castle from 1424.

Doune only became a royal castle when Albany's son Murdoch was executed by James I in 1424. It stayed a royal retreat until 1603, home at times to royal widows and to Mary, Queen of Scots.

What is on