The Traitors castle worth eye-watering amount of money but stars can't sleep there

The Traitors season three is coming to an end – and the proceedings will once again kick off in the stunning setting of Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands.

Claudia Winkleman has hosted another nail-biting series as Traitors and Faithful are pitted against one another. But things just wouldn’t be as tense without the incredible backdrop of Ardross, located just north of Inverness and with an estate spanning 100 acres on the Alness River.

The castle’s land was originally purchased in the late 1700s by the first Duke of Sutherland, before it was sold to Alexander Matheson in 1845. It was Matheson who decided to develop the estate, designing the castle in the Scots Baronial style.

The castle was completed in the 19th century, with 400 men employed to work there from 1847.

It’s no wonder, then, that the castle is worth a very hefty sum. Originally purchased for £90,000 by Matheson – that’s the equivalent of £9.26million today – its value has soared over the years.

The 220-year-old estate is now worth £16,993,453, and is used as a wedding venue, available to hire for events and can host up to 41 guests for an overnight stay.

However, Traitors stars don’t actually get to sleep there. Instead, they’re put up in a hotel close to Inverness Airport, with much more modest sleeping arrangements.

Contestants take a 45 minute journey at the end of filming to the Courtyard by Marriott hotel, which costs around £70 per night.

Former contestant Wilf Webster revealed: “People are blindfolded until they get to wherever they are staying. And you don’t have your phone. We weren’t even allowed the TV remote, so that we couldn’t access the internet or Google each other.”