Cawdor Castle and Gardens

The castle and its legend

A licence to fortify the tower was granted to William Calder, Thane of Cawdor, in 1454. Tradition says a donkey carrying gold lay down under a holly tree and the castle was built on that spot; the remains of the tree survive in the lowest level, and testing dates its death to around 1372. The Campbells took over in the 16th century and still own it, and the Dowager Countess Cawdor lives here.

Macbeth, fact and fiction

Shakespeare made Macbeth Thane of Cawdor, but the real king lived centuries before the castle was built, and the play never names it. Expect a family home with portraits and furniture rather than a stage set.

Gardens, woods and golf

There are three gardens with different histories: a Walled Garden first planted in the 17th century, an 18th-century Flower Garden and a Wild Garden added in the 1960s, plus Auchindoune Gardens nearby. Nature trails through the Big Wood, an ancient oakwood, are included in admission. The Courtyard Café uses homegrown and local produce. Clava Cairns, a Bronze Age burial site, is a short drive away. There are several shops on site.

Highlights

• Medieval tower house built around a holly tree
• Home of the Campbells of Cawdor
• Walled, Flower and Wild Gardens
• Nature trails through the Big Wood oakwood
• 9-hole golf course

Good to know

• Seasonal: open roughly late April to early October, closed through the winter.
• Children aged 5 and under go free, and a family day pass is available.
• The Courtyard Café serves homegrown and local produce.

Frequently asked questions