Doune Castle

This was my honeymoon trip with my husband, and we had to visit Doune Castle. Our first date was to the movies to see Monty Python and the Holy Grail! (If you didn't know, this is where that was filmed.)

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The castle was pleasantly empty when we toured it. Our time spent here felt intimate and relaxed.

The castle itself was never completed, and so the main part of it is just that one front room with an extra floor above. You must walk up a tiny, spiral staircase with no hand rails and with steps too small for modern day running shoes - but besides that nerve-wracking task, the castle is beautiful.

The self guided tour does an amazing job of bringing this castle back to life. There’s one room in particular that was once the kitchen. The walls near the window still show the marks made from the chefs sharpening their knives. That image stayed with me.

If you want to see this castle really come to life, though, you need only turn on Outlander. Castle Leoche was filmed on a set that replicated Doune Castle. You can even hear Sam Heughan, the actor who plays Jaimie Fraser, talk about filming here when you listen to your own self guided tour.