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All 4 Nairn Attractions »

Cawdor Castle

Nairn IV12 5RD, Scotland
44 (0)1667 404401
Ranked #2 of 3 attractions in Nairn
4.0 of 5 stars 38 Reviews
Type: Castles
Owner description: A romantic fairy-tale castle that has been the home of the Thanes of Cawdor since 1370, Cawdor has evolved into a charming family mansion and the most...... more » Owner description: A romantic fairy-tale castle that has been the home of the Thanes of Cawdor since 1370, Cawdor has evolved into a charming family mansion and the most outstanding of stately homes. The dramatic medieval tower, dungeon, turrets, battlements and drawbridge, belie an enchanting interior of fine art, tapestries and furniture which create the warm and welcoming feel of a home rather than a museum. The castle, set in stunning grounds with three beautiful and varied gardens, is surrounded by the magnificent Cawdor Big Wood, one of the finest woodland areas in Europe, threaded with colour coded nature trails to explore.Visitors are invited to enjoy a delicious lunch or tea with home-baking from our mouth-watering menu in the courtyard café, then browse the exciting range of gifts and goodies in our three shops and, time permitting, have fun on the putting green and short 9-hole golf course which provides enjoyment for all standards. « less
Useful Information: Stroller parking, Bathroom facilities
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38 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
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    10
    6
    1
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Date Rating
Campbelltown, Australia
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 24, 2012 NEW

Greeted with a bagpipe band. The bird show was excellent, the museum a bit disturbing. Castle old and interesting. More

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Moray
Senior Contributor
36 reviews 36 reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
22 helpful votes 22 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 23, 2012 NEW

We visit Cawdor quite regularly and enjoy looking around the interesting gardens. The prices for entrance are a little high but these would be offset a bit if dogs were allowed into the grounds. As it is, they are restricted to the car park where there is no shelter from the sun to help shade the vehicles if you have... More

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London, England
Senior Contributor
44 reviews 44 reviews
Reviews in 28 cities Reviews in 28 cities
85 helpful votes 85 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 14, 2012

We really enjoyed our visit to Cawdor Castle. The interior room descriptions are interesting as they have been written by a member of the family. A reasonable number of rooms are open to the public. We went for the forest walk - although that wasn't well advertised - a pleasant leg stretch. We loved the bespoke bird feeder and the... More

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Inverness, United Kingdom
Contributor
18 reviews 18 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 13, 2012

Great Castle and excellent tour! Liked the gardens too! More

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Forres, United Kingdom
Contributor
20 reviews 20 reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 11, 2012

Such a lovely quaint Castle. I've visited several times & really enjoy my time there, especially the beautiful gardens. I do wish they'd stagger the number of people going around the castle at the same time, it does kind of ruin the experience for new visitors. More

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See 4 more reviews by sproutie07 for Nairn
Thurso, United Kingdom
Senior Contributor
30 reviews 30 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 9, 2012

My kids love going here. it is furnished by the family who still live here. Best bit for kids is the dungeon and running around the walled garden. take time to go down to river behind castle. restaurant for those feeling hungry! More

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Bedfordshire
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 9, 2012

At £9.50 per person to visit, we were not convinced that this provided good value for money. The exterior is very impressive and well worth seeing, whilst the interior will appeal to people who enjoy visiting National Trust properties. The rooms were interesting and laid out according to function, but the range of furniture and bric a brac appeared to... More

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scotland
Senior Contributor
24 reviews 24 reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
76 helpful votes 76 helpful votes
1 of 5 stars Reviewed April 7, 2012

Cawdor Castle is simply not worth the extortionate entrance fees, nearly £30 for a family of four, all there is to see is over in 20 minutes tops. Save your money, just walk around the gardens, better still go for a walk along splendid Randolfs Leap at Logie steading. More

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Cupar, Scotland, United Kingdom
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
4 of 5 stars Reviewed March 30, 2012

Excellent history&gorgeous to match..well worth the visit :) More

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See 2 more reviews by Suzanne B for Nairn
Prince Albert, Canada
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
14 helpful votes 14 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed February 17, 2012

Aside from the obvious attractions of visiting a castle - extensive and beautiful grounds, impressive architecture, incredible history - I found Cawdor to be something more due to the fact it is still lived in occasionally by the Dowager Countess. It does have a sometimes-modern level of comfort and lived in feel, which I enjoyed getting a perspective on. (As... More

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