Explore Inverness

Cawdor Castle Nairn Inverness.

The magnificent stronghold of Cawdor Castle is an extremely popular visitor attraction, and with good reason. The earliest documented date for Cawdor Castle is 1454, the date a building license was granted to William, Thane of Cawdor (or Calder, as the name was sometimes spelled). Some portions of the castle are probably even earlier with the style of stonework in the oldest portion of the castle dating it to approximately 1380.

The story of Cawdor Castle is connected with William, 3rd Thane of Cawdor, who decided to build the castle. In 1370 he had a dream, which told him to load panniers of gold on the back of a donkey, and follow until it lay down, which it did, next to a tree.
 
Cawdor Castle is built around the hawthorn tree the donkey rested at, hence "The Hawthorn Room" in today's castle. Legend has it that the tree has magical qualities which have saved the castle on more than one occasion.

It still serves as home to the Dowager Countess Cawdor, stepmother of Colin Robert Vaughan Campbell, 7th (and present) Earl Cawdor and 25th Thane of Cawdor. The castle is perhaps best known for its highly fictionalised literary connection of William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth.
 
The castle also has a gift shop, a bookshop, a wool shop; an excellent restaurant in the castle itself. There is a snack bar near the car park. Visitors can wander at will through the walled garden, flower garden and wild garden. There is a picnic area, a 9 hole pitch and putt golf course, a putting green, a duck pond, an extensive area of natural woodland with a series of way-marked nature trails of different lengths from three quarters of a mile up to five miles.

The castle has been expanded numerous times, with significant additions made in the 17th century and 19th century. 

Cawdor Castle is approximately 10 miles (16 km) east of Inverness and 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Nairn. It belonged to the Clan Calder. 

Cawdor has three gardens. The Walled Garden is the oldest and dates from c.1600 and later became a kitchen garden. The Flower Garden was laid out some 100 years later and was originally designed for enjoyment in late summer and autumn. However this garden's season has been extended to give pleasure from early spring, with bulbs, bedding plants, herbaceous borders, ornamental trees and shrubs all providing delight. The Wild Garden is the youngest, being planted in the 1960's and lies between the Castle and the stream of the Cawdor Burn.

Opening Times
Cawdor Castle and Gardens are open to the public daily from Friday 22nd April until Sunday 2nd October, 10am to 5.30pm with last admission at 5pm.