Welcome back to the compelling, complex and backstabby world of The Traitors. Season 3 – in both the UK and US versions – has arrived, just in time to warm our winters with the raw heat of personal ambition and shocking betrayals.
If you don’t know the drill by now, there’s two teams: traitors and faithful, each trying to navigate an atmosphere of feverish distrust and a fog of scheming, while dispatching each other one by one (or two by two) – all with a little help from host Claudia Winkleman’s fiendish tasks and games.
The game of skill and deception (and whatever Linda’s doing) – where the winner gets up to £120,000 (or $250,000 in the US version) – is based on Dutch series De Verraders. 22 strangers are tasked with working out who among them was named a ‘traitor’ at the very start of the show. But it’s not just the game gripping viewers.
The glorious locations are almost as compelling as the game itself, so here is everything you need to know about The Traitors filming spots.
Where is The Traitors filmed?
Boat of Garten railway station
Season 3 kicks off again with the classic Harry Potter opening (steam train, cute railway station, uncertain faces, Claudia Winkleman going full Professor McGonagall) at Boat of Garten station in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. The opening episode of season 3 introduced all 25 contestants, but not all of them make it as far as their final destination: Ardross Castle, 50 miles north. (This is not possible IRL, with the Strathspey Railway only going as far as Aviemore, but go with it.)
Ardross Castle
The Traitors is filmed in the nineteenth-century Ardross Castle. As with the first two seasons – and the US version – the home of the series is its stately surrounds, perched in a glen 25 miles north of Inverness in Scotland. The castle is in the Scottish Baronial style and set within beautiful formal gardens, and it’s surrounded by more than 100 acres of parkland on the banks of the River Alness.
Can you stay at Ardross Castle?
You can, but you’ll need to get married or join a corporate away-day to do it. Not even the contestants stay at the castle when filming The Traitors – according to Alan Cumming, the cast stays at an Inverness Airport hotel instead.
The estate hosts weddings and corporate events but isn’t open to the public. The great hall seats up to 130 guests, with accommodation for more than 40. Wedding packages start at £45,000, so you might need to win The Traitors to pull it off. Head to the castle’s official site for more info.
Loch Glass
This serene loch at the foot of Ben Wyvis is a regular star of The Traitors. It’s located 30-minute’s drive away from Ardross Castle and has hosted several of the show’s trials, including the helicopter jump in season 1 and a rowing mission in episode 3 of the new season.
When does season 3 of The Traitors start?
Season 3 began on January 1. There are 12 episodes in total, and episodes one, two and three are all streaming on BBC iPlayer now. Further instalments will air on BBC1 and appear on BBC iPlayer on Wednesday, Thursdays and Fridays from January 8-10 and January 15-17. The dates for the final three episodes are yet to be announced.
For US viewers, the third season of the American version of The Traitors, hosted again by Alan Cumming, begins on January 9 with three episodes on Peacock. Catch them from 9pm ET and 6pm PT.
Any news on the contestants?
The full cadre of season 3 traitors and faithful is already dwindling fast, but the original roster included the following 25 contestants – deep breath – Anglican priest Angela; politics student Freddie; call centre manager Minah; financial investigator Armani and her sister, full-time mum Maia; barber Tyler; window cleaner Keith; ex-soldier Leanne, care manager Alex; former diplomat Alexander; swimming teacher Anna; business director Charlotte; bank risk manager Dan; translator Elen; community development manager Fozia; interior designer Francesca; Market trader and landscaper Jack; project manager Jake; English teacher Joe; doctor Kasim; retail store manager Leon; retired opera singer Linda; beautician Livi; property consultant Nathan; and doctor of communication Yin.
Everything you need to know about The Traitors season 2.
The 22 TV and streaming shows you need to know about in 2025.