Dunrobin Castle

Dunrobin has a medieval core but its present appearance is a remodelling by Charles Barry between 1835 and 1850, who added conical spires, turrets and steep roofs in a manner drawn from French chateaux and Scottish baronial together, producing the largest house in the northern Highlands at 189 rooms. Barry also laid out formal gardens on terraces between the castle and the sea, modelled loosely on Versailles, with parterres, fountains and clipped hedging in an unlikely setting on this coast. A falconry display runs in the gardens through the day, with birds flown over the parterres. The castle museum, in a former summer house, holds an eclectic Victorian collection including Pictish stones, hunting trophies and ethnographic material. The estate has its own railway halt, opened for the family's private use.

What you actually see

• The chateau silhouette - Barry's 1840s spires and turrets over the sea.
• The Versailles-style gardens - formal terraces and parterres on the coast.
• The falconry - birds flown daily in the gardens in season.
• The museum - a Victorian collection including Pictish carved stones.

When to go

April to October; the castle closes for winter. Falconry displays run to a daily timetable in season and are the reason many visitors come. The gardens are best from June.

Honest expectations

The museum's hunting trophies are extensive and some visitors find them difficult. The castle is far north and the drive up the A9 is long. The private station halt has a very limited seasonal service. Interiors are a fixed route.

Nearby

Golspie is a short walk; Dornoch and its cathedral lie south.