Doune Castle Reviews Summary

Category: Castle

Address: Castle Hill, Doune, FK16 6EA, United Kingdom

Phone: +441786841742

Rating: 4.5
based on 497 reviews.

Castle Maintenance and Renovation

Pros:

  • "The construction didn't make for great pictures while we were there, but it shows that the castle is being actively maintained, which is good."
  • "Part of the castle is currently under reconstruction however this makes little difference."
  • "I know people hate scaffolding but to be honest, if this keeps the Castle in top condition I’m all for it."
  • "Restoration is being done and there are also railings up for safety."
  • "Great to see them actually taking care of these beautiful structures."
  • "I greatly appreciate that the building is being maintained for historical preservation."
  • "The castle has been maintained well and appears to be kept in its original settings and style, with little modern influences or signage."

Cons:

  • "Doune is under construction and it is LOUD."
  • "Part of it is under construction at the moment. Getting renovated. So there's scaffolding up just now sadly. But important the building gets looked after. But does dampen the atmosphere."
  • "Unfortunately there was work being completed when we were there which detracted somewhat from the overall impression."
  • "The castle was under renovations."
  • "The castle is under construction at the moment. You can still visit, but be aware that there is scaffolding all around the castle and in the courtyard."
  • "They were in the process of repairing the walls of the castle so there was scaffolding in the way."
  • "Unfortunately the atmosphere was dampened by the presence of scaffolding all over the courtyard as they complete essential restorative work."

Staff and Service

Pros:

  • "Magical castle with very friendly staff."
  • "The staff are friendly and helpful. Right from the car park you feel welcomed."
  • "Every member of staff was helpful, telling the kids about the castle, and events that had happened."
  • "The staff are always friendly and helpful."
  • "Staff were all really helpful and friendly."
  • "Super friendly staff."
  • "The staff were very friendly and happy to share any additional knowledge they had."

Cons:

  • "I was disappointed to feel shuffled out at 5 when the closing times states 5:30pm, gift shop shut just before 5pm."
  • "Unfortunately we're here half an hour before closing time and it's already closed."
  • "Arrived at 5pm and was told last entry was 4:30pm (despite their posted hours ending at 5:30pm)."
  • "Very disappointingly, a security firm has infiltrated the site due to some filming that will take place in over a month's time(!) The vigilant 'I'm just doing my job' men, wouldn't allow anyone to access around the perimeter."
  • "Not open! After checking on its website before setting off on a 50 minute journey, we arrived to find it closed!"
  • "They only gave us 50 minutes in which didn’t even give us time to get halfway through the audio guide, i felt like I was ripped off."
  • "Super disappointing as the whole castle was closed due to repairs on serious structural problems."

Accessibility and Facilities

Pros:

  • "There is a small car park at the castle which was quiet when we arrived early on a Monday."
  • "Great castle very helpfull and friendly staff only to willing to help, plenty car parking."
  • "Parking is included in the price of the entry ticket."
  • "Parking is easy and free for castle visitors."
  • "Parking available and interesting looking walks surrounding the castle."
  • "Parking attendants navigated us to the best parking spot."
  • "Parking included in the entry fee."

Cons:

  • "Doune Castle is not nearly as well-preserved as more famous castles such as Stirling or Edinburgh."
  • "A little disappointing compared to other castles in the area, especially since over half of it was closed for renovation."
  • "It’s a tight turn on to a single track road to the castle."
  • "If you are coming from the opposite direction it is impossible to turn left with one attempt as it is too narrow."
  • "The only sad part was finding parking. Ended up parking in the village far away from the castle."
  • "The car park can not take many cars and I would certainly advise booking beforehand."
  • "You can’t use the car park unless you have tickets to go inside the castle."

Audio Guide and Tours

Pros:

  • "Audio guide narrated by Terry Jones works well as he describes how they filmed Monty Python."
  • "The basic audio guide includes lots of this bits from Monty Python and the Holy Grail."
  • "The audio guide is fantastic, everything is brilliantly sign posted, and the castle itself is in very good condition."
  • "The audio narration is informative and funny (with a Monty Python cast member, you'd expect nothing less)."
  • "The free audio guide was outstanding, and really enhanced the experience."
  • "The audio guide as extremely helpful and really made the castle feel like it came to life."
  • "The audio guide is probably the best that I have ever listened to. It's very entertaining."

Cons:

  • "Be prepared to spend over an hour here just standing listening to the audios."
  • "Honestly not enough Scottish heritage now, concentrating too much on Outlander."
  • "The only downside was the omission of any Game of Thrones references."
  • "The audio, while I love the outlander one AND the Monty python AND the regular history… it’s just too much and too long to listen to them all."
  • "You can listen to an audio guide as you walk through the castle, but each segment is unnecessarily long, and we ultimately just walked around without using it."
  • "Current the audio guide is downloadable for your phone but mobile coverage is not very good so you may not get to hear any of it while there."
  • "All the construction really ruined the experience for me especially when no one had an answer as to why it was under construction."

Thanks! Your review is awaiting moderation.