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."