Monty Python and the Holy Grail Filming Locations in Scotland

Why was Monty Python and the Holy Grail filmed in Scotland?

The Pythons wanted real medieval castles and wild scenery on a very small budget, and Scotland had both. The crew had lined up several castles, but shortly before filming the government body that looked after many of them withdrew permission, worried about damage. That's why Doune Castle, filmed from different angles, ended up standing in for almost every castle in the film.

The result is a film full of Scottish landscapes pretending to be England, and a handful of places that fans still visit today.

Doune Castle: the main Monty Python castle

If you visit one Monty Python location, make it Doune Castle. This 14th-century castle, about eight miles north-west of Stirling, appears again and again in the film:

• Camelot: the Knights of the Round Table song ("we dine well here in Camelot") was filmed in the Great Hall.
• The French taunters' castle: where King Arthur is told his mother was a hamster, and the Trojan Rabbit is wheeled up to the gate.
• Castle Anthrax: Sir Galahad's rescue from the castle full of young women.
• Swamp Castle: the wedding scene, where Lancelot storms in to rescue the wrong person.

Doune Castle is looked after by Historic Environment Scotland, and there's an entry charge. Its audio guide is narrated in part by the late Terry Jones, who co-directed the film, which makes it a real treat for fans. The castle has also appeared as Castle Leoch in Outlander and as Winterfell in the first series of Game of Thrones. Check Historic Environment Scotland's Doune Castle page for opening times before you go.

Castle Stalker: Castle Aaargh

Castle Stalker is the tower house on its own little island in Loch Laich, near Appin on the road between Glencoe and Oban. In the film it's Castle Aaargh, the castle the knights reach at the end of their quest, only to find the French taunters there again. It's where the film ends, with the arrival of the police.

The name comes from the Gaelic stalcaire, meaning hunter or falconer. The castle is privately owned, and only a small number of tours run each year, with a boat crossing that needs booking in advance through the Castle Stalker website. Most people see it from the shore, which is one of the best views on the west coast.

Our Oban day trip from Glasgow stops at the Castle Stalker viewpoint, looking across Loch Laich to the castle. It's a mainland viewpoint, so the tour doesn't cross to the island or go inside.

Glen Coe: the Bridge of Death

Glen Coe gave the film the Bridge of Death, where the bridgekeeper asks his three questions ("What is your favourite colour?") before the knights cross the Gorge of Eternal Peril. The mountains of the glen appear in other scenes too.

Glen Coe is one of the most famous places in Scotland in its own right. The A82 runs straight through the glen beneath the Three Sisters, and it was also the setting of the 1692 Massacre of Glencoe, when soldiers killed members of Clan MacDonald who had given them shelter. Our Glencoe guide has more.

Several of our tours stop in Glencoe, including the Glencoe day trip from Glasgow and the Loch Ness day trip from Edinburgh. See all our Glencoe tours.

Other Monty Python locations

The Cave of Caerbannog, where the knights face the killer rabbit, was filmed at Tomnadashan Mine, an old copper mine near Loch Tay in Perthshire. It's not a visitor attraction, so enjoy it from the film.

A couple of single shots were filmed outside Scotland too, at Kidwelly Castle in Wales and Bodiam Castle in England, but the Scottish locations are the heart of the film.

Planning a Monty Python trip in Scotland

Doune Castle is easy to reach from Edinburgh or Glasgow in about an hour by car. Castle Stalker and Glen Coe sit on the same stretch of road in the western Highlands, so they fit together neatly in one long day, along with Oban. The Oban day trip does exactly that from Glasgow, without the driving.

More Scottish filming locations