Key facts
- Operator
- Historic Royal Palaces
- Condition
- Intact
- Access
- Staffed, ticketed
Pinpoint
301-303 Hillsborough Rd, Hillsborough BT26 6TH
Telephone 0333 320 6000
Possible Opening hours
Opening times change. Always check the official website before you travel.
| Monday | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
| Thursday | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
| Friday | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
| Saturday | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
| Sunday | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
Hillsborough is a Georgian house rather than a fortress despite the name, and it's still an official royal residence, used for state visits and by the Royal Family in Northern Ireland. The gardens are extensive - walled garden, woods, a stream - and the house tour is well regarded, though photography inside isn't permitted.
Worth the trip
The walled gardens and grounds, which reviewers rate as highly as the house tour itself.
Before you go
No photography is allowed inside the house, so don't plan on it. Access for wheelchair users is well handled, with a mobility bus available for the grounds, according to reviewers who used it.
Visitors consistently praise the gardens as beautiful and the guided house tour as excellent, with staff repeatedly singled out as knowledgeable and welcoming, plus a well-regarded cafe. A couple of reviewers note that the castle interior itself isn't always open, so it's worth checking ahead, and photography isn't permitted inside.
Georgian house styled castle; royal residence, gardens
“It's not allowed to take pictures or videos inside of the castle. The staff was very knowledgeable and shared quite bit of political tidbit. The garden is very beautiful, it's quite enjoyable experience to follow the…”— Zemin Hu, visitor review
Further reading
CubicFun - Neuschwanstein Castle 3D Puzzle (121pc)
Architectural 3D puzzle model, stocked by UK and US retailers.
Find it on Amazon
