I love castles. There is just so much history in those walls that whether it's a tour I've taken on vacation, or a book I'm reading, I get caught up in the fairytale and mystery of the stories that happened there. I also love holiday movies. So when I'm watching a holiday movie that features a some sort of castle, I truly could not be happier.

Luckily for all, Netflix's newest holiday release, A Castle For Christmas takes place at a castle in Scotland. Although I know that they are fictional characters, I couldn't help but wonder if Dun Dunbar Castle was actually a real castle or if A Castle For Christmas had made up such a magical place. So I looked it up! Here's every I could find...

Dunbar Castle is real, but it is now just ruins...

The first stone castles were built around 1070 AD, making it safe to assume that Dunbar Castle is almost 1,000 years old with a very rich history. This is the exact location where The First Battle of Dunbar took place in The First War of Scottish Independence in 1296. The castle continued to withstand many sieges and was rebuilt multiple times through the years. Most notably, Mary Queen of Scotts frequented the castle many times during her reign in the mid 1500s. The wall pictured here is from the middle of the fortress and the ruins are all that remains.

Ok, but is the "Duke of Dunbar" real?

No. There has never been a Duke of Dunbar, however there was an Earl of Dunbar, but the title has not been used since the late 19th century.

So where did A Castle For Christmas film?

This movie was filmed at Dalmney House outside of Edinburgh, UK and is just 30 miles away from the town of Dunbar. Dalmney House was built in 1817 and was the first type of Tudor Revival style in Scotland.

So basically, A Castle For Christmas is very, very loosely based off a real place. It seems like it's a big year for Scotland, since The Princess Switch 3 was also filmed there— although that takes place in made up countries.

Images: Netflix