Traitors castle’s owner built his fortune on opium trading

The article says Ardross Castle, where the UK and US versions of *The Traitors* are filmed, has a history linked to opium smuggling. Sir Alexander Matheson acquired the castle in 1845 after building a fortune through Jardine Matheson, a firm he established with his uncle to trade opium from China to British-controlled India.

It reports that a BBC article about the castle’s history mentioned Matheson’s wealth from China trade but omitted his opium dealings. A contestant, speaking anonymously to *The Times*, claimed the BBC was reluctant to acknowledge the connection; the article provides no BBC response to that allegation. Historian Neil Sinclair is quoted as saying Matheson had no qualms about involvement in a trade that Britain considered legitimate, though China opposed it.