Victoria has a habit of surprising people. You expect whale watching and harbour views — totally fair — but then someone mentions the castles and you watch the penny drop. Yes, plural. We have two of them, and both are genuinely worth your time.
Craigdarroch Castle
The Story
Built in the late 1880s for coal baron Robert Dunsmuir, Craigdarroch Castle is the kind of place that makes you quietly reassess how much money is too much money. Dunsmuir commissioned the mansion to win a bet with his wife — she'd agreed to move to Victoria from Scotland if he built her a castle. He did. He also died before it was finished, which is the kind of tragic irony Victorian-era history loves to serve up.
The castle passed through several lives after that — a military convalescent hospital after World War I, the Victoria Conservatory of Music for decades — before being restored and opened as a museum in the 1980s. Today it's one of the best-preserved examples of Gilded Age opulence in Canada.
What to See
- Four floors of original interiors: stained glass windows, intricate woodwork, period furniture, and one of the finest Victorian staircases you'll find anywhere.
- Panoramic views from the tower: on a clear day you can see the Olympic Mountains across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Worth the climb.
- Rotating exhibits on BC history and the Dunsmuir family story — the drama doesn't end with Robert, trust me.
- Self-guided tours run year-round; check thecastle.ca for current hours and admission.
Getting There from Ocean Island
Craigdarroch is about a 25-minute walk uphill through the Rockland neighbourhood — it's a pleasant route if you're up for it, past heritage homes and big old trees. Alternatively, BC Transit gets you close; check bctransit.com for current routes and fares, or ask at the front desk. No street address needed — search "Craigdarroch Castle Victoria" and you're sorted.
Hatley Castle
The Story
If Craigdarroch was Robert Dunsmuir's dream, Hatley Castle was his son James going one better. Built between 1908 and 1910 in Colwood — about 25 km west of downtown — Hatley is a full-on Edwardian castle set on 565 acres of grounds, including formal Italian, Japanese and rose gardens designed to make you feel deeply inadequate about your own backyard.
James Dunsmuir served as Premier and then Lieutenant Governor of BC, and he built Hatley with the same approach: no budget, no limits. When asked how much the estate should cost, he reportedly told the architect, *"Money doesn't matter, just build what I want."* The gardens alone took years to complete.
The estate was sold to the Canadian government in 1940 and became Royal Roads Military College, and later Royal Roads University — which still operates here today. The castle itself is a National Historic Site.
What to See
- The castle exterior and grounds: even if you're not on a ticketed interior tour, the gardens are stunning and open to visitors during daylight hours (confirm current access at hatleycastle.com).
- Guided interior tours: when available, these take you through the grand rooms — the library, the dining hall, the ballroom — with all the original woodwork and stonework intact.
- The gardens: Italian terraces, a Japanese garden with a koi pond, and manicured lawns rolling toward the water. It's genuinely beautiful and surprisingly peaceful for somewhere this dramatic.
- Film location spotting: Hatley has doubled as a certain famous mutant school in multiple *X-Men* films. Fans will know exactly which scenes were shot here.
Getting There from Ocean Island
Hatley is a bit of a commitment from downtown — that's part of the charm, honestly. Your best options:
- BC Transit: buses run out toward Colwood and Langford. Check bctransit.com for the current route and fare, or ask at the front desk — it's very doable without a car.
- Cycling: the Galloping Goose Regional Trail runs all the way out to Colwood, making this a beautiful and very satisfying bike-day trip. Allow a good half-day each way if you want to linger at the castle.
- Driving or rideshare: about 25–30 minutes from downtown depending on traffic.
A Few Tips Before You Go
- Combine both castles in one trip? It's a stretch — they're in opposite directions. Pick one per day and enjoy it properly.
- Craigdarroch is better for a rainy day (it's an indoor museum). Hatley is better when the sun is out and the gardens are at their best.
- Check opening hours ahead of time — both have seasonal variations and occasional private events that affect access.
Any questions about getting to either castle, or curious whether Ocean Island has deals on local attractions? Swing by the front desk — we're happy to point you in the right direction.
