This splendid late Georgian house, surrounded by 100 acres of glorious gardens, was built in the 1770s by Wills Hill, later 1st Marquess of Downshire. Generations of the Hill family lived here – giving the town its name – until the early 20th century when Hillsborough Castle began to develop the political and royal links for which it's famous today.
The castle is the official residence of HM The King and the Royal Family when they visit Northern Ireland, an association which began in the 1920’s. Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II as a princess in the 1940s developed a strong affection for the Castle, a sentiment which continues with King Charles III. Hillsborough Castle and Gardens continues to be a focal point for Royal events in Northern Ireland.
The Castle is set in 100 acres of breath-taking gardens and offers significant contrasts of woodland, waterways, gardens with trimmed lawns and meadows as well as specimen trees and rare plants.