If you thought Craigdarroch was more castle than any single family could possibly want, then think again.  One of the sons of the wealthy coal baron also commissioned Hatley castle to be built.  But you will have to drive a distance out of town to reach this one, and you won’t get to tour the inside unless you come during summer break...or you enroll as a student.  You see, the castle is part of the Royal Roads University now.

If you get an odd sense of deija vu when visiting this place, it is probably because the castle has been used in numerous TV shows and movies, probably best known as "Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngters" in the X-Men movies.

But the castle isn’t the only attraction here – the grounds and gardens are also very scenic.  We explored the foot paths to the west of the castle, which took us in amongst the trees to discover hidden duck ponds, one with a bridge to a central island with a gazebo overlooking the water.  Don’t skimp out when plugging the parking metre, you’ll want plenty of time to take it all in.