A magnetic recording medium includes a substrate; and a recording film formed on the substrate and including a main magnetic film, the main magnetic film where a recording area and a guard area are formed by local ion doping, the guard area having saturation magnetization smaller than saturation magnetization of the recording area. A primary layer is provided at a substrate side of the main magnetic film. A main ingredient of the primary layer is at least one kind of atom selected from a group consisting of Cr, B, Mo, Al, Si, and C.