The Best Scotland Castle Wedding Venues According to a Scotland Wedding Photographer
Looking for the Best Scotland Castle Wedding Venues? Stop here.
Imagine this for a moment: you wake up on the morning of your wedding in a Scottish Castle. You wake up in a four poster bed, a room made of stone walls, and a fireplace to warm you at night. Starting the day with a cup of coffee and a view of a loch or the Scottish Highlands outside your window. And a wedding ceremony on castle grounds surrounded by history all around you. Let’s say you decide to host your wedding dinner in a great hall with stained glass windows and ancient wooden beams. A stone fireplace keeps the warm cozy all night long as you share a first dance in front of the hearth. The options are endless!
Perhaps you watched Outlander and you’ve been inspired to look for the Best Scotland Castle Wedding Venues. Maybe you have Scottish bloodlines and history that has forged an important connection. And perhaps you are local to Scotland and simply on the hunt for the best castle wedding venues!
Planning a Destination Wedding in Scotland?
As a destination wedding photographer, I am thrilled that destination weddings are on the rise! I have heard from lots of couples that creating a full weekend long experience with a smaller group of people is more of a priority than a one day massive wedding. More than ever, people are choosing to plan an intimate experience for their destination wedding.
Scottish Destination Weddings have become popular for several reasons. First, Scotland is a bucket list destination for millions of people across the world. The scenery filled with gorgeous lochs, wooded forests, rivers, and water falls make it easy to see why people fall in love with the landscapes. Also, Scotland has literally thousands of historic castles. Scotland feels like a fairytale romance and a perfect place for a wedding. Not to mention, there are many traditional elements of Scottish weddings that speak to couples including a hand-fasting ceremony, traditional kilt and tartan attire, lively Scottish dancing!
What To Consider When Choosing a Scottish Castle Wedding Venue
- The Size of the Castle and Location:
- If your wedding is a destination wedding for your guests, keep in mind how far your castle is from the nearest major airport! The major airports to consider are Edinburgh Airport, Glasgow Airport, and Inverness Airport. It’s important to decide early on if you want to ask your guests to pay for their own lodging or if you will pay for their lodging on site. Many Scotland Castle Wedding Venues include lodging on site! Often, the cost of the Castle rental will include lodging for a select number of guests.
2. What Type of Castle Do You Want to Choose?
Scotland contains so many castles, you can categorize them. Whether you’re having a grand wedding with hundreds of guests or an intimate wedding with twenty, there is a Scottish castle for every type of wedding. Home to grand estates with multiple homes on one property as well as old Towers built in the 11th century, you can find it all. Some grand estates have been modernized to have all the luxurious modern amenities you would find in a 5 star hotel. But if you want to find charm and history, there are lots of castles restored to their old glory with stone walls, antique furniture, and original art.
The Top Rated Scotland Castle Wedding Venues
Lower Highlands
Boturich Castle on Loch Lomond
Glenskirlie Castle in Stirling
Hafton Castle in Dunoon
North Scotland
Achnagairn Castle near Inverness
Kincraig Castle near Inverness
Ardross Castle near Inverness
Innes House in Elgin
Barcaldine Castle in Oban
East Scotland
Castle Fraser in Aberdeen
Central Scotland
The Sherbrooke Castle Hotel
Amisfield Tower & Castle
Real Scotland Castle Weddings To Inspire You
Romantic Honeymoon Scotland Photoshoot at a Castle
Culzean Castle Real Life Fairytale Wedding
Destination Wedding at Eilean Donan Castle
Achnagairn Castle Destination Wedding
Why a Castle Wedding in Scotland is the Ultimate Fairytale
Obviously, as a Scotland wedding photographer, I believe getting married at a Scottish castle pretty much guarantees you will receive the best wedding photos possible. There are countless photo opportunities at a Scottish Castle. Also, thinking about the historical significance of the location where generations of couples have gotten married and shared meaningful milestones. To be a part of multiple centuries worth of history would feel tremendously powerful and impactful. Lastly, castles just feel romantic. And not just in a Disney Movie kind of way, but the old world architecture of Scottish castles is impossible to replicate. The towers, turrets, draw-bridges, stained glass windows, moats, and incredible ruins create a stunning atmosphere for your wedding photos and experience. Many castles are located along the many Scottish lochs or in the highlands as well, providing stunning vistas of the landscape.
Guides To Help You Plan Your Scotland Wedding
Whether you are still searching among the best Scotland Castle Wedding Venues or in your early stages of planning your wedding, I created a few guides to help couples!
How to Elope in the Isle of Skye Scotland
Edinburgh Scotland Anniversary Photoshoot
How to Plan a Destination Elopement in Europe
Thank you for reading my guide on the best Scotland Castle wedding venues!