Oh bugger :o(

I got married at Cromlix House near Dunblane, before it was owned by Andy Murray. It was lovely.

My mum married at Gretna Green on a Monday and she absolutely loved it, said it was really really quiet, her pictures are lovely too. Could you try visiting on a different day? Perhaps it's a lot busier on a Saturday due to work commitments and things? Good luck whatever you decide!

What about the Trossachs. There are quite a few venues on the banks of Loch Ard, at Kinlochard, or the historic Lake of Menteith looking out at Inchmahome Priory which sheltered Mary Queen of Scots. You could be married at the edge of the Waterfall of the Little Faun, a short walk from the David Marshall Lodge, or at the Lodge itself overlooking the forest.

PM me if you'd like some links to places.

I don't think a different day will make a massive difference. We thought about eloping there, visited on Wednesday, and felt exactly the same (Also dislike hotel packages, which felt very similar to us... I suspect it's a either somewhere you like or not. My cousin married there and really liked it - I really took umbridge at being told "but the package includes a piper.." when I said I didn't want one. I wasn't even asking for a discount/extra thing instead just that the piper not be booked!)

The shopping village has really spoiled it I think.

Could this work for you?
www.weeweddings.co.uk

Theoretically you can just choose a place and have a humanist/ interfaith celebrant (council properties usually charge though - this includes gardens) but it's not as necessarily easy as it sounds.

For ideas check out
Fuze Ceremonies
Humanist Society of Scotland
They have some real wedding stories I think. (There are others. These are just the two I've been looking at)

Auchrannie on Arran http://www.auchrannie.co.uk/