Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Weddings

Chat to other Mumsnetters on our Wedding forum.

Original poster

Central Scotland wedding venues

132 replies

StrongInside · 20/08/2019 22:45

Hi,

I’m back to ask for help with finding our venue. I have had no luck in my previous search radius of up North/ North East, Highlands, Perthshire and Loch Lomond. Venue hire seems far too expensive for our total wedding budget of £3000, booked up for all summer/autumn weekends 2020 and/or too large for our group of apprx. 30 guests. So now I am open to expand our search to Glasgow, Edinburgh and nearby.

I’m open to any venue that isn’t a traditionally decorated hotel and isn’t located in a city, so any modern space (restaurant, small hall, estate etc.) where we could have a beautiful view in the background (gardens, loch, waterfall or something like that) for our ceremony. Either with a wedding team to set up the venue or a blank canvas that we could hire someone to decorate for us (we will be travelling a fair distance so not planning on spending hours decorating the place).

Killearn Hall seems popular, fits the bill but it came in at £3000 for the most basic food&drinks package with venue hire. All country house hotels, lochside hotels and castles that I have contacted are also £4000+ for venue hire and basic services, and I simply think it’s ridiculous to spend that much on a party (I know I am in the minority, most people don’t mind spending many times our budget).

Please help!

OP posts:
Elllicam · 02/09/2019 12:46

I had a look, they do a ceremony and meal from £2040 for 30 guests.

poppy289 · 02/09/2019 12:48

www.logcabinravensheugh.co.uk/

Original poster
StrongInside · 02/09/2019 20:23

Mrsperfect, thanks! I can’t remember exactly how much they quoted me, but I remember writing a polite email to Bogbain Farm declining their offer😊

Shinysun, thanks, I think I have found something closer now.

Blackcountrychik83, all castles charge £4-5k+ venue hire because presumably for the upkeep the building and grounds. But they do lovely in photos.

OP posts:
Original poster
StrongInside · 02/09/2019 20:27

Elllicam, Chatelherault have put their prices up because I remember reading another bride’s wedding report about its lower prices years ago. I will double check.

Poppy289, I thought it was pretty but it has no running water or electricity so that’s too far removed from creature comforts for us, sadly.

OP posts:
Haribeau · 02/09/2019 20:28

Have you had a look at Ballintaggart Farm? It’s just outside of Grandtully

Original poster
StrongInside · 02/09/2019 20:30

Haribeau, I can’t see anything about weddings on their website, do they have a space for them?

OP posts:
sundaylast · 02/09/2019 20:41

What about new Lanark? You can get married on the roof on a nice day and the picture ops with the falls are stunning!

17CherryTreeLane · 02/09/2019 21:41

If you like palm trees, Plockton in Scotland has those. You can get married on a boat there too, but I've no idea what the prices are like.

17CherryTreeLane · 02/09/2019 21:46

Or the Tin Shed at Knockraich Farm

TubbyMcFatfuck · 02/09/2019 22:11

www.threesistersbake.co.uk/unique-wedding/

We looked at this venue a few years back for our wedding. It wasn't quite right for us but sounds like it might fit the bill for you. Having said that, I think the set-up has changed a bit since then. We ended up getting a wedding cake table from them and it was amazing. They were lovely to deal with too.

Original poster
StrongInside · 04/09/2019 13:35

Sundaylast, New Lanark has minimum numbers of 70 people for weekends and the cost if larger than our total wedding budget, unfortunately.

17CherryTreeLane, that’s all the way on the West Coast, definitely too far, otherwise would have been nice. Will check out the farm.

Tubby.., the venue looks beautiful and the food would have been lovely but they are too expensive:/

OP posts:
Original poster
StrongInside · 04/09/2019 13:39

I think I have found a restaurant and a hotel that offer beautiful views and room hire. So thanks everyone, but think we might finally be done with the search!

OP posts:
nooddsocksforme · 04/09/2019 17:58

Glad you finally found somewhere. Hope you have a wonderful day

Original poster
StrongInside · 04/09/2019 21:10

Nooddsocksforme, thank you😊 I will name the ‘winner’ venue if my partner agrees to it because someone on this board suggested it on one of my threads.

OP posts:
Angbunnyboo · 05/09/2019 21:35

Any news!?! I hope you got somewhere fantastic, I looked for ages so I know how you must've been feeling - it kind of makes you panic a bit doesn't it!

Rubytinsleslippers · 05/09/2019 21:45

Bamburgh castle, beautiful and will tailor package. Small and intimate, my cousin got married there and it is gorgeous.

Original poster
StrongInside · 06/09/2019 16:43

Angbunnyboo, I came very close to giving up on the whole wedding! I will update once I have run my favourite venue past my partner, in case he hates it! Kind of feel like I will jinx it if I speak about it before it’s booked!

Rubytinsleslippers, I’m in the North of Scotland. The castle is in the NE of England, right?😊

Which brings me to my burning question- how many hours would or have you driven to a wedding? The venue I have set my heart on is over 2 hours away, and I worry a lot of our guests will just not want to come and stay overnight.

OP posts:
Jingers5 · 06/09/2019 17:31

I think it would be fine for your guests. Best of luck.

Original poster
StrongInside · 08/09/2019 15:49

Thanks Jingers5!

OP posts:
SheWoreBlueVelvet · 08/09/2019 16:40

Oooh. This is exciting - I have been watching your threads with interest. A lesser woman would have quit by now!

I reckon you went with that pretty pub someone mentioned. I think near a river. Glad the end is sight.

NoSquirrels · 08/09/2019 17:37

Two hours’ travel is perfect, I’d think - far enough they’ll want to stay iver, close enough it’s a one-night stay only if you plan your wedding for a sensible time in the afternoon.

Original poster
StrongInside · 09/09/2019 10:02

SheWoreBlueVelvet, thanks so much for supporting me in my venue hunt! I will definitely post back once we have booked the place (going to view it at some point in the next few weeks when the wedding coordinator is free, soooo excited!). I’m so worried about jinxing it🤭 I literally have no Plan B so I really hope that it looks nice and has everything we need.

NoSquirrels, I’m thinking 2pm for the ceremony. Yes, you are right about guests staying over. That’s why I have decided against a couple of cottages I have found on Airbnb and Holiday Letting- they were modern, they had land to put up a gazebo and for us to be in the pretty countryside, but they were much closer so people would have just gone home. Plus it would have taken ages to organise caterers (a lot have not been getting back to me), chairs etc. Although, one place was offering to organise a lovely BBQ for £11-15 pp, which would have been tasty and affordable.

Thank you everyone! I will post back once the venue becomes a definite🤞

OP posts:
Original poster
StrongInside · 19/09/2019 12:25

Spoke too soon- the preferred venue might not be the winner after all. Hire charge a bit steep, and I am now thinking it would be easier to have our wedding at a hotel so that DC including ours can be put to bed instead of being stuck in prams in a loud room, and then we would continue partying while someone keeps an eye on the baby monitor.

So, any boutique/modern-furnished hotels around? As before, we are in the north so areas no further than Perthshire and Cairngorms/Deeside radius please.

OP posts:
FairfaxAikman · 20/09/2019 16:23

I married in the Scores Hotel in St Andrews. It's a Best Western so relatively inexpensive but looks far posher than it is (especially as you don't use the main entrance).