Central Scotland wedding venues

[StrongInside]

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!

Stirling Highland Hotel? Their website doesn’t have prices but they have a room that holds up to 40 guests.

It’s not countryside but it’s just down the road from the castle so very scenic. I’ve stayed there a few times and the food and service has been great. Also has a pool for the kids (and a spa for you!)

www.thecairncollection.co.uk/hotels/stirling/the-stirling-highland/weddings/

Sorry got my geography wrong - St Andrews is obviously a big far!
I know people that have been married at various Historic Scotland properties in the North East so that might be worth a look.

Have you looked at Youth Hostels? Some of them do wedding options and are pretty good value. Some are in amazing buildings too.

www.hostel-scotland.co.uk/groups/hostel-weddings

Thanks for the suggestions. My issue with historic properties is that the decor usually matches the age of the building (tartan carpet, antlers on the walls and floral wallpaper). We are just not into that, otherwise I would have had the venue booked by now, big big sigh.

Youth hostels all have bunkbeds and none of our family and friends will sleep in bunkbeds (I know I wouldn’t as a guest). They just scream cheap to me, which ironically is what I am looking for but would be nice to have a venue like FairfaxAikman’s, looked posher than it was.

What about Lochardil House in Inverness?

Best Western like the one I mentioned but looks posher

I’ll have a look at their prices, thanks!
Somehow I can’t even find a farm that is affordable, it’s mad.
And if we went down the DIY route, like a village hall, I think I would struggle with suppliers. I have been contacting loads of caterers, mobile bars and entertainers in various areas next to potential venues to get an idea on prices, and rudely most of them don’t get back to me! I get it’s a small wedding so less profitable for them, but what’s wrong with replying to me to say that🙄

Is Ayrshire too far?
Enterkine House are building a gorgeous new wedding barn.
Lochside hotel is beautiful too.

By the time you added up the caterers etc we found it more expensive than the hotel.

Clangus00, yes, too far to drive, unfortunately:/

I’m starting to see how that could be the case, Fairfax.

Think the cheapest package at our hotel was about £3000 that was for a 3 course set menu meal with some wine but we paid extra for a few more options, such as extra wine and a variation on the menu.
It included the bridal suite on the night, a discount on five rooms plus all the tables, printing and basic centrepieces.
Big outing but we saved a load by decorating with helium balloons instead of flowers etc.

I had originally looked at our local rugby club (family are lifelong members so I wanted to support them) and by the time we brought everything in it was about £5000 but with none of the extras like the room.

I have contacted a few places today, waiting for replies. I can’t believe some hotels include things like gym membership in their wedding packages- who the heck would want that and why, if they like working out they will already be a member somewhere!

Portavadie.com has a wedding package for 30 guests that's £2700. Not in the summer though.

Op, something will fall into place for you. There must be some options that hasn't been mentioned that would be suitable. Hopefully you will find somewhere suitable soon :)

Tavannach, thanks, but it’s too far south and I’m trying to have my wedding on longer days in hopefully nicer/warmer weather.

Jingers5, I hope so, thank you! A restaurant with private dining will probably be the best option, if I can find a pretty one (non-hideous inside and with something nice to look at outside the whole day). Hate all the hotel packages, such money-making schemes!

Strong what happened to the venue you were looking at? Was it not suitable in the end? I hope you find somewhere, I'm getting very invested in your wedding venue search!

Angbunnyboo, haha, thank you! It will take a village to get me married. The restaurant my partner and I were keen on turns out to close quite early and for us to have an extension till midnight it’s nearly a grand in total venue hire, before you factor in catering. If we choose a late-closing day, we can’t play our own music because the private dining area is not a completely separate room. Gorgeous location but knowing that a lot of restaurants don’t charge venue hire and do have private rooms makes me want to look elsewhere. I have been calling and emailing places like crazy, not everyone responds. Plenty of modern private dining places in cities (Edinburgh, Glasgow etc.) but we don’t want to go into cities. Big sigh, I thought I would be getting RSVPs by now!

Been racking my brains and went back to the OP. Forgot it was only 30 people.
Is Fingask Castle an option? Sunday in October is only £1000

Also Meikleour village hall is pretty.

Capercaillie in Killin might fit the bill. The food there is very good and it's not far from the Falls of Dochart.
The restaurant itself has a glass wall.
I know they do exclusive use too. It's very small though, but would imagine it would fit 30.

www.cowshedrestaurantbanchory.co.uk/
No prices but this looks nice ( maybe you’ve already seen it )

Thanks FairfaxAikman, I have my heart set on summer months to get a higher chance of warmth and sunshine at least for part of our big day. Otherwise the Fingask hire would have been alright (I did laugh at the two grand pianos and table planning tool listed as part of the main inclusions of the hire fee😆).
Will have a good look at the other two.

Srictlybakeoff, yes, thanks, waiting to hear back from them, just found them last week!

If we went with a restaurant, a village hall or a private dining room, what would we do for the whole afternoon and evening there? I’m thinking, some of these places are nice and all, but the longest I have ever sat in a restaurant for a meal was maybe 2 hours, and here we are talking 8+ hours🤭 I can see the appeal of hotels now, with their multiple areas to move about in, if only they weren’t so expensive.

I am not going to lose hope until the last of my contacted places responds and will keep you guys posted.

Weather in Scotland is so unpredictable though. We married in May as didn't want it hot and sunny (I burn easily even wearing factor 50) and warm and sunny was what we got. (Next day was blowing a hoolie though!)
You could marry in June and have it pishing down.

I guess we could at least count on me not needing my thick coat for photos in August while in October I usually start wearing it. Funnily enough, October was my preferred month for getting married abroad. I just keep sighing. Big big sighs. Funny how you have to chase up venues for quotes once they realise you aren’t having a huge bash and aren’t taking their most expensive package. Makes me feel like we aren’t good enough for these places, but surely not every single one of them fills up all of its weekends with profitable large weddings.