Scottish Castle Weddings

Scottish Castle Weddings: are much sort after and desired internationally. Madonna, (married to Guy Riche), and Paul McCartney (married to Heather Mills), are two celebrities who sought the seclusion, privacy and rugged beauty of Scotland and the Scottish Isles, as did Princess Anne when marrying Tim Lawrence. So what is the attraction? I believe a castle is every “girls” dream. Then there is the scenery, rugged mountains, and deep mysterious lochs shimmering and sparkling like crystal glass. On top of that there are the ancient traditions and Scottish Folk Lore.

Scottish Castle Weddings: Venus

To find an A - Z list of all the Scottish Castles visit www.castles.org/chatelaine/list. This site offers a complete list from which you can do further research. However, it is interesting to note that a few castles are still privately owned, for example:

- “Ballencrieff Castle”, it’s first wedding being held in 1586, ideal for small weddings
- “Blaiquham Castle”, built in 1821 – 1824 Regency period in Ayshire. Wedding parties would have exclusive use of its 2000 acre estate
- “Balmoral Castle”, owned by HRH the Queen of England, is opened at set times during the year when Her Majesty is not in residence

Then there are a plethora of public castles managed by government bodies, or charities e.g. the National Trust. In Southern Scotland (and Ancient Kingdom of Fife) notable venues are Culzean, Edinburgh and Stirling Castles. In Northern Scotland you may consider Urqhart, Eilean Conan and Cornoch Castles.

The remotness of Scotland and its castles tends to lend itself to all-inclusive packages rather than DIY weddings.

Scottish Castle Weddings: Options

If you do not wish to get married in a castle itself, but just hold your wedding reception in one, then there are several alternative options for you to consider:

- beach (avoid the winter)
- on the edge of a loch (enchanting spring and autumn)
- at a church or temple
- schooner on Loch Ness (will the Loch Ness monster put in an appearance?)
- on a large country estate
- in an ancient ruin
- in a lighthouse

Scottish Castle Weddings: Legalities

Click on the following links: wedding legalities. In brief you will need to provide the following originals as applicable to your circumstances: birth, divorce, or death certificates. If residing outside the UK a certificate issued by a competent authority that there is no impediment to the proposed marriage. If the certificates are in a language other than English, then there will need to be certified English translations.

Legal notice needs to be served a minimum of 15 days prior to the wedding – a maximum of three months in advance. The Marriage Schedule will also need to be collected prior to the wedding. For further details contact the “Registrar of Births and Deaths” as follows:

- Midlothian (+44) 131 272 3281
- Edinburgh (+44) 131 334 1380

Scottish Castle Weddings: Transportation

Flights external to the UK usually enter Heathrow or Gatwick airports (London). A further internal flight to Edinburgh may then be arranged (approximately a 50 minute flight). Alternatively you may travel onto Scotland by train, coach, or hire car. (It will take between 4 to 5 hours to drive, longer if the holiday season, or exiting the airport in peak hour traffic.)

Scottish Castle Weddings: DIY or Wedding Planner

If it is just the two of you and/or you are UK residents then you may dispense with a wedding planner. However, if you are organizing a medium to large wedding party and not a resident of the UK then you may be advised to hire a wedding planner. Their local knowledge, in particular knowledge of Scottish wedding traditions and customs, will be more than justified. Otherwise you will need to be prepared to track down:

- formal kilt hire
- a piper
- caterers for a Scottish feast
- wedding transport, florists, photographers, videographers, etc.
- hairdresser, beautician
- purchase of favors, bridal party gifts (NB customs and tax regulations for bringing gifts into the UK)
- booking accommodation and organizing activities for your guests
- etc.

This will not be an easy task to accomplish without some knowledge of Scotland. However, I suspect the most difficult aspect will be understanding some of the dialects!

I hope you achieve your dream wedding.