Achnagairn Castle
- The starting price is for exclusive use rental of the Castle, its Ballroom, gardens, reception rooms and 24 bedrooms from 4pm on the day of your arrival to 11.30am on the morning of your departure.
- Among these bedrooms is their palatial Bridal Suite.
- The price also includes one of their lovely wedding coordinators to support you in the weeks running up to your arrival and to help coordinate things on the day itself.
- New bookings also include round tables for your wedding and cross-back chairs.
- Breakfast is included too for those guests staying in the Castle itself.
- Additional costs include all other food and drink and any additional accommodation on the estate (Mini Manors!)
- The starting price is +VAT.
- Ceremony Capacity : 180
- Dinner Capacity : 200
- Standing Capacity : 250
- Licensed for Marriage : Yes
- Catering : Preferred supplier
- Bar : In-house
- Accommodation : Sleeps 138
- Child Friendly : Yes
- Pets Welcome : Yes
- Late License : 1am
- Exclusivity : Yes
- Disabled Facilities : Yes
Inverness-shire
IV5 7PD
The Setting
Nestled on a private estate in a beautiful spot outside Inverness, Achnagairn is an exclusive-use venue bursting with character.
The jewel in Achnagairn’s crown is its magnificent Ballroom, with a vaulted ceiling and minstrels gallery; it is a deeply romantic spot for your wedding. The Castle is bursting with character, and at Achnagairn, weddings always last two nights or more, allowing you the time to enjoy your surroundings and drink things in. For your stay, the whole Castle is yours and yours alone.
While the Ballroom is wonderfully grand, the reception rooms and the Castle’s 24 bedrooms have a relaxed feel. With décor that blends bright colours and traditional tartans, there is something for everyone – choosing the right bedroom for the right person is one of the joys of a wedding at Achnagairn.
A Highland location: You might not be from the Highlands or even from Scotland, but a wedding at Achnagairn is unforgettable. The Castle is easy to get to across the UK – just half an hour from Inverness airport, 20 minutes from Loch Ness and near some of the Highland’s greatest jewels – there is plenty to explore!
The Vibe
Achnagairn captures the imagination. From the moment you walk in, you get a strong sense of the Castle’s character, but at the same time, the venue offers you a blank canvas to create your own vision.
When it comes to weddings, Achnagairn has a few core principles to make it utterly extraordinary.
Total flexibility: It’s your wedding; therefore, it should be exactly as you’d like. Whether perfectly intimate or gloriously decadent, it’s up to you. Many venues say that they do things differently, but this team does try to – it’s in their ethos, and they try to live and breathe this in every wedding they host. At Achnagairn, that ethos is “Escape the ordinary”, and they want every couple to be able to leave feeling they have had a truly extraordinary experience!
Something so special shouldn’t be over in a flash: All weddings at Achnagairn last two nights or more to give you the time to drink it all in. On the first evening, consider a relaxed meal in the Castle or food trucks in the grounds… This extra night gives everyone time to meet and mingle, allowing the next day to be fully focused on the wedding.
On the wedding day, everyone can get ready in beautiful bedrooms and enjoy a full Scottish breakfast in the Castle’s dining room. You will use their Bridal Suite – a stately room with a triple aspect view and whirlpool bath in the centre (perfect for photos), where you can prepare with your wedding party, even if there are lots of you! Your partner certainly won’t be hard done by with their pick of the other glorious bedrooms on offer.
The ceremony can either be held in Achnagairn’s Ballroom – church-like with its vaulted wooden ceiling – or in the landscaped gardens (weather-depending!), or there are some lovely churches nearby. The Ballroom can seat up to around 180 people for the ceremony.
The Ballroom is a glorious spot for the ceremony; while you enjoy drinks and canapés, it’s transformed into a beautiful space for your wedding meal and, finally, a perfect dance floor to party the night away! Because the Castle is all yours for your stay, there is no need to stop the dancing at midnight. Keep going for as long as you like, as everyone rolls to bed when it suits them.
Like with the overall feel of the wedding, everything about the day itself can be tailored to you. If you would like the ceremony outside, you should have it! Espresso Martini hour? Absolutely.
Space for everyone: Achnagairn can put up virtually everyone who comes to the wedding (up to 138 people) without compromising on comfort or the elegance and ambience that only history can provide. They have 24 luxury bedrooms in the Castle and 37 rooms on the estate (in their ‘Mini Manors’). Every bedroom, wherever it is, is utterly unique. Each has its name and theme, and there is something for everyone, making it a lot of fun for the couple to choose who goes where. Who, for instance, should have the round room in a turret, with a round bed and bath? Who should go to ‘Victoriana’, with its original Victorian bathroom? The choice is yours!
The Mini Manors are just 200 metres from the Castle. These are five and six-bedroom properties, a smaller four-bedroom apartment and a one-bedroom cottage – slightly too big to be ‘lodges’ and not quite big enough to be ‘manors’! You (or your guests) can hire all of these or just a few. Having all your guests stay on the estate is a total joy and means there is no need for taxis or early ends to the festivities!
Build in some Scottish traditions: Wherever you are from, it can be so special to lean into Achnagairn’s Highland heritage. From kilts and ceilidhs to Highland games and hog roasts, having two days or more allows you to build in activities and memories for all your guests. Highland games or laser clay pigeon shooting on the lawns can be a big hit!