As a Scottish wedding planner, I’m sometimes employed by couples who already have their venues booked at the time of hiring me. Most often, I’m booked by couples who are at the very beginning of their wedding planning journey. Part of the planning process involves pinning down the physical location of where they’d like their wedding to be. Of course, that concept can be fluid. Couples marrying in Scotland are handed a vast amount of flexibility when it comes to the where. Couples can marry in a secluded forest or at the foot of a mountainous landscape. That’s all incredibly exciting and as a Scottish wedding planner I embrace that freedom.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the best Scottish wedding locations, in my humble opinion.

Castle wedding by Stevie Weir Photographer

1. City

We have a fascinating range of cities. Edinburgh and Glasgow are perhaps the best known and are separated by around 40 minutes by train and yet each has its own unique character. Edinburgh is the capital city and by definition, feels more touristy. There’s the impressive castle front and centre, as well as the World Heritage Old Town. Don’t let that fool you though. There’s a host of design-led hotels and blank canvas spaces which would suit couples looking to create a more contemporary day. Glasgow also hosts an impressive range of DIY industrial spaces as well as beautiful hotels. Whilst Glasgow feels slightly edgier than its East Coast counterpart it’s a friendly and jubilant city. Scotland has a lot of other fabulous cities and towns. I love working in St Andrews, Perth, Stirling and always welcome the opportunity to plan weddings beyond Glasgow and Edinburgh.

2. Mountains

Once you get out of the city, whichever city that might be, you’ll find there’s no end of wild and mountainous landscape. Glencoe is by far a popular choice due to its accessibility: around 2 hours from Glasgow or Edinburgh, there’s a well-maintained road route straight to the heart of this iconic location. Another popular choice is the West Coast island of Skye. It’s a much longer drive and the roads become more of a challenge for folks not used to twisty single-track road driving. It’s worth the effort if you’re hoping for a rugged, epic, raw-nature kind of wedding. It’s worth noting that accommodation on Skye can be expensive and requires booking in advance due to the popularity of the island. Please keep your mind open to options outside Glencoe and Skye. They’re both wonderful but they’re popular and there’s a tonne of other mountainous locations around the country which could offer greater intimacy and as well as breaking away from what’s becoming commonplace in the Scottish mountainous wedding realm of things!

3. By the Water

Being an island, we have ample coastline. One notable highlight is Hopeman beach on the East Coast. Tucked away in a neuk on the Morayshire coast, it’s an untapped gem for folks considering a beach elopement. Over on the other side (the West coast) are the sands of Morar: a stunning string of white sandy beaches, with spectacular views out to the Small Isles of Rum, Eigg, Muck and Canna. Scotland water weddings needn’t be all about the coast. We’re home to the Loch: Loch Lomond is arguably our best-known Loch and is surrounded by wonderful venues that are ideal for hosting weddings. If you’d like your wedding to be close to water, I have a wealth of other wonderful suggestions I’d be delighted to share.

4. Castles

Scotland is renowned for its iconic castles: Eilean Donan and Borthwick Castle are notable front-runners for many couples looking to plan a castle wedding. But they’re not the only two! As a visitor to Scotland, you can’t be anything other than struck by the fact castles are ten a penny here. This is great because castle weddings can be unique and distinct from each other; as unique and distinct as you are as couple.

Micro wedding by Zoe Alexandra Photography

5. Country Houses

This is a venue option I find some couples overlook in favour of a castle wedding. When I present them country house options, I never cease to be impressed by their reactions. Usually, they’re blown away with how brilliant and different the options are. Scotland has its own twist on the country house genre and they really do need to be seen to be appreciated.

6. Converted Barn, Steading + Mills

There’s been something of an explosion in this arena. A welcomed explosion. There’s literally a converted barn, steading or mill in every part of the country and each offers its own take on the concept. This is exciting because it offers couples set on a blank canvas rural venue plenty to choose from. There’s high end, design-lead options through to rustic and thoroughly rough, but beautiful around the edges.

7. Hotels

Don’t knock them. The hotel weddings concept has dominated the wedding industry for years; and for good reason. Scotland is home to many fine hotels which offer couples an excellent wedding day. The hotels I recommend to couples are a far-cry from the treadmill, one-size fits all experience. Far from it. The hotels I prefer to align with are the ones that stand out from the crowd and give my couples the chance to create a day that’s truly reflective of them.

Skye elopement by Harper Scott Photo — Skye elopement by Andrew Rae Photography

My Favourite Scottish Wedding Locations