9 Jan 2019

Love is all around

The drawing room in the Georgian House set up for a wedding

The drawing room in the Georgian House, Edinburgh

Whether your dream wedding is grand and sumptuous, intimate and relaxed, civil or religious, we offer a wealth of romantic venues across Scotland for couples to tie the knot.

From grand castles, royal hunting lodges and beautiful stately homes to more unusual settings like the medieval Brig o’ Doon in Alloway, there’s a wide variety of stylish spaces, steeped in history and heritage, in which you can make your vows.

We promise that you’ll be able to find your perfect spot among our internationally acclaimed gardens, thousands of hectares of wild landscapes, and dozens of unique and unusual properties – just like Chris and Allan.

Chris Whitehead and Allan Auld married at the Georgian House in Edinburgh:

Two grooms sit at a polished wooden table in a grand drawing room, with a formal book before them. Both are smiling.

Chris and Allan sign the register at the Georgian House

‘It was our 10th anniversary and we were sat in the Luton Hoo Hotel in Bedfordshire enjoying an extravagant Sunday lunch to mark the occasion’ said Chris.

‘As I sipped my gin & tonic and looked at Allan across the table, I just casually said what I was thinking at that precise moment: “I think we should get married”. He agreed, and that is the story of our engagement – simple but from the heart.

‘We immediately started thinking about venues, as we wanted to secure our date as soon as possible. Originally, we were set on a church wedding but weren’t aware of the restrictions on same-sex couples: there is currently only one church in the UK that facilitates same-sex religious weddings.

‘Luckily, we happened to know a vicar – Reverend Oliver Brewer-Lennon – who is part of the Scottish Episcopal Church and offered to conduct the service for us. So, we moved on to looking for a private venue and that’s when we came across the Georgian House.

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“It was the right size – we were only having 40 guests – warm and welcoming, had a superb central location, and was grand but not too fancy. It was perfect, and we fell in love with it right away.”

A couple exchange their vows in the drawing room of the Georgian House in Edinburgh. A minister stands before them, and guests stand either side of the aisle behind them.

Chris and Allan exchanging their vows

‘As we walked in to speak to the venue wedding planner, Sheonagh from the National Trust for Scotland, I felt slightly nervous: being a same-sex couple you never really know how people will react, but everyone was very accepting. I remember saying to Sheonagh: “Just to check, you know that it is the two of us that are getting married and not someone else?”. She laughed, we laughed, and she very casually said “well, of course”, then we moved on to the next topic. It was at that point that I knew the Georgian House team and venue was right for us.

‘We had our wedding on 19 May 2018 and it was perfect in every way. I’d recommend the Georgian House to any couple: it is magnificently adaptable, exudes grandeur and transports you into another world. But in fact, I’m sure all the National Trust for Scotland’s wedding venues are steeped in Scotland’s rich and vibrant history, providing an experience that is unforgettable.’

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