TTKS visits: Achnagairn Castle near Inverness

Achnagairn Castle’s visitor book is filled with words like ‘wonderful’, ‘perfect’ and ‘incredible’. Now, having spent the night there, I understand why. The 30-acre estate that surrounds the five-star exclusive-use venue near Inverness is like an autumn storybook the day I visit, with golden and russet leaves falling from the trees like confetti. I’m already charmed. 

Luxury Highland castle wedding venue

Luxury stay-on-site weddings are the mainstay of Achnagairn, and the Lacey-Solymar family who own and run the business have built a reputation for going the extra mile for their couples.  

I’m greeted by the estate’s chairperson Marina Huggett and weddings and events lead Alison Bombail, and their passion for personalising the Achnagairn experience is evident from the get-go. (Cara McIntyre, the team’s other weddings and events lead, comes in later to meet me on her day off – if that’s not dedication, I don’t know what is!) 

What's Achnagairn Castle like for weddings?

The main welcome area, the Champagne Lounge, has two log-burning stoves and Scandi-style furniture and is often filled with flickering candles emitting the couple’s wedding scent. “On one occasion, we sourced peat for the fires as a surprise for a Western Isles mother of the bride who said its aroma reminded her of happy times,” adds Marina.

“Our staff are ‘dream makers’ behind the scenes – and that includes our housekeepers, who I call our ‘hidden treasures’.”  

The castle’s dark-wood interior is indeed pristine, and beautifully styled too – an enchanting mix of old and new. “Some of our furniture has been reclaimed from hotel refurbishments, including the Savoy and the Hempel,” she tells me. 

Where do weddings happen at Achnagairn Castle?

Achnagairn has recently bought classy bentwood cross-back chairs for the ballroom, which is where most ceremonies, dinners and receptions take place, and couples can take their pick from round, oval or long rustic tables, depending on their numbers and aesthetic. “The ballroom was added in 1912, about 100 years after the rest of the castle was completed, as a present for the owner’s daughter’s 21st birthday,” smiles Marina. 

“The entrance to the ballroom is relatively discreet, but we place a chair in front of its door to prevent wander­ing house guests discovering its magic too soon. Couples can save the big reveal for the wedding day!” 

It’s worth the wait: my jaw genuinely drops when I get my first glimpse of its lofty vaulted ceiling, wooden beams, huge carved stone fireplace, minstrels’ gallery and balcony. Even empty and undecorated, it brims with atmosphere and charm.  

“The fireplace (in front of which many couples exchange their vows) looks incredible swathed in garlands of blooms and candlelight, while festoon lighting crisscrossing the hall can create a lovely night-time ambience,” suggests Marina. 

Where can I have an outdoor wedding near Inverness?

While the ballroom is being turned around, parties usually head into one of the adjoining reception rooms (or outside) for drinks. In the summer months, there’s an outdoor bar next to the immaculate parterre gardens and a cute little pagoda that would be an idyllic setting for an outdoor ceremony. 

The watering hole inside, meanwhile, is small but serviceable – “You won’t ‘lose’ wedding guests to the bar here,” assures Marina. There’s a cocktail list, wines from award-winning wine merchants Corney & Barrow and WoodWinters, and locally brewed organic Black Isle Blonde lager on draft to enjoy.  

Discover other exclusive use wedding venues in Scotland 

Sustainability is increasingly important to couples marrying at Achnagairn, and the venue is keen to help. “Your florist is welcome to pick some blooms from our garden,” says Marina. “We also go out of our way to support local and social enterprises. All our toiletries are from Ness Soaps and our mattresses from Highland BlindCraft, for instance.”  

Plentiful accommodation is one of the jewels in Achnagairn’s crown and there are 24 unique themed suites in the castle itself, sleeping up to 55.

“One of the comments we often receive is how much fun couples have had picking rooms to ‘suit’ the guests who’ll be staying in them,” confides Marina. 

What's the accommodation like at Achnagairn Castle?

The spacious bridal suite, appropriately named Happily Ever After, comes complete with four-poster bed, circular jacuzzi bath, lots of natural light, and a steamer and high stools for hair and makeup (squirreled away in a cupboard), just another instance of the attention to detail that sets the venue apart. 

From here, there’s access to a large family-style kitchen via back stairs, so the bride and her posse can gather round the table there if they don’t want to be seen by anyone else on the morning of the wedding. The main breakfast room next door, seating 48, often hosts dinners the night before. 

Luxury accommodation in the Highlands

A short walk away from the main building are Achna­gairn’s Mini Manors: seven fully equipped and tastefully decorated detached self-catering properties that together provide another 37 bedrooms.

“Asking the guests staying here to congregate outside and have a piper play them up to the castle ahead of the ceremony is a nice touch,” says Alison. “We can also source private chefs.” 

Start the search for food and drink suppliers in Scotland here

What are the wedding menus like at Achnagairn Castle?

One such caterer that cooks up a storm here regularly is The Lunchbox Boys Catering Co. Cairngorms lads Dougal and Sam started out delivering lunches and have since garnered a reputation for environmentally aware food, created with flair and served with a smile.

They emphasise local ingredients and suppliers – an approach that ties in very nicely with Achnagairn’s – with the option for clients to visit The Crossing in Kingussie (The Lunchbox Boys’ newly opened ‘rooms with breakfast’) for a wedding menu tasting. 

That evening, in Achnagairn’s candlelit dining room, I’m treated to a five-course feast courtesy of Dougal at the Lunchbox Boys. It’s a meal I won’t forget in a hurry.

There are delectable goats’ cheese ‘pearls’ with chimichurri for starters, garnished with pretty edible flowers; a raspberry sorbet, made using berries from the chef’s own garden; heavenly scallops with cauliflower and Stornoway black pudding; melt-in-the-mouth Black Isle beef fillet with fondant potato; and an exquisite trio of desserts – mini lemon posset, cheesecake and chocolate fondant.  

Every dish looks incredible, is off-the-chart delicious and makes me appreciate why actors Amber Anderson and Connor Swindells chose the company to cater their recent Highland wedding. 

‘Escape the ordinary’ is Achnagairn’s motto, and as I sleepily settle into my suite (which has the memorable name of Something Borrowed, Something Blue), I feel I have done exactly that. Do I really have to go back to Glasgow tomorrow?