TTKS visits: magical intimate Ayrshire wedding venue Culzean Castle

Looking for a unique Scottish wedding venue that blends historic fairytale grandeur with garden-party charm? Culzean Castle and Country Park on Scotland’s stunning west coast offers glasshouses, clifftop views and historic castle ceremony spaces. 

Whether you dream of an intimate wedding in a Victorian conservatory or saying “I do” beneath chandeliers in a grand castle drawing room, Culzean offers a romantic and flexible backdrop for small weddings of up to 50 inside (more if in a marquee).

From outdoor ceremonies overlooking the sea to elegant receptions in stately rooms, this iconic National Trust for Scotland property is a magical place to get married in Scotland in 2025 and beyond.

Tie the Knot Scotland visited Culzean, considered one of Scotland's best castles for intimate weddings, to see what it has to offer...

Find out more about weddings at Culzean Castle

Glasshouse wedding venue in Scotland

People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones – they should get married in them instead! Tie the Knot Scotland thinks that conservatory, orangery and glasshouse wedding venues are the perfect ‘bring the outdoors in’ compromise for a wedding in Scotland: they are typically bright and airy, while keeping everyone protected from our unpredictable weather.

Culzean has two beautiful glasshouses where you can host your ceremony. The Camellia House (capacity 30), a short walk from the castle, is a light-filled Victorian glass structure filled with potted plants and surrounded by trees, with the atmosphere of a small chapel thanks to its lofty floor-to-ceiling glazing and scalloped stonework.

There’s a magical, reverent ambience here that is well suited to a wedding ceremony. 

“We can set up drinks outside afterwards if the weather allows; and if there’s no live entertainment, we can arrange for our new speaker system to play music while guests sip champagne,” says Catriona Stewart-Hood, who is responsible for organising weddings at Culzean. 

The Orangery, which adjoins the clifftop castle, has citrus plants and lavender-filled herbaceous borders, making it a delightfully fragrant option for slightly larger ceremonies or drinks receptions of up to 50. “It feels like a touch of Provence in Scotland,” smiles Catriona.  

Where can wedding ceremonies be hosted at Culzean Castle?

If you want to have an outdoor wedding ceremony by the sea in Ayrshire, there's no finer spot than the raised viewing platform, a roomy terrace that has views across the glittering sea to Arran and Northern Ireland. It’s right outside the castle’s main entrance and can be used for ceremonies of up to 50. 

The splendid castle itself, designed by Robert Adam in the 1790s and now owned by the National Trust for Scotland (as is the country park), contains stunning ceremony spots too, such as the elegant sweeping oval staircase (capacity 20) with its statuesque columns, and the chandelier-adorned regal round drawing room (for 50). 

Intimate wedding venue in Ayrshire

“Bespoke intimate weddings are the castle’s forte, and we aim to host no more than two per month between mid-March and October,” Catriona says, adding that she’s on hand throughout a couple’s planning journey to guide and support them.

Discover other intimate wedding venues in Scotland

“There are all sorts of ways we can help you tailor your plans, whether you want a personalised tour of the castle and its smugglers’ caves, or to feed the resident deer and alpacas. We also give newlyweds the use of a golf buggy to transport them around our extensive grounds for photographs.” 

As well as the castle’s fairytale façade (best viewed through a romantic ruined arch), there is no shortage of incredible backdrops for photos: Culzean has a decorative fountain, sandy beaches, a multitude of stunning trees (including a tropical palm), colourful flowers and a cute Japanese tea house in a walled garden. 

A bar can be set up wherever the exchange of vows is taking place, or why not have it in the Armoury, home to the largest collection of pistols in the UK aside from Windsor Castle!  

Where are wedding receptions hosted at Culzean Castle?

Meals for up to 50 can be served amid antiques and splendour in the state dining room (if your guestlist is longer, consider a marquee pitched on the lawn by local firm Finesse Marquees).

“The state dining room faces south-west so is flooded with light later in the day,” notes Catriona. “The tables can be set up in various configurations, but I personally love the original long one in the room that can extend to fit 34 around it. 

“The castle is open to the public until 4pm, but after 4.30pm, by the time the meal happens, the happy couple and their guests typically have the place to themselves.” 

A circular nautical-inspired space known as the Fo’c’sle room that sits directly below the round drawing room is off-limits to the public no matter the time of day.

“It can be used for the reception and for welcome dinners the night before,” says Catriona. There is ample room for a band and bar to be set up here. 

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Is there accommodation at Culzean Castle?

The accommodation on the top floor of the castle was gifted to former US President Eisenhower, who stayed here on four occasions between 1946 and 1962. It’s not available to stay in at the moment, but fear not: there are equally classy and freshly decorated self-catering options dotted across the estate for the newlyweds and their guests to recuperate after the drams and dancing, from the rustic beachfront bolthole South Segganwell to the quaint detached Garden House cottage (all available to book through Sykes Cottages). Sweet dreams guaranteed.