Achnagairn Castle is a luxury hotel located a short drive from Inverness, Scotland.
The award-winning luxury boutique hotel is located on sprawling grounds, featuring contemporary sculptures and a formal manicured garden.
If you’re looking to book a wedding in the Scottish Highlands, Achnagairn Castle is ranked as one of the most romantic venues in all of Scotland.
Achnagairn Castle
Nestled within the private grounds of a 17th-century manor house, Achnagairn Estate is located in Kirkhill, Scotland just 12kms from Inverness.
Achnagairn Estate sits amongst 15 acres of formal gardens, lush lawns and rustic woodlands. The rural resort is a 5-star luxury venue, open to overnight guests either on a hotel basis or as an exclusive weddings venue.
People have lived on the land at Achnagairn Estate for nearly 400 years. The castle’s current fireplace contains a date stone from as far back as 1663.
Achnagairn translates to “circle of stones” and the enigmatic Celtic stones in the area seem to have kept their secrets for thousands of years…
Today’s iteration of Achnagairn Castle was built in 1812, and despite undergoing a major modern refurbishment, it still retains many of its unique period features.
The castle’s current owners, Gillian and Mike Lacey-Solymar, welcomed guests to the newly refurbished property in 2008 as an exclusive use venue. Achnagairn Castle now operates as a boutique luxury hotel, and occasional movie set. Fans of the Outlander television show will be delighted to know that parts of the series were filmed on the Scottish Highland estate.
Achnagairn Castle Wedding
Achnagairn Castle is known throughout Scotland as being one of the most idyllic settings for a romantic wedding.
The luxury boutique hotel’s fairytale setting has been awarded Highlands Best Wedding Venue by the Scottish Wedding Awards as well as Best Wedding Venue in the United Kingdom by the prestigious Harper’s Bazaar Magazine.
The castle’s jaw-dropping vaulted ballroom is the crown jewel of Achnagairn Estate. Whether you choose to tie the knot in the castles iconic ballroom, or underneath the grand stone arch in the grounds, the possibilities for truly unique Scottish wedding photography are endless.
Achnagairn Castle Wedding Prices
For up to date Achnagairn Castle wedding prices, contact the venue directly. The friendly sales team offer a variety of wedding packages that you can tailor to suit your specific needs.
Typical Achnagairn Castle wedding costs during summer high season and weekends:
- Exclusive use of Achnagairn Castle (sleeps 42 guests) is £18,540.
- Lodges (sleep 10-12 guests) is £820 per lodge.
Winter and midweek weddings can save you up to 65%!
Achnagairn Castle’s Ballroom
The only one of its kind in the Scottish Highlands, the castle’s jaw-dropping ballroom has been the backdrop for endless cute couples who come here to tie the knot.
Built in 1912, it came into being because the then-owner’s daughter was about to have her 21st birthday and she had nowhere to celebrate. So her wildly wealthy parents built her a ballroom as a space to celebrate. Feeling a tag jealous aren’t we?
Achnagairn Castle’s ballroom is surprisingly versatile. The venue often begins the wedding day decorated as a church-like setting where couples say their vows. Later in the evening it transforms into a fairytale featuring a mouth-watering banquet. Late into the wee hours of the morning the centre of the ballroom reimagines itself as an inviting disco dance floor!
Achnagairn Castle’s ballroom can accomodate:
- 260 guests for drinks and dancing
- 180 guests for a sit down dinner on long tables
- 170 guests for a sit down dinner on round tables
- 25 guests for a sit down dinner on one long table in the center
Achnagairn Castle Accommodation
Often one of the disadvantages of an exclusive use wedding venue is lack of on-site accommodation. Not so at Achnagairn Estate!
The estate offers 60 ensuite bedrooms and suites; 21 in the castle, and 39 in nearby luxury lodges that the owners affectionately call their Mini Manors.
All of the suites at the hotel are well appointed, offering a luxurious home-away-from-home with a distinct boutique vibe. Some of the rooms are more traditional with wood panelling, antiques, and four poster beds. Others feature a more contemporary flare showcasing quirky and unusual shapes.
Mini Manors
Achnagairn Castle’s seven luxury lodges are a short 200 metre walk from reception and offer ample parking.
The Mini Manors feel a bit as though they’ve been designed as a fairytale suburb, each featuring a backyard and front patio. Each mini manor offers en-suite bathrooms, living room, self catering kitchen and dining room. Overnight guests enjoy breakfast each morning in their Mini Manor kitchen. The fridge and pantry is stocked with juice, tea, coffee, fresh bread, cereal, yogurt and fruit.
The Mini Manor community is also home to the hotel’s award winning restaurant, Table Manors.
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The Bridal Suite
The resort’s bridal suite is appropriately called Happily Every After. The 60 square metre luxury suite features a four poster bed and a whirlpool bath located in the middle of the room. It’s the most popular room at the hotel for wedding couples.
We suggest getting ready on your special day with a choir of dutiful bridesmaids in this posh Bridal Suite. After you’ve said “I do,” skip over to the formal gardens for the ultimate romantic husband and wife photoshoot.
Achnagairn Castle Accommodation Numbers
- 136 guests on the entire Estate
- 24 bedrooms in the castle (21 en-suite)
- 36 bedrooms in the Mini Manors
Table Manors Bar
Hotel guests who are staying overnight at one of the Mini Manors can enjoy award-winning cuisine each evening at Table Manors.
Skip inside the hotel’s restaurant and grab a seat on a comfy hot pink chair where bartenders mix up Highland inspired cocktails. The petite bar has a distinct feminine contemporary vibe featuring splashes of bright pink and forrest green.
Be sure to ask the mixologist to whip you up a cocktail using locally crafted Loch Ness Small Batch Gin. The floral craft gin is best enjoyed as a refreshing G&T muddled with sliced cucumber.
Table Manors Restaurant
Table Manors restaurant features a hinterland-inspired dining room with walls covered in birch wood and portraits of elegant potted shrubs. In the warm summer season locals and visitors alike flock to the restaurant’s spacious backyard patio to sip and nibble al fresco.
The culinary team at Table Manors Restaurant in Inverness was just awarded Two Rosettes from the AA, the highest score you can receive on a first rating.
Both chef’s at Table Manors have also been awarded Young Highland Chef of the Year. Chef Euan Walker took the coveted prize in 2011 while Sous Chef David MacDonald celebrated a win in 2015.
Table Manors Restaurant Menu
Head Chef Euan Walker enthusiastically shares his philosophy for using only the freshest produce, “We source as locally as possible. The vegetables we use are grown 200 metres away at Achnagairn Farm and other ingredients come from as close by as possible. After all, we have the best produce in the world on our doorstep. Our Highland territory is renowned for its Angus beef, its venison, and even the fresh salmon that bounds through its rivers. At Table Manors, we make great use of our privileged location.”
Guests at Table Manors Restaurant in Inverness can opt to order dishes a la carte or by selecting from three tasting menus.
The restaurant’s culinary team offer daily 3 course, 5 course and 6 course tasting menus for both vegetarians and meat lovers. Oenophiles can add a wine pairing package from £15- £25.
Achnagairn Castle Reservations
Achnagairn Estate, 44-1463-831878
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