Dalhousie Castle

(23)
£110 - £150 pp
Up to 50
35 Bedrooms
Exclusive Use
Wedding Licence
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Description

This enchanting 13th century castle is set within a beautiful estate of parkland and forest on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Dalhousie castle boasts of an impressive 800 year history being the oldest inhabited castle in Scotland. The interior of this historic venue hosts individually styled bedrooms, award winning restaurants, and an Aqueous Spa, all in keeping with its original history and charm. Outdoors you can enjoy breath-taking surroundings, with our bridge over the South Esk River, garden walks and the onsite falconry. Dalhousie Castle provides a truly idyllic setting for a wedding, which is available for exclusive or private hire, Vow Renewals and honeymoons. From the moment you arrive, a warm wholehearted Scottish welcome awaits you, to ensure yourself & your guests instantly feel at home. We have three main packages as well as our two intimate wedding packages available, though if you have something in mind please do let us know and our wedding coordinators would be delighted to create a bespoke package just for you. Our specialist wedding coordinators shall guide you through the planning process of your special day, before handing over to our conference and banqueting team who shall ensure that you truly do, live the fairy tale. We look forward to welcoming you to Dalhousie Castle!

Personal Message from the Manager

Name of Wedding Contact: Hannah & Mirren
Hello, and thank you for considering Dalhousie Castle for your most special of days. Dalhousie is an enchanting place – after all the years of working here I still find it incredible to be in a space once enjoyed by the likes of King Edward I and Queen Victoria! I would love you to experience the beauty and magic of Dalhousie too. We will work with you to provide a level of service that’s befitting of the castle’s illustrious guest list so that your day goes exactly as you dreamed it would.

Experience

No. of Weddings Hosted
More than 50
Public Liability Insurance
Yes
No. of People In Team
2

Overview of Dalhousie Castle

Venue Type
Castle
Dining Capacity
50
Reception Capacity
50
Usual Finish Time
12:00 AM

Ceremony & Reception

Fireworks Permitted
Wedding Licence
Sound System Available
Dancefloor Available
Outdoor Ceremony Available
Confetti Permitted

Venue

Landscaped Gardens
Exclusive Use
Spa On-Site
Bridal Changing Facilities
Disabled Access
Grade I/II Listed Building
On-Site Parking
Ballroom
In-House Wedding Coordinator

Food and Drink

In-house Catering
Corkage Charge for Own Alcohol
Alcohol Licence
In-House Wine List

Pricing for Dalhousie Castle

Packages
(price per head)

Prices Start At
£110
Maximum Price
£150
Minimum Number of Guests
25
What is included in this pricing:
Wedding coordinator available on the day
Multiple course wedding breakfast
Wine / soft drinks allowance per guest
Private room(s) included (non-exclusive use)
Furniture included
Non consumables (e.g. linen, lights etc.)

Reviews for Dalhousie Castle
(23)

Carol
Wedding: December
December 2018
Amazing

This castle hotel is an amazing stay. We had our daughter’s wedding here and we couldn’t have been looked after better. The staff were so attentive and helpful but also weren’t over bearing at all. The accommodation was very comfortable and the food amazing. I would most certainly recommend as a very special place to stay. Thank you.

Karen D
Happy couple married in December
December 2018
Wedding

We had our wedding at Dalhousie Castle last month & everything went wonderfully well. From the set up of rooms, to the timings, to the food and drink. All of the staff were exceptional and deserve a huge round of applause. Thanks to Shannon our event coordinator who helped make our day so special. We will definitely return 😊

Mr & Mrs B
Happy couple married in December
December 2018
Wedding

We had our wedding at Dalhousie Castle and it was absolutely perfect also the accommodation was amazing. Staff efficient and friendly would recommend and will definitely be going back again. This exceeds 4 stars

L Wood
Wedding: December
December 2018
The most delicious 'wedding' breakfast ever !

Attended a friend's wedding here last week. We didn't actually stay in the hotel so can't comment on the rooms but the venue was superb. Beautiful place to get married, very romantic and intimate. The food at every course of the wedding breakfast was absolutely delicious. I don't normally eat desserts but I could have eaten that panna cotta dish several times over and what's more, I noticed that every single plate, for every course was cleared - a clear thumbs up that the chefs here know what they are doing ! A marvelous, memorable and thoroughly enjoyable day.

KJM Coldstream
Wedding: December
December 2018
Great hotel for a Wonderful wedding

My wife and I stayed for one night as we were attending a wedding. Our room was very pleasant with a four poster bed.The wedding ceremony, reception and dinner were faultless. The food was outstanding.Breakfast the following morning was excellent. Service warm and efficient.

Stella
Happy couple married in December
December 2018
Our Wedding at Dalhousie

We had our wedding at a Dalhousie a few days ago and the service we received was excellent throughout our stay and exceeded our expectations. The day itself ran extremely smoothly thanks to the great organisation of Fiona and the events team and all our guests thoroughly enjoyed their time at the castle including the accommodation and wonderful wedding breakfast. I would thoroughly recommend this venue for a wedding in the Edinburgh area.

C Lewis
Wedding: November
November 2018
Evins Wedding

What an amazing venue for a wedding. With such beautiful surroundings and superb accommodation it will certainly be a venue which we will revisit again soon. The staff certainly added a lot of value to our stay and made us all feel extremely welcome, it was just a shame the visit was so short that we didn’t have time to use the spa facilities. Something to certainly look forward to on our next visit.

Susan
Wedding: November
November 2018
Wedding

My son was married at the castle. It was a wonderful day. The surroundings and courteous staff made it a day to remember . The whole occasion was well organised. Food was hot and delicious. The waitress service was excellent. I cannot fault it at all.

Roisin P
Happy couple married in October
October 2018
Great wedding, wonderful venue

My husband and I were married at Dalhousie in September and I just want to thank everyone for making the occasion so special for us! The entire team have been fantastic since we booked the wedding 18 months ago. The wedding coordinator, Shannon, is superb. She is organised, knowledgeable, quick to respond to queries and super helpful in making the day exactly as you want it to be. I couldn’t rate her more highly, so Dalhousie, hold on to her! The castle is beautiful and so atmospheric. We booked in couple of days prior to the wedding and I would recommend you do this– having a bit of downtime before the madness commences was a good idea! We stayed in Castle Rocks which less is atmospheric than the castle itself, set a 3 min walk away in the grounds, but the rooms are very comfortable with extremely luxurious bathrooms (free standing tub, wow!) plus outdoor space and lots of extra lounge space in the conservatory. Spending time relaxing in the library bar over a drink was wonderful too. The evening before, we had dinner in the dungeon with our immediate family which was very atmospheric. We were running late so meant we were up against it that evening, but the waiting staff at dinner couldn’t have been more helpful. Our wedding was a Friday – the ceremony was held in the chapel, then our wedding breakfast in the Ramsay room and reception in the Alexander suite. It meant the day felt fluid, people could move from room to room without any hanging around waiting for rooms to be rearranged so it was very relaxed. We were fortunate to have great weather so guests could have fizz outdoors and enjoy the gorgeous grounds as well. Our toastmaster was excellent; along with Shannon, she ran her team with precision and was just generally good at making sure my husband and I knew where we needed to be and when. This helped it feel relaxed so we didn’t have to think too much and things just happened without our effort. Needless to say there were a few last minute changes on our side and the whole team bent over backwards to make things happen. We also had the piper who adds a sense of theatre to the day and a sense of grandeur as he piped guests in and was there for different parts of the day. He is a bit of character and my nephew (6years old) loved the fact he got to be involved and use a sword as part of the cake cutting ritual with the piper. This might not be for everyone though. If like me you are an emotional wreck before the wedding, give it some thought, as he reads poems in your room before the ceremony so by the time I got there, I felt quite teary. Very happy but emotional, so be warned! This is a perfect venue for a smaller, more intimate ceremony. We had about 60 people for the day and this was enough. We had a fantastic day and stay - we really loved it and I can’t thank the team enough!

Jennifer & Luke
Happy couple married in July
September 2018
25/07/18 Mr and Mrs Wolstenholme

A big huge thank you to Shannon, Fiona and Cornelia for helping me with every aspect of this wedding, everyday! And a massive thank you to Camille for being the best master of ceremonies. You all helped everything run so smoothly. All the guests was extremely happy and especially me and Luke. Would definitely recommend. The food was perfect! The rooms as spacious and full of character and history. We loved being at the castle. You all helped us have the best day ever!

Location & Contact Details for Dalhousie Castle

Wedding Venue Address
Dalhousie Castle Hotel, Bonnyrigg, Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH19 3JB, Scotland, United Kingdom
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FAQs
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Describe the best wedding that happened at Dalhousie Castle?

We are very fortunate at Dalhousie Castle as our grounds lend themselves to creating a spectacular backdrop and the castle itself is so awesome and atmospheric, with its rich history extending seven centuries or so. Befitting a castle – we have our own Falconry, where Guests can get up close to the most amazing birds of prey and get a ‘hands on’ experience with them. It’s even an option to have Bonnie the Barn Owl flying in to deliver their rings in the chapel. We have organised Mini Highland Games with Tossing the Caber and Bagpipe playing, to the Castle being taken over for a Harry Potter themed Wedding, which of course was magical - that was possibly one of my favourites, though it's hard to choose one!

What is your No. 1 wedding planning tip for couples?

Trust us and enjoy the process of planning your special day. We are here to take the stress away so you can enjoy the whole experience, as well as the wedding day itself. And remember to take in every moment of your day, it goes past so quickly.

What’s your favourite personal touch you’ve seen at a wedding?

There have been ‘Surprise Singers’ who look like regular waiting staff, serving canapés and drinks, then halfway through the Wedding Breakfast burst into song, that is wonderful to witness. Recently a Bride surprised her Guests and Groom with a 16 strong Pipe Band marching up the drive at dusk to the front of the Castle, finishing the night off with Fireworks. Dalhousie was certainly the right setting for that spectacular procession!

Describe Dalhousie Castle in 5 adjectives

Magical, atmospheric, historic, welcoming, flexible.

Where’s the best photo spot at Dalhousie Castle?

On the bridge over the South River Esk is an extremely popular spot, although I have seen some fantastic Braveheart-themed photos with groomsmen running through the castle estate in their kilts! Very entertaining!

Have you had any celebrity guest or wedding at Dalhousie Castle?

That's not for us to divulge I'm afraid!

What’s your favourite canapé?

This is a hard one to pick! Chef does an amazing goats cheese croquette. Very moreish.

What’s your favourite midnight treat?

It's got to be the Haggis Clapshot for me, served with crusty bread.

What is Dalhousie Castle most unique feature?

Dalhousie Castle is a 13th century castle - Scotland's oldest inhabited castle - so we are fortunate to have many truly unique features. The atmospheric Dungeon Restaurant is particularly special, after all it's not every day that you get to dine surrounded by suits of armour deep within the castle vaults. Then there's the option to have your weddings rings delivered by one of the castle's owls, or to be welcomed to the castle by a skirl of bagpipes. There are lots of little extra details we can suggest to make your wedding day stand out.

What part of your business are you most proud of?

Our relationships with our couples. All couples are different, so we are flexible to suit their individual needs. At Dalhousie we work as a team in the Wedding Department, with each of us knowing about all our weddings and will have personally met with every bride and groom. We feel that this gives our couples peace of mind, so that whenever they contact us or visit, there is someone there 7 days a week who can answer their questions. We always strive to build a good relationship with our couples, and hope that couples feel relaxed in talking with us, so know their wedding is in good hands. However, if they want to speak to us every day, that’s ok too. Their wedding day is one of the biggest days of their life and they want it to be perfect, so do we.
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