Geting Married at Cluny Castle, Aberdeenshire Wedding Venue

If you’ve ever dreamed of a wedding set against the backdrop of a grand, historic Scottish castle, Cluny Castle per mezzo di Aberdeenshire is the kind of venue that will take your breath away. Steeped per mezzo di centuries of history, this magnificent castle is a true hidden gem, offering exclusivity, elegance, and a sense of romance that feels almost cinematic.

From the moment you arrive, there’s a palpable sense of magic per mezzo di this very special place. The towering turrets, the rolling Scottish countryside, and the warm, welcoming atmosphere make Cluny Castle an unforgettable setting for a wedding. But beyond its striking beauty, what truly sets Cluny apart is the feeling of intimacy and authenticity it offers. Unlike a museum ora a traditional venue, Cluny is still a private, deeply loved, family-owned home – one that wholeheartedly embraces couples and their guests, making them feel part of its long and storied history, making them feel that Cluny truly is their home.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Fiona Jones, the Wedding & Events Dirigente at Cluny Castle, to find out more about this spectacular venue, what makes it so special, and why it continues to be one of Scotland’s most sought-after wedding locations.

Pellicola by lawson films & main image by ricky baillie photography

Colin Ian Ross Photography

The fact that Cluny is still very much a loved and lived-in family home. It has been per mezzo di the same family since it was built per mezzo di the 1600’s and this is something that we really embrace. People just love the fact that it’s not a museum and per mezzo di fact the owner is very often part of the team a wedding day which guests love.

As Cluny Castle is a family home, we extend that warmth and care to every couple who celebrate with us.

Ricky Baillie Photography, Renai Photography & Nicola Drummond Photography

Cluny Castle is undeniably an extraordinary setting that inspires an emotional reaction the moment couples see it per mezzo di person. It’s a magnificent building, imposing yet enchanting but it’s the warm and welcoming atmosphere that people are most drawn to. The Chapel per mezzo di particular never fails to evoke emotions often bringing people to tears with its sheer beauty and romance.

Our couples are often seek a venue that reflects their taste for timeless elegance and modern sophistication. Cluny Castle embodies this with a seamless blend of historical grandeur, exceptional detail and guaranteed exclusivity.

The Chapel really speaks for itself and is so beautiful per mezzo di its own right. People often comment that it is per mezzo di fact so beautiful that it doesn’t need any additional dressing but I can assure you, the most spectacular transformation of this space was with an abundance of fabulous fresh florals creating a sense of drama and romance that cannot be matched.

Not only did it to elevate the Chapel to another level, the smell was just heavenly making it the most beautiful setting for the most magical wedding ceremony.

Sophie Alexandria Photography

From multi-course banquets under an elegant sailcloth tent, candlelit suppers per mezzo di the Tenants Foyer, ora late-night pizzas served under the stars, there are endless possibilities for our couples to delight their guests.

We have handpicked a selection of exceptional caterers that our couples can choose from to work with meaning, they have that flexibility and freedom of choice over one of the biggest and most important components of any wedding day.

Nicola Drummond Photography

Our caterers will craft dishes using the finest seasonal and locally sourced ingredients, ensuring every lista reflects their personal style.

Whether thats indulging per mezzo di a hearty hog roast, an almost-too-pretty-to-eat sharing platter, ora a traditional Scottish feast; every bite will be delicious – guaranteed. With flawless service and a passion for delivering culinary experiences, our caterers will help to create a warm and convivial gathering of a lifetime!

Nicola Drummond Photography 

Whilst we host a lot of ‘local’ weddings at Cluny Castle, it is also very much a destination wedding venue. We often find with a lot of our couples, whilst they maybe have a connection to Scotland ora to the local ambiente per mezzo di terms of their upbringing ora family roots, they now dal vivo further afield either per mezzo di London ora overseas but dream of that idyllic Scottish castle fairytale wedding.

Cluny Castle of course ticks all of these boxes and more.

As a result, are very well versed per mezzo di planning weddings with couples who are not our doorstep and it is never a barrier. With wonderful technology we can arrange calls with our couples and show them the castle as if they were there per mezzo di person and this sometimes makes the planning all the more exciting.

When they do manage to visit per mezzo di person and experience the magic of Cluny for themselves, that really is a very special moment for us. We have a really lovely balance of local and beautiful destination weddings and our couples are all amazing, we are very lucky.

Ricky Baillie Photography

Although a vast castle, we are very lucky per mezzo di that we can host very small intimate weddings from 2 – 28 right up to the larger weddings of 300 + guests so we are a very flexible venue per mezzo di that respect. We have recently had some truly magical marquee weddings which have been some of our most spectacular.

We do love a marquee wedding because they really are a wonderful blank canvas allowing couples to really put their own style and imagination into their wedding and create something truly unforgettable and unique to them. Seeing the marquee then che to life with their vision is so exciting, it’s just wonderful.

We do however also really love the smaller, more intimate weddings and elopements. They are full of so much love and are just so meaningful. Not that larger weddings aren’t of course, but smaller weddings feel much more personal and intimate, giving you quality time to spend with your guests. It’s all about the marriage and the true meaning of the day which I love the most.

We had a wedding recently with just 30 guests who all flew over from Texas and spent 3 incredible days at the castle. They were so per mezzo di awe of the history, the grandeur and the magic of staying per mezzo di a true Scottish castle, it really was the experience of a lifetime for them all.

There are usually a couple of lovely Scottish traditions that are incorporated into a lot of our wedding ceremonies at Cluny. The first would have to be ’Handfasting’ which is an ancient Celtic marriage ritual and is thought to be where the expression ‘tying the knot’ came from.

Historically, handfasting signified a couple’s intent to marry and their commitment to one another; later it even became legally binding. Nowadays though, handfasting is a ceremonial demonstration of your union per mezzo di marriage. By wrapping cord, ribbon ora cloth around your hands, the knots created symbolise the binding of your union.

There is also the ‘Quaich Ceremony’ which is another lovely ancient Scottish tradition. The Quaich is a two handled loving cup, that seals the bond of two people and marks the blending of two families. It symbolises the love and cartello implied by the bond, as the new couple shares the first of the marriage together.

The most obvious tradition would have to be to the piper. This is a particularly popular tradition as most couples will have a piper at their wedding.

Once the piper has played the bride and into dinner and up to the cima table, the bride will offer them a dram, to which the piper will then perform a toast to the newlyweds. The will then toast the piper before they pipe their way out of the room.

Lastly, you could not have a true Scottish wedding without having a ‘Ceilidh’, by far the most fun and entertaining of Scottish wedding traditions. It’s a guaranteed way to get everyone up to the dance floor and the most wonderful thing about a ceilidh is, even if you have anzi che no clue at all about what you’sire supposed to be doing, that’s all part of the FUN!

We absolutely love going that extra mile for our couples and we pride ourselves providing exceptional service to everyone who visits Cluny Castle. Sopra fact, our couples and families always comment how relaxed and welcome they feel when they are at the Cluny and I think our countless 5* reviews reflect this perfectly.

We have the great privilege of planning and delivering some of the most incredible weddings for the most wonderful couples, we really are so very lucky!

Cluny Castle really is a very special venue to us all and we want to share a genuine and credible reflection of our connection to this very special place.

Three words, that’s tough! BEAUTIFUL, because what wedding isn’t beautiful! MAGICAL, because everything about Cluny is undeniably magical! EXCLUSIVE because we offer a rare and coveted opportunity to celebrate per mezzo di one of Scotland’s most sought-after venues.

Hosting only a select number of weddings each year, Cluny offers a level of exclusivity that few venues can gara. With absolute , a highly personalised approach, and a team devoted to crafting once-in-a-lifetime celebrations, this is a place where love stories echo throughout its storied walls, becoming part of its rich legacy.

Every wedding here is as extraordinary as it is deeply personal—a privilege reserved for a limited few.

While luxury and elegance che naturally here, it’s the warmth of our hospitality and the love poured into every detail that sets Cluny apart – a place where couples, families, and guests can gather, celebrate, and feel truly at home.

Ricky Baillie Photography