The private 15th-century Scottish castle near Forfar, ringed by a moat and loch, whose exclusive-use weddings give one couple a great hall, a private chapel and award-winning walled gardens all their own.
By The LWD Edit · 12 July 2026 · 5 min
Scroll
Some castles are grand and hollow, hired by the hour with someone else's wedding starting as yours ends. Guthrie Castle is the opposite. A private baronial castle near Forfar in Angus, its keep dating to around 1468 and ringed by a moat and a loch, it is taken by one couple at a time, and that single fact, exclusive use, is what makes a wedding here so rare: for a day or a weekend, the whole castle and its 168 acres are yours alone.
The baronial great hall: a carved oak staircase, panelling, a stag’s head and an open fire
The castle itself is a beauty. Turreted and stone-built, it keeps its baronial grandeur inside, a carved oak staircase, panelling, a great hall with an open fire and a stag above the hearth, an elegant drawing room and a book-lined library, alongside a private chapel for the vows. Very little needs doing to any of it: the rooms are already dressed for a wedding by four centuries of history.
⤢
⤢
And then there are the gardens. Guthrie's award-winning walled gardens are a world of clipped topiary, stone urns and wildflowers, with the castle and its tower mirrored in the still loch that rings the keep. Couples marry among the greenery with the castle behind them, or take the vows in the great hall or the chapel, and drinks and photographs spill out across the lawns and the water.
A wedding ceremony in the walled garden, a red carpet through the clipped topiary
What sets it apart, beyond the beauty, is the privacy. Because the castle is taken exclusively, there is no rushing, no sharing, no other party waiting in the wings. The whole wedding party stays within the walls, in grand named bedrooms, from four-posters to brass beds beneath floral canopies, that sleep up to around thirty, and the celebration unfolds at the castle's own unhurried pace.
⤢
⤢
Dining is flexible, which suits a castle like this. Couples bring in their own caterers to serve a Scottish or modern British wedding breakfast in the panelled great hall, beneath the carved oak staircase and the open fire, with canapes and Champagne in the drawing room and gardens beforehand and whisky and toasts to follow. It is generous, relaxed and unmistakably Scottish.
The castle tower mirrored in the still loch, backed by deep green woods
"A private Scottish castle since 1468, its great hall within and its walled gardens without, taken for exclusive use: an intimate, historic wedding where the whole party stays behind the walls."
A Wedding at Guthrie Castle
⤢
⤢
⤢
⤢
For a couple who wants a real Scottish castle, taken entirely for themselves, with a great hall to marry in, walled gardens to celebrate among and bedrooms to fall into within the walls, Guthrie Castle is a rare find. Vows beneath a carved oak staircase or among the topiary, a Scottish feast by the fire, whisky and toasts, and 168 acres of gardens, woodland and loch: intimate and grand at once, a private weekend rather than a single perfect day.
A double bedroom dressed in yellow, a carved bed and a writing desk by the window
Credits
Venue
Guthrie Castle, Guthrie, by Forfar, Angus, Scotland
Images
Courtesy of Guthrie Castle / 5 Star Wedding Directory
Written by
The LWD Edit
The editorial team at Luxury Wedding Directory, profiling the world's finest wedding venues and creatives.
Filed under
Share
Guthrie Castle · Enquire
Enquire with Guthrie Castle
Send an enquiry and our wedding team will connect you with the venue.
We use essential cookies to make our site work, and optional cookies to personalise content and improve your experience. By clicking Accept All, you agree to our use of cookies. · Cookie Policy
