Aswanley: 10 Reasons To Choose This Scottish Wedding Venue

I have been lucky enough to attend two weddings at Aswanley.

Both of them were absolutely fantastic, and this rural wedding venue in Scotland was a major factor.

At one of the weddings, we spent the entire weekend at a beautiful hotel in Huntly.

Now given my experience of Aswanley, I wanted to share with you what makes this place so special.

Let’s take a closer look at what a Aswanley wedding would be like.

Aswanley Location

Situated on the edge of the Scottish highlands, in the stunning River Deveron valley.

Aswanley enjoys a picturesque and tranquil setting, and yet is only 35 miles from Aberdeen.

At one of the weddings I attended, we were transferred by coaches from the city, and the journey was pleasant and short.

One of the major benefits of wedding venues in Aberdeenshire.

Huntly is a convenient 10 minute drive from Aswanley, and has a number of amenities including a supermarket.

There is also ample parking on site, including plenty of room for coaches.

I will talk about the grounds later, but this really is a very beautiful part of Scotland, with some spectacular views.

Aswanley Setting

I absolutely love the idea of an exclusive use wedding venue.

You may not agree with me, but I think privacy on your special day is important.

Well Aswanley offer the ultimate in seclusion.

You virtually get your own private Scottish highland estate for an entire day.

This includes the victorian barn, and all the surrounding countryside.

The owners of Aswanley do live on the estate, but this doesn’t spoil the isolation.

There are also some private cottages, if you want to make a weekend of it, but more on that later.

Aswanley Victorian Barn

As far as unique selling points go, the victorian barn is an excellent one.

Transformed from an old steading in 2005, it feels like it has been purpose built as a wedding venue.

The building is made up of a series of interconnecting rooms, with beautiful details such as cast iron chandeliers, studded doors, and pine beams.

You can dress the room as you please, but it’s very charming from the outset.

In terms of size, it is possible to accommodate 300 guests for dinner and dancing.

Although smaller weddings still work in this large space.

There is a separate room for your ceremony too, however you can also choose from a number of outdoor alternatives.

Aswanley Accommodation

If you need accommodation for lots of people, then Aswanley doesn’t really have a solution for this.

However, there are a number of options available in the nearby Huntly.

We had a large group stay at the Castle Hotel, which was really nice, and only a short drive to the wedding venue.

For smaller groups, the estate has three self catering holiday cottages:

• Wester Park, a spacious 3 bedroom, perfect for the wedding party.
• Straitinnan, a 2 bedroom, minutes from the victorian barn.
• Jock Milne’s, a cosy 2 bedroom, secluded in a forest clearing.

Aswanley Ceremony

Aswanley offers you a few options, when it comes to your ceremony.

The fireplace room, right in front of the baronial fire, is a great indoor choice.

This is where both ceremonies I attended were held, with the room capable of seating up to 100 people.

If you are planning on having a large ceremony, you can use the ballroom which can seat over 200 people.

In addition to the indoor options, you can choose to brave the elements, and get married next to the old ash tree, or under the 16th century stone arch.

Or if you would prefer to get married in a church, St. Andrews Glass is close by.

You are free to use a celebrant of your choice, as it is not operated as a Church of Scotland.

Aswanley Reception

This is where the victorian barn’s size becomes very useful.

You can seat 150 guests banquet style for dinner, and not have to move a single table for your first dance.

Although not a major issue, most wedding venues need to do some rearranging, to create a dance floor.

Furthermore, should you have more than 150 friends, Aswanley can seat 300 dinner guests at full capacity.

The venue comes with tables, chairs, cutlery, crockery and glassware included, plus there is a catering kitchen within the building.

Aswanley Catering

The catering is outsourced at Aswanley to a select group of trusted suppliers:

• Country Flavours.
• A&J Catering.

They can provide menus to suit all tastes and budgets, including canapes, BBQs, and banquets.

All served by friendly and experienced staff.

When it comes to the drinks there is a well stocked bar, and speciality beverages can be requested.

You can also bring your own wines, for a corkage fee of £9 per bottle.

Aswanley Grounds

The grounds on the estate are quite simply stunning.

As soon as you arrive at the gates, you’ll get a sense of how picturesque this place is.

With the drive up to the victorian barn especially nice.

Pam Ingleby, Aswanley owner, takes a keen interest in the gardens and grounds.

And it shows!

There is a nice stream running through the estate, and a pond beside the barn.

If you are lucky enough to get some sunshine on your special day, the French doors can be opened onto a terrace area, and tables and chairs can be arranged outside.

The views are spectacular, and it’s a wonderful place for your guests to sit and sip champagne.

A fireworks display can also be arranged at certain times of year.

Aswanley Unique Feature

One of the great things about the Victorian Barn, is being able to get away from the noise of the dance floor, and relax in one of the other rooms.

The fireplace room is ideal for this.

Large sofas can be arranged around the fire, and your guests can rest and recover after one too many highland flings.

At the other end of the room, there is a fully licensed bar, complete with barman.

You can choose to have a cash bar, or pick up the tab yourself.

Aswanley Wedding Prices

For accurate Aswanley wedding prices, you should contact the venue directly.

Their wedding packages can be tailored to meet your specific needs.

However to give you an approximate Aswanley wedding cost:

• Exclusive use of Aswanley (ceremony & reception), price £6,600.

The prices above are for a summer weekend.

Winter and midweek weddings could cost less.

Aswanley Conclusion

So those are my 10 reasons you should consider Aswanley as your wedding venue.

Of course everybody has different tastes and opinions.

However if you are looking for a stunning country location, with complete privacy, room for 300 guests, and everything under one roof; then Aswanley just might be the place for you.

Whilst you are here, you should take a look at some of the other wedding venues in Scotland, featured on White Rose.

You can also find Aswanley’s website here.

Good luck with your wedding planning.