Castle Of Park: 10 Reasons To Choose This Scottish Wedding Venue

When it comes to castle wedding venues in Scotland, we really are spoilt for choice.

However Castle of Park, which is a relatively new wedding venue, has some fairly unique attributes.

In addition to providing accommodation for up to 12 guests, it has a brand new Pavilion which can comfortably seat 100 people for dinner.

Combine this with fabulous grounds for both outdoor ceremonies and wonderful wedding photos, and you really have a place worth your consideration.

Let’s take a closer look at what a Castle of Park wedding would be like.

Castle Of Park Location

If you enjoy the countryside, then you will find numerous potential wedding venues in Aberdeenshire.

Castle of Park can be found in a nice secluded area, about 5 miles south of the village of Portsoy.

Aberdeen is the closest city at 50 miles away, and can be driven from in approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.

With Inverness a little further at 70 miles away, with a drive time of roughly 1 hour and 45 minutes.

On arrival you will find reasonable onsite parking for your guests.

And large vehicle access is possible, if you would like to put on coach transportation.

Castle Of Park Setting

The castle still functions as a family home, although you can hire some of the bedrooms if you wish.

However it’s the gardens and especially the Pavilion that make this place special, and you will have these areas exclusively.

There are 40 acres to explore on the Castle of Park Estate, and they include ponds, burns, waterfalls, and the lovely Rose Garden.

Most importantly though the dense woodland creates a real atmosphere of privacy and tranquility.

Making this a beautifully relaxed place to host your wedding.

Castle Of Park

Originally built in 1536, Castle of Park was completely restored by its current owners in 2007.

The Campbell Wilson family still actually live here, and should you hire the castle you will be sharing it with them.

In terms of reception rooms you have the Great Hall, the Drawing Room, the Billiard Room, and the Breakfast Room.

And all of it is sumptuously decorated in the medieval style.

Access to the estate is granted the day before your wedding for setting up.

And you will have until the day after your wedding to remove any personal possessions.

In addition to this there is a dedicated wedding coordinator, and they will be present on the day to make sure things run smoothly.

Castle Of Park Accommodation

Castle of Park has 11 bedrooms, 5 of which are used by the family and 6 which can be hired.

So you could have 12 people stay the night in the castle, which does include a full Scottish breakfast in the morning.

The Silver Suite would make the perfect Bridal Suite, with its king sized gilded sleigh bed and ensuite bathroom.

And even if you don’t hire the accommodation, you will have the use of this room for Bridal Preparation.

For hotels near Castle of Park, the village of Portsoy has a good range of options.

Castle Of Park Ceremony

Most people choose to have an outdoor ceremony at Castle of Park.

And given how beautiful the gardens are, that doesn’t come as a surprise.

The manicured lawns, tall trees, and lovely flowers provide all the decoration you need.

With the castle acting as an imposing backdrop.

Should the weather not be in your favour, the Pavilion can also be used for ceremonies and has a capacity for 100 guests.

Castle Of Park Reception

The grounds at Castle of Park are also a lovely place to host your drinks reception, followed by your dinner reception in the purpose built Pavilion.

Contemporary in its design, the Pavilion has exposed timber beams, a lantern tower, and floor to ceiling glass doors facing south towards the castle.

In addition to modern toilets it has a space for catering, and can comfortably seat up to 100 guests for dinner.

Your wedding package includes tables and chairs too.

Castle Of Park Catering

The catering at Castle of Park is outsourced to Hudsons; a well respected supplier in Aberdeenshire.

And whilst there are no industrial kitchen facilities onsite, Hudsons will bring with them everything they need.

There aren’t any bar facilities either, so you can employ Hudsons to setup a mobile pub too.

The alcohol license fee is £72, and your guests will be able to pay for drinks by cash or card.

If you would like to bring your own booze, this can also be done for a corkage fee of £7.20 per person.

Castle Of Park Entertainment

After your dinner the tables and chairs in the Pavilion can be rearranged to create a nice dance floor.

There’s plenty of room for a band, and you can invite and additional 50 evening guests to join in the ceilidh.

Fireworks displays are permitted, however they are limited to a maximum of 3 per year.

And you will have to pay a £200 fee to secure one of the allocations.

Finally the celebrations can go on until 12:30am, giving you plenty of time to enjoy yourself.

Castle Of Park Wedding Photos

Even if you don’t hire the accommodation, you will be able to use the castle for your wedding photos.

And given the potential for it to rain in Scotland, having a good indoor alternative is important.

The interiors at Castle of Park are beautiful, and will make for some interesting backdrops.

Large windows in some of the rooms will also provide plenty of natural light.

If you are lucky enough to get some nice weather, the grounds are genuinely a wedding photographers dream.

With beautiful scenery to be found everywhere you look.

Castle Of Park Wedding Prices

For accurate Castle of Park 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 Castle of Park wedding cost:

• Accommodation (sleeps 12), price £1,200 (includes breakfast).
• Pavilion & Grounds (ceremony & reception), price £3,600.
• Corkage, price £7.20 per person.

The prices above are for a summer weekend.

Winter and midweek weddings could cost 20% less.

Castle Of Park Conclusion

So those are my 10 reasons you should consider Castle of Park as your wedding venue.

Of course everybody has different tastes and opinions.

However if you are looking for a fairytale pink castle, occupying a secluded location, with a purpose built pavilion, and accommodation for 12 guests; then Castle of Park 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 Castle of Park’s website here.

Good luck with your wedding planning.