Five Tips For Getting Married at Eilean Donan Castle
Images by Sean Bell
Eilean Donan is one of the most iconic of Scotland’s castles. Sitting out on its own island, surrounded by calm water and the rolling mountains of the Isle of Skye, this castle near Kyle of Lochalsh is easily one of the best backdrops to have your castle pictures taken. Connected to the mainland by an arched bridge, the castle is arguably one of the most stunning and best castles in Britain. Eilean Donan has appeared in TV and movies such as the film “Highlander” and the 1999 James Bond movie “The World Is Not Enough”.
There are some important things to know about having your wedding at Eilean Donan, so we hope our top tips will help you!
Wedding ceremonies at Eilean Donan
While traditional Wedding ceremonies in Scotland are usually held between 1-3pm, Eilean Donan Castle is open to the public throughout the day. This means your elopement wedding ceremony will take place around 6.30pm to give time for set up and for people to head off the island.
This later ceremony time gives you plenty of time to take in the beauty of the castle as well as a great opportunity to plan a breathtaking ‘first look’ with the castle located near the Isle of Skye, Scotland.
During the closed tourist season, however, you can get married any time of the day either in the castle or overlooking the water surrounded by mountains of the Isle of Skye.
Image by Sean Bell
Outdoor and Indoor Castle wedding locations
The location for an outdoor wedding at Eilean Donan Castle is in the courtyard, overlooking the water and the mountains of Skye, an idyllic setting that you’ll never forget. Eilean Donan Castle is one of the few Scottish Castles on lochs.
The location for an indoor wedding is the Banqueting Hall that can hold up to 70 guests for a ceremony in the heart of the castle.
After the ceremony, most weddings use the Billeting Room for a champagne reception but many guests take their glasses outside to enjoy the view of the sun beginning to lower in the sky over the highlands, while the newlyweds go and get their photos taken.
Image by Sean Bell
Image by David Conaty
The famous bridge will remain open during your Wedding
One of the most beautiful views in the whole of Scotland is from the bridge connecting Eilean Donan to the mainland - this is reason enough to have your wedding at Eilean Donan. While the castle itself will be exclusively yours during your ceremony as well as the inner courtyard, people travel for thousands of miles to see one of Scotland’s best castles and so the bridge is not closed to tourists. You may acquire a small audience when getting your photos with the backdrop of the castle and the mountains of Skye, but the tourists will no doubt love seeing a real Scottish wedding at a real Scottish castle!
Fine dining restaurants on the Isle of Skye for small weddings
Eilean Donan doesn’t have catering facilities and most restaurants on the nearby Isle of Skye are at least a 30 minute drive from the castle. When it comes to your wedding dinner, we recommend booking no earlier than 8.30pm to allow you and your guests enough time to get from Eilean Donan to a fine dining restaurant on the Isle of Skye. We also recommend organising travel in advance to ensure a relaxed journey.
Weddings for 20 or more in the Highlands
While you can have up to 70 guests at your Wedding at Eilean Donan Castle, most of the surrounding restaurants don’t have private dining for more than 20 people. If your wedding party is a larger group, our top tip is to look into hotels or community halls that can accommodate you and your guests for a meal.