Scotland has an extraordinary variety of places to get married — historic cities, castles, barns, country estates, islands and wild landscapes.
Over the years I’ve photographed weddings in many different venues across Edinburgh and Scotland, but there are always places I’d still love the opportunity to photograph.
This is a little collection of Scottish wedding venues that caught my eye because of their character, setting or atmosphere. I haven’t photographed weddings at all of them yet — they are simply places I think would work beautifully with the relaxed, documentary way I photograph a wedding day.
I’m especially drawn to venues that give couples space to make the day their own, whether that means an old stone barn, a castle by a loch or somewhere a little less traditional.
Kinkell Byre, St Andrews
Kinkell Byre has exactly the kind of character I love in a wedding venue — an old stone building, lots of space, a relaxed atmosphere and the Fife coast nearby.
It feels informal enough for couples to make the celebration their own, while still offering a distinctive setting for a wedding. The combination of the building, surrounding countryside and nearby coast would also give plenty of variety for photographs without needing to disappear away from the celebration for long.
The Byre at Inchyra, Perthshire
The Byre at Inchyra is another beautiful barn venue, combining old stone, timber and gardens in a way that feels relaxed rather than overly formal.
I particularly like venues where different parts of the day can happen naturally in one place — ceremony, drinks, dinner and dancing — because it allows the photography to follow the rhythm of the day.
The gardens and countryside surrounding the venue also make it a lovely setting for natural couple portraits.
Boturich Castle, Loch Lomond
Boturich Castle immediately stands out because of its position overlooking Loch Lomond.
The combination of the castle, gardens and landscape would give plenty of variety for photographs, while still keeping everything centred around the wedding itself.
For me, that is always important. Couple portraits should feel like a small part of the day rather than something that takes you away from your guests for hours.
House for an Art Lover, Glasgow
House for an Art Lover is particularly interesting because of its architecture and design.
Inspired by the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the building has striking interiors and plenty of character, while feeling very different from a traditional Scottish country house or castle.
For a photographer, places like this are exciting because the architecture becomes part of the atmosphere of the day without needing to dominate the photographs.
These are just a few of the Scottish wedding venues I’d love to photograph one day.
Of course, the venue is only part of the story. What interests me most is what happens there — the people, the atmosphere, the conversations, the laughter and all the little moments nobody planned.
That is what I look for throughout a wedding day: real moments as they happen, alongside relaxed, natural portraits.
If you’re getting married at one of these venues, or somewhere completely different in Scotland, I’d love to hear what you’re planning.
You can also explore my real wedding stories from Edinburgh and across Scotland, or browse my Edinburgh wedding venues guide for venues I’ve photographed first-hand.