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About

On Hitched.co.uk since 2022

Last update: January 2024

Duns Castle, dating from the 14th Century, is an idyllic Scottish venue based in Berwickshire, Lothian & Borders. This enchanting venue is for a fairy-tale castle wedding, where every booking of the castle is given exclusive use. Every wedding is also unique, and the team is here to support and advise you along the way so that every aspect of the occasion meets your vision, your needs and your expectations.

Facilities and Capacity

Duns Castle is a 1700-acre estate that boasts its own nature reserve complemented by extensive forest trails, bespoke outdoor activities and cultural experiences. Family-owned since 1696, the property has stunningly beautiful public rooms, 12 unique bedrooms and 5-holiday cottages (all within easy walking distance of the castle), providing on-site accommodation for up to 46 guests. The castle can comfortably seat 60 for dinner and welcome 100 for cocktails, while the extensive lawns offer numerous possibilities for marquees and larger events.

Duns Castle is also a hugely symbolic wedding venue, welcomes all faiths, and is licensed for both civil and religious ceremonies. Some couples prefer to be married in the castle, overlooking the nature reserve, while others choose to be married on the lawn or by the water's edge with the castle as the backdrop. The choice is yours, and the team will adapt accordingly.

Services Offered

The coordinators at Duns Castle are delighted to help you plan your entire day, and each member of staff will ensure that it runs seamlessly. They have also already identified a selection of the best service providers that Scotland, and particularly the Borders region, has to offer. These include caterers, photographers, musicians, florists, hairdressers and beauticians as well as entertainers, outdoor activity providers and coach companies - all designed to make the planning an enjoyable experience for you, stress-free and quality assured. You may even wish to plant a tree on the grounds to mark your special occasion.

Cuisine

Dinner in the main 14th-century dining hall is a memorable occasion; Duns Castle's top chefs provide good, freshly prepared Scottish produce prepared by their panel of award-winning preferred caterers with whom they invite you to liaise directly. They can also host dinners for up to 60 people indoors and over 400 under grand marquees.

Frequently asked questions

Venue type:

In the country
Sporting
Small hotel
Unusual weddings
Castle
Stately home
Historic
Landmark
Marquees and tents
Woodland and festival
Church
Outdoor license
Unique weddings

Ceremony options:

Fire ceremony
Civil ceremony licence
Religious ceremony license

Dining options:

Seated meal facilities
Corkage option
Private catering allowed
Alcohol licence
Buffet meal facilities
In-house catering

Evening entertainment:

Marquee available
Dance floor
Entertainment licence
Live band facilities
Evening reception facilities
DJ facilities
Outdoor fireworks permitted

Overnight accommodation:

Overnight accommodation for wedding couple
Overnight accommodation for guests

Venue staff assistance:

Master of ceremonies/toastmaster
Wedding coordinator

Venue leisure facilities:

Hairdresser

Other features:

Exclusive use
Car parking
Helipad
Confetti permitted
Changing room for wedding guests
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Do you have any questions?

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5.0 out of 5 rating
8 reviews
  • Quality of the service
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Response time
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Value for money
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    5 out of 5 rating
100% Recommended by couples
A
Alan Sent on 13/11/2018
5 out of 5 rating

Perfect Destination

We flew our closest friends and family in from the U.S. and stayed at Duns Castle for a week with the wedding ceremony at the tail end of our stay. It was a fantastic adventure to bond our families together and show them everything there is to love about Scotland. My wife and I attended the University of Edinburgh for our MS degrees and fell in love with Scotland with all its serene castles and picturesque landscapes. Knowing we wanted to marry in Scotland we took several years to plan our perfect wedding at the most beautiful castle we could find. Duns was superb in every way providing excellent accommodation, handling all our requests and suggesting various services to help our wedding and entire stay to be magical.
E
Emily Sent on 07/11/2018
5 out of 5 rating

Fairy Tale Wedding

I recently got married at Duns Castle and had a perfect wedding and a beautiful time. I searched for awhile to find the right spot, because I wanted an exclusive location that wasn't too hard to get to, had some history, and would accommodate my crazy family and friends. And Duns is perfect!!! It is even more stunning than the photos in person, if you can believe it, and the décor is simply gorgeous. You really feel as if you're staying in a historic castle and everything is beautifully maintained. We rented out the castle for a Friday/Saturday night, booked all the cottages, and had some people stay at the inn at Duns. Friday night was Kilt & Casino night in the drawing room, the company that came to the castle did an amazing job. To do dinner easily, we picked up sandwiches and pastries from the bakery in town. I also used the local florist Scentiments and I cannot recommend them enough.. On the big day, we did skeet shooting with Stuart Elworthy. We got married in the drawing room by the Scottish Registrar, and Aline perfectly arranged the room so my mother could play the grand piano as my entrance. We had Regis Catering do our dinner and I was told my multiple people it was the best catered meal they've had at a wedding. Lorraine Ross, our photographer, got some beautiful shots of us atthe lake. I had a 2 person band setup outside the dining room next to the bar and Aline arranged speakers outside for everyone to enjoy. Alot of detail, but I arranged everything by email and phone and it went perfectly. Long story short, if you want to have a beautiful wedding in a Scottish Castle, I very much recommend this venue.
H
Holly Sent on 15/11/2018
5 out of 5 rating

Wedding of Our Dreams!

These will forever remain the greatest and most magical 3 days of my life. Duns Castle is an incredible venue for a wedding. 27 of our closest family and friends travelled from Canada and everyone was blown away from their very first view of the castle. Mr & Mrs. Hay make sure that everything goes off without a hitch. They truly care about the castle and all of their guests that attend. The staff on site is also wonderful. The breakfast, bar service (they stocked the bar with whatever we wished), grounds (especially in June, the flowers on the grounds are incredible), cottages (all within walking distance and have all the necessities for a comfortable stay) and rooms (all decorated beautifully) are all impeccable. They were not opposed to any of our requests and did their absolute best to accommodate us and our wishes. I would recommend Duns Castle to anyone who wishes to get married in Scotland. We cannot wait to visit again!
M
Mrs Sent on 02/11/2017
5 out of 5 rating

Not just a pretty picture

Perfect Wedding! The most beautiful setting you could imagine for your big day. We had to plan it long distance and Jonathan and Natalie were the best people to do so. They've organised everything for us, so we didn't have to worry about small things. They were very involved and helpful all the way through, even on our big day.

We had a small party for 50 people and it was just perfect. All of our guests stayed with us in a Castle and cottages on the grounds. Jonathan helped us to organise all the activities for the day before, like archery and croquet.

And as a surprise we were offered to plant our tree on the day. Which we did. And it was such a nice touch.

Duns Castle is not just beautiful, but truly unique experience. We can't wait to go back there to celebrate our anniversary as it is a part of our family now, not just a remarkable venue.
R
Ronny Sent on 30/09/2017
5 out of 5 rating

Our Wedding at Duns Castle

We had an unbelievable wedding weekend/life experience at Duns Castle in early June.
Alick and Aline and the entire staff led by Natalie, Jonathan and Robert, went above and beyond in creating truly once-in-a-lifetime moments for us throughout our 4 night stay. We did an exclusive use stay with the cottages as well, and they were perfect. Activities throughout the weekend were well-organized with the help of Duns Castle; including great recommendations on restaurants, fun things to do in the area and extra lodgings in town and the surroundings. Catering and the bar at the castle was perfect, breakfast each morning was delicious and thoughtful, and everyone continuously told me how at home they felt and how much they loved the rooms and common areas – Alick and Aline are truly amazing hosts, treat everyone with such kindness and maintain the property beautifully.
The ceremony was amazing – we had it in the Drawing Room; the local florist added to an already great ambiance. The piper Duns Castle recommended was excellent and the downstairs dance room was the perfect venue for dancing after dinner and fireworks.
We hope to be back at Duns Castle often to relive the magic! Thank you Alick, Aline and everyone at Duns Castle – you are amazing!
L
Lauren Sent on 31/01/2017
5 out of 5 rating

Unbeatable setting!

My husband and I got married at Duns Castle in July 2016. Everything was absolutely perfect. You cannot beat this setting for your special day. The Hay family and staff are more than accommodating and make you feel that you are at home when you stay with them. As far as wedding planning, they help you every step of the way. We also stayed on the grounds for a week and, again, it was stunning. We highly recommend!!
M
Morag Sent on 02/02/2017
5 out of 5 rating

Wow

We had our wedding at this beautiful Castle and all I can say is wow. We have just received our wedding pictures back and the memories we have of this location for the rest of our lives is just amazing. Lots of great places to walk and see with lots of character. So quiet. We felt like royalty. All our guests are still talking about how amazing this place is with its beautiful grounds, driving up to the Castle it just takes your breath away.
S
Susan Sent on 30/01/2017
5 out of 5 rating

The Best Hospitality

This place, the history, and the people of Duns Castle exceeded my expectations. The beauty of this castle took my breath away when I first saw it. My daughter recently was married here. For us, it was a destination wedding that was made perfect. The hospitality of the Hay family is absolutely the best. If you are close by or traveling from the other side of the world to hold a wedding, like my family, this place needs to be on the top of your list. This was our family's unforgettable heavenly experience.
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Map

Duns Castle Estate TD11 3NW Berwickshire (Lothian & Borders)
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