Winton Castle Reviews
Reviews
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![Aaron]()
Aaron Sent on 23/11/2025Simply The Best
Winton Estate went above and beyond all our expectations. The first impression of Winton Estate upon arriving is that none of the pictures and videos we saw did it justice. We were rendered speechless as we first stepped foot inside the marvelous Castle.
While the Castle speaks for itself, the real gemstone of Winton is the staff that they have managed to assemble. The amount of help that we received while planning our wedding there made it as effortless as planning a wedding could possibly be. Huge shoutout to Rae McGonigle for being so helpful every step of the way. Trying to plan a destination wedding can be so stressful, but Rae gave us so many phenomenal suggestions.
Our wedding day included so many events from the morning until the end of the night. Our morning started with Highland Games. All the staff that helped with the Games brought so much energy to the event that it was impossible not to have a great time.
The wedding ceremony inside the Castle was beautiful! The staff members were all so helpful across every aspect of getting ready and down the aisle. After the wedding, it was right into cocktail hour and again the staff and the caterers were so on top of it. All of the guests were so impressed by how fluid the whole day felt.
The hall for dinner was decorated with such class and elegance for the wedding breakfast. The food was served in such a way that it felt almost choreographed. The room was then cleaned and set up for dancing before we knew it. In the meantime, Ken had a whisky tasting set up in the cellar that the guests had a blast taking part in. The staff was so attentive to everyone’s needs, checking in at just the right times to help everything go seamlessly and keep everything on track.
The next morning, the staff had a delicious breakfast buffet ready for us as we woke up where Sir Francis Ogilvy took time out of his day to stop by and congratulate us on our nuptials. Even after we left Winton Estate, Rae and the staff helped with all post-event questions.
It truly was a day that we, and our guests, will never forget. We so highly recommend Winton Estate and the wonderful staff that excelled across the entire event.
Winton Castle's reply:
Dear Aaron and Valerie,
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback. It was a joy to assist you in the run up to, and on the big day and I am delighted that you will have fond memories of Winton to cherish. If you're ever back over the pond 'Haste ye back!'
Fondest wishes,
Rae -
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![Paul]()
Paul Sent on 18/07/2025Phenomenal Wedding Venue & Team!
Firstly, a massive thank you to Rae & the brilliant Winton team for a fantastic wedding weekend.
Winton Castle is an beautiful & historic venue, and the huge benefit of having an onsite coordinator who knows the venue & various suppliers (caterers, bands etc.) intimately cannot be overstated.
From initial enquiry through to a brilliant wedding, everything was easy and seamless to organise. We decided to hire the castle for the weekend as we had family joining from overseas, with 45 guests coming on the Friday night for fish & chips and summer games. On the morning of the wedding the groomsparty did Clay Pigeon shooting onsite (great fun) and we had a wonderful wedding day for 70 guests including bagpipes to welcome everyone, a whisky tasting downstairs in the cellar (which was fab!) and a Ceilidh.
Every guest commented on 1) the wonderfully attentive Winton staff who created a welcoming, relaxed and fun atmosphere and 2) the outstanding food (which can be tough to find for a wedding). A massivethank you to Edinburgh Catering Company (https://www.theedinburghcateringcompany.co.uk/).
Overall, if you are looking for a high quality wedding venue, then I would highly recommend reaching out to Rae & the team. It was an unforgettable weekend and there is a reason that every single review on here is 5 stars (which has not changed since we were looking for a venue 12 months ago!). Many thanks again Rae and the wonderful Winton team!Winton Castle's reply:
Thank you so much Paul and Bneeta; it was such a pleasure to host your special day! Best wishes for the future. Rae -
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![Lauren]()
Lauren Sent on 09/07/2025The most amazing place!
We had our wedding at Winton Castle on the 31st of May 2025. Winton truly has the most incredible people, venue and grounds. From initial contact all the way through to the weeks following our wedding, we felt confident and safe in their hands!
From the moment we pulled up at Winton for our initial visit, there was no other option for our wedding venue. The castle and its grounds is so well looked after, it has been flawlessly maintained keeping its history and original features at its heart.
Lexi was an absolute dream to work with, and although she has now moved on to a new chapter, you are in safe hands with any of the team at Winton. There is such a family feel about the place, although a castle, our wedding felt intimate and cosy. The staff on the day of and days leading up to the wedding could not have more for us, such attentive, warm and exciting energy. The team went above and beyond at every opportunity nothing was ever too much hassle from our arrival the morning of to us leaving the following day - for ourselves or any of our guests.
Being able to stay at the castle with our closest family and friends made the whole thing even more special. The rooms at the castle are immaculate, and the renovations so well done that Finlay’s parents have used one of the en-suites for inspiration for their own home! The best nights sleep after an incredible day, and the breakfast was just wow!
This is such a special venue and we cannot recommend it enough. The professionalism but warmth of the team made all planning seamless and our day ran immaculately. Every single detail was thought of and covered. We never worried about a thing and were able to relax and have fun on such a mad day.
They are upfront about costs right from the start, there were no secret fees popping up that you hear about so often. Although obviously business, every step of the process felt so caring as everyone truly wants you to have the best day.
I wish we could do this day over and over again, we are so lucky we got to get married at such a beautiful venue with such incredible an incredible team!
Photos by Loraine Ross
Winton Castle's reply:
Hi Lauren, thank you so much for your very kind words! We are so grateful you had a lovely time as did your guests. It was such a pleasure to host you and Finlay here at the castle, what a beautiful day it was too! We wish you all the best in your married life together and please don't be strangers, we love hearing updates from our wedding couples!
All the best
The Winton Team -
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![Amelia]()
Amelia Sent on 14/09/2023Above and Beyond
Rae and the Winton Castle team were beyond amazing! Planning a destination wedding is never easy but Rae helped us by giving is recommendations for other vendors and made sure we had everything we needed. She knew to ask questions for things I hadn't even thought of! When the day finally arrived she and the rest of her team were absolutely incredible. They went above and beyond with thoughtful touches like flying the Washington D.C. flag above the castle and coordinating the fresh flowers in our rooms with the wedding color scheme. We also booked two of the self catering cottages which were incredible and the Winton team helped us with the logistics to stock them with provisions and get everyone too and from the castle. I can't recommend them enough and I can't wait for another excuse to spend time at Winton!Winton Castle's reply:
Thank you so much for review Amelia! It was fantastic to be a part of your wedding weekend and I am delighted that you have such fond memories to take away with you.
All the best to you and Adam and we hope to see you back at Winton again soon!
Rae -
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![Hannah]()
Hannah Sent on 06/02/2023Magical Winter Wedding
We had our wedding at Winton Castle this past December and had the most magical day. Everything went exactly as planned and exceeded all our expectations. Intimacy on a grand scale could not describe Winton Castle any better! Thank you so much to Rae and the entire Winton team for being so attentive, friendly, and willing to meet all our needs from our very first meeting all the way through to our big day. The attention to detail was not missed and all of our guests raved about how amazing the day was. We didn't have a wedding planner and Rae and her team ensured everything went smoothly and had a wonderful list of recommended suppliers. We also rented all onsite properties before and during our wedding and they were all spectacular. All houses are extremely spacious and were fully equipped. We will definitely be back for a long weekend with friends and family.Winton Castle's reply:
Thank you so much for your kind review Hannah! It was an absolute pleasure to host you and your family and friends and we look forward to seeing you back at some point! Wishing you and Scott an amazing 2023 and beyond. -
![David]()
David Sent on 07/09/2022Fairy-tale wedding
We got married here in August 2022, and were just blown away by how special they made our day.
They were able to accommodate the little quirks we wanted, from letting us put up a doughnut tower, to my wife exiting the back door prior to the ceremony and riding her horse round the side of the castle to the front door, which meant so much to her.
Rae looked after us before, during and after the ceremony, guiding us to wherever we needed to be, she took brilliant care of us.
While our photos were being taken in the afternoon, the kids took advantage of various games that the staff had laid out on the front lawn, and the beautiful outdoor setting was perfect for our photos, from the paddock, to the lake, to the driveway, to the castle itself.
Saltire’s food was exceptional, and multiple guests said it was the nicest wedding meal they had ever had; one of our guests is a farmer, who was able to talk about the high quality of the beef. Saltire and Winton paid particular attention to the dietary requirements of ourselves and our guests, which was a huge reduction of stress on the day. We had a hog roast in the evening, which was again, of very high quality. Even the band enjoyed the food.
The ceremony, speeches, and nightcap were all done in different rooms, so we got to enjoy the whole space. We were also able to wander through freely during the whole event, and our more historically minded guests were fascinated by the location; those of us who are not, still found it incredibly comfortable and spacious, and it never felt crowded despite having 100-120 guests at various points throughout the day and evening.
Every member of the team was lovely – Rae, Fay, Sandi, Lexy, Stephanie and Lee, just to name a few (I worry that I've missed someone out) – they made the day everything we could have hoped for, and more. They were particularly nice with some relatives who had taxi trouble, and in assisting a relative to Winton Cottage where she was staying.
The bar was stocked enough to have a little something for everyone, and we finished the night with a whisky recommendation from Lee.
The wedding party and immediate family stayed overnight, in beautiful and spacious rooms, and we were met with a lovely breakfast the next day, before saying goodbye.
Honestly, they gave us such an amazing day, we will never, ever forget it. -
![Conor]()
Conor Sent on 24/07/2022Brilliant wedding at amazing location with excellent team
My wife and I (American and Irish, living in Edinburgh) celebrated our wedding reception at Winton Castle in July 2022 and could not have possibly asked for a better celebration.
Winton Castle is a tremendous location, with the castle origins found in the 15th century. It has a fascinating history, being involved in the rough wooing and once being visited by King Charles I. The inside of the castle is beautiful, which we had access to explore and enjoy during the wedding event, very unique for wedding locations! The castle is set in beautiful grounds, with the gardens and river providing brilliant locations for wonderful photos.
A large part of the success of the day and enjoyment of ourselves and our guests at Winton must be attributed to the brilliant team there. The team did an incredible job of helping organise a very successful day with us and were very helpful as our wedding celebration had to be re-organised from its original date (twice) due to the pandemic. Before the wedding and on the day, the team made sure that we would be able to have the day we wanted, with meticulous attention to detail and assistance with all requests, alongside a warm, friendly and relaxed attitude. The organisation, thoughtfulness and professionalism from the team took the stress away from the day and allowed ourselves and our guests to enjoy it as much as possible.
The canapes and meal at the reception from Saltire Hospitality were delicious. Many guests noted that the food they had was the best they had ever been served at a wedding, with the beef being a particular highlight. Specific close attention was paid to any dietary requirements that guests at the wedding had, assuring that there would be no issues.
Of note at Winton is the attention to the small details from the team that brought the day together and made it special. This included the flying of the Tennessee and Northern Ireland flags above Winton, assistance when buttonholes wouldn't behave, guidance on getting a bridal dress pressed, and help getting beer kegs loaded and unloaded from a car!
The bride and groom and immediate family stayed at the castle on the Friday and Saturday nights. Staying at such a well-preserved building with such a rich history was a unique experience and the breakfast on both mornings prepared us well for the days.
The photos taken at Winton were spectacular, due to the amazing property itself and also because of the help from flawless running of the day that allowed the bride, groom, and guests to spend time taking photos rather than organising details.
Overall, the team and location created a brilliant weekend for ourselves and our guests. The day was enjoyed by all guests, children and adults, Irish and American. Many guests commented this was the "best wedding they had ever been at" and one guests saying the day was "one of the best days of her life". Thank you to all at Winton!Winton Castle's reply:
Dear Conor & Hannah,
Thank you very much for your kind words and it really was an absolute pleasure to host your very special day.
With our warmest wishes from all at Winton,
Fay -
Gary Sent on 29/04/2022
Incredible Wedding Venue!
As a wedding photographer I get to work at many beautiful venues all over the country. Last week I had the pleasure of working at the incredible Winton House, to say I was blown away would be quite the understatement. As weddings venues go Winton House is just perfect, the grounds are simply incredible and there are never ending photographic opportunities, the gardens are beautifully manicured and this is also amazing for photographs! Inside the castle itself it just gets better, the ornate surroundings are breathtaking and if I am being honest I would say that this is my new favourite wedding venue to work at. I want to finish off by mentioning the staff, throughout the wedding a shot last week the young staff were incredibly accommodating. Myself and the videographers were looked after extremely well, this was made evident during the wedding breakfast when all the staff were running upstairs with the wedding courses, we were constantly asked if everything was okay and did we need anything else, we were treated like wedding guests and this was so refreshing especially with the chaos of feeding 130 wedding guests.
The history of Winton House is mind blowing, parts of the original building date back to the 15th century and the stories have to be heard to be believed, just incredible.
I cannot wait to head back to this beautiful wedding venue, I will be raving about Winton House for some time to come!
Gary Bonar Photography -
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