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Weddings

About

On Hitched.co.uk since 2021

Last update: June 2024

Auchen Castle is a historic wedding venue situated in the picturesque town of Moffat, Dumfries Galloway & Ayrshire. Immersed in the verdurous Scottish countryside, this stunning castle will provide couples with a fairytale atmosphere like no other. Classic turrets, gilded staircases, and blossoming gardens await couples who wish to celebrate their momentous occasion in this breathtaking venue.

Facilities and Capacity

Surrounded by the rolling Moffat hills, couples will find this enchanting castle the perfect escape for their wedding day. 34 acres of private gardens will be yours to celebrate in, as well as the venue's gorgeous indoor rooms. Inside you will find spacious halls adorned with crystal chandeliers and cosy open fireplaces. Large windows allow each venue to flood with natural light. Stylish suites can be available for you and your wedding party to prepare for the day ahead. Up to 122 of your loved ones can witness your milestone event, with luxurious rooms available for overnight accommodation. With ample room for a dance floor and a seated meal both indoors and outdoors, the choice will be yours on where you would like to host your marital festivities. Throughout the grounds, couples and guests alike will find plenty of stunning photo opportunities. This pet-friendly estate invites you to bring along your beloved animals, for a truly memorable and inclusive celebration.

Services Offered

Couples can delight in having a personal wedding coordinator provided by Auchen Castle. They will guide you step by step throughout the entire planning process, ensuring your vision is brought to life. In-house catering will be provided, and the team of culinary aficionados will work with you to design a truly sensational gastronomical experience. The highly-trained staff at Auchen Castle will be on hand throughout your magical day, ensuring you can relax while they take care of everything.

Frequently asked questions

Venue type:

Castle
Stately home
Historic
Woodland and festival
Outdoor license
Unique weddings

Ceremony options:

Civil ceremony licence
Religious ceremony license

Dining options:

Seated meal facilities
Buffet meal facilities
In-house catering

Evening entertainment:

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
Accessible facilities
Car parking
Confetti permitted
Changing room for wedding guests
Pet-friendly
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Do you have any questions?

Reviews for Auchen Castle

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5.0 out of 5 rating
Hitched Wedding Awards 2024 Winner
5.0 out of 5 rating
40 reviews
100% recommend it
  • 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
Lauren
Lauren B. Sent on 08/08/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Incredible

My husband and I held our wedding at Auchen Castle on 20th July this year, and we were absolutely blown away!
The staff were honestly amazing, nothing was too much trouble both in the run up to the wedding & on the day itself. My wedding planning approach was rather chaotic so poor Sarah and Lynne had to respond to quite a lot of emails with random things i’d suddenly remembered, but they always responded promptly and were so lovely every time.
We stayed at the castle the night before the wedding with a lot of family and the wedding party & the bbq they put on for us was 10/10. It was such a lovely relaxed start to our wedding weekend and I’d highly recommend you take the night before option if you can!
The wedding day itself truly blew all expectations out of the water. In the morning while I was getting ready with the bridesmaids, Lynne and the staff were great, bringing up some bubbles and our breakfast orders (delicious!) so we could have a leisurely morning in the bridal suite. They kept checking in with us to make sure we didn’t need anything, and then later brought up a fruit platter my mum had ordered for us which was the biggest fruit platter i’ve ever seen & so gorgeously laid out.
The rest of the day flew by, but we were so well looked after throughout and the staff were so efficient but also just really lovely. Dinner far surpassed any food I’ve ever had at any other wedding - everyone adored their meals and friends & family are still raving about it to us whenever they see us!
We’re so happy we had our wedding at Auchen and I cannot thsnk & recommend them enough for making our day as special & fun as it was.
Alice
Alice S. Sent on 20/07/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Wedding Day April 2024

We had our wedding at Auchen Castle on a beautiful spring day in April.

From the moment we engaged Auchen Castle as our preferred wedding venue, it was plain sailing with Lynne and Sarah always quick to respond to our numerous emails from overseas. Their communication was first class and it made for planning an international wedding very stress-free.

During our three-day stay at Auchen Castle, everything ran like clockwork. The venue was stunning, the staff were friendly and attentive and the food was delicious. The attention to detail was flawless and the rooms were clean, tidy and comfortable.

The grounds were beautiful and our guests had an enjoyable and relaxing time. It really is the perfect venue for a wedding and the Auchen Castle team are experts in their field.

A huge "thank you" to the Auchen Castle team, you are the best!
Hannah
Hannah M. Sent on 09/07/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Recommended without any hesitation

Auchen Castle is a beautiful venue. But it's not just the architecture and interiors that make it impressive - the staff there are extremely impressive, too.
From the moment my husband and I first visited Auchen, we knew we were on to a winner. The private tour was easy to book online and we were greeted with warmth and enthusiasm. From the in-house wedding coordinators to the cleaning staff, it's clear to see that everyone there has a real pride and passion for what they do; marked in their friendliness and responsiveness.
The 'all taken care of' package really was a joy and made complete sense for our budget, party size and needs - all at amazing value. It was wonderful to have so many of our guests stay with us at the castle, too.
We've been emailing the castle for years as we planned and saved up for our wedding. No question we asked ever felt too small and responses were always thorough and forthcoming.
When it came to the wedding weekend itself, we knew that we'd be in completely safe hands and we were not wrong. Anchored by that friendliness we first experienced on our first tour, our guests all felt completely at ease and at home. My father-in-law uses a wheelchair and the staff were so thoughtful and considerate ensuring that his needs were met, from giving us access ramps to use, to making sure his chair could be accommodated when we were formally sat. From experience, these things aren't always considered, but the fact that they were is another clear example of the caring nature of all who work at Auchen.
I'd like to thank everyone at Auchen for all their hard work. I feel like I've made genuine friends with you and I can't thank you enough for giving us a wedding weekend that we won't ever forget.
Mandy
Mandy W. Sent on 02/05/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Dream Wedding - Auchen Castle is Amazing!

My husband and I were traveling to Scotland from the US for our wedding, and we decided to hold our wedding at Auchen Castle. This was the best decision we could have made, and I can't say enough good things about Auchen Castle and the amazing staff there.

Planning a wedding abroad could seem daunting, but from the very beginning, the staff made everything very easy. They answered all of our questions (and there were a lot of them) and guided us through every step of the planning process.

I was already impressed with Auchen Castle, but when we arrived for our wedding my husband and I and our family were blown away! Everyone was incredibly nice, and made us feel welcome and relaxed. Everything just felt so easy - as a bride on her wedding day, I can honestly say I couldn't have been more calm. This is really down to the staff - they go above and beyond. I should also mention that all of the food we had - the wedding dinner, our breakfasts, and our BBQ dinner the night we arrived - were all delicious. It was the best food we had on our trip!

We selected the Petit Package, and having everything included made planning very easy. All of the vendors the castle works with are also top notch.

I cannot recommend Auchen Castle enough - our wedding was more wonderful than we could have ever imagined.
Emma
Emma M. Sent on 05/04/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Our Fairytale Wedding Venue

My Husband and I got married at Auchen Castle on the 28th March 2024. We booked our wedding 2 years in advance and opted to go with the perfectly petite package. When I say that this venue turns your dreams into reality, I’m not lying!

Included in our package was the following:
- Exclusive Use of the Castle
- Bridal Bouquet and Grooms Buttonhole
- Honeymoon Suite
- Scottish Piper
- Wedding Cake
- Owl Ring Delivery
- Canapés
- 3 Course Wedding Breakfast
- Welcome Drinks and Toast Drinks
- Evening Grazing Platters
We had a small intimate wedding celebration of 20 guests but you can add on for additional fees.

From the moment we laid eyes on Auchen Castle we knew it was the one. It screams romance with its charm and beautiful surroundings. The team made us all feel so special and at home. Lynne and Sarah always replied to my emails quick and efficiently and no questions were ever too much or silly on the run up to the wedding. Having such friendly wedding coordinators really made for a less stressful wedding experience.

When we booked the venue I was posted all the information I needed in regards to the other suppliers. This included Bells Florist, Callum the Scottish piper and Sandra Braid our cake maker. I then proceeded to get in contact with each vendor to discuss our plans for the wedding day.

The night before the wedding we headed down with 9 of our family members to set up the castle, have a meal and play some games. This is when I met Fiona who was an absolute superstar through out the whole wedding weekend. She was there to greet us and made sure every aspect of our day was perfect.

This brings us on to the food and my mouth is watering even thinking about it! It was delicious. The catering was out of this world and as a picky eater who was worried I wouldn’t like anything, it was *chefs kiss*!

Everything about our time at the castle was exceptional and I wish we could relive it all over again! If you’re looking for your fairytale wedding venue then you must go visit Auchen Castle.
Alix
Alix B. Sent on 02/04/2024
5 out of 5 rating

An absolute dream!

We held our wedding here on 30.03.2024 and it was the most magical time. We had exclusive access to the castle from 3pm on the Friday which allowed us to get organised and relaxed for our day on the Saturday. The staff were very accomodating, providing all necessary plates etc for us to get a take away with our guests the night before. The staff were extremely helpful in the set up process for the day as I had made a lot of the decor myself and did not have a vendor to dress the venue. Everything on the wedding day went off without a hitch, with Fiona and Lynne running the day like clockwork! We went with the petite package that they offer and added additional guests. We even had some last minute changes and nothing was a bother to accomodate! With the run of the castle for the weekend our guests had a blast and we were made to feel like royalty! I would highly recommend Auchen to anyone wanting an exclusive venue that can provide both ample space and an intimate feel! The grounds are absolutely stunning for photographs also!
Anannya
Anannya G. Sent on 21/03/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Considerate, flexible, friendly, beautiful

My husband and I had an incredible wedding experience. The staff made sure we were well looked after and the food was fantastic! The castle views are picturesque. Everybody there was so helpful and supportive! Our wedding day was beautiful and all the credit goes to the team in Auchen Castle.
David
David R. Sent on 06/03/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Beautiful wedding venue

We’d like to say thank you to the whole team at Auchen Castle for our wedding at the end of February.

The planning with Sarah and Lynne went so smoothly and was invaluable. All questions and requests were swiftly answered, and nothing seemed like to much trouble. As a result, the events of the two days certainly flowed like a dream.

And further thanks to Fiona and the onsite guys who helped make it all happen so fantastically. Everyone who came along has been full of praise for the castle, the facilities, the food and the overall care and attention from the team. Both days were brilliant. The menu options for the buffets, canapes and wedding breakfast were lovely, and our guests appreciated the quality of all the meals. The bar staff were great with a wide range of drinks available.

We loved the venue, the grounds, the ceremony, the owl, the piper, the dining room, everything really. And the fireworks were beyond amazing. I’ve rarely seen such a display!

We stayed over for both nights, as did all our guests, and the rooms were beautifully decorated, clean, comfortable, and well equipped. Views of the lake, the grounds and the surrounding hills made it even better.

I think we were very lucky to choose Auchen for the occasion and would be happy to recommend to any prospective couples thinking of this great place in southwest Scotland.

The work all the team did made it unforgettable.
Leanne
Leanne R. Sent on 14/09/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing venue

When I booked the all taken care of package at Auchen Castle I didn’t realise how much work they put into it. The staff catered to our every need before, during and after the wedding. The suppliers they chose as part of the wedding package were just as wonderful, each replying quickly to my emails answering all of my questions I had, and as the wedding got closer my questions and queries got more random, but nothing was left unanswered. I don’t think I could put into words how special everyone involved made us feel. Callum the Piper learned my song for walking down the aisle as it wasn’t a usual piping song. That gesture alone I am so grateful for. Lucy from the florist Mountain Daisy really listened to what I wanted, her passion for her work is incredible and our flowers were spectacular. Paperdoll who did our stationary, her work is beautiful so much so I dealt with her directly for our wedding invites and some of the favours all matching. I could not be more thankful to Sarah and Lynne and everyone at Auchen Castle, they made our wedding a day we will treasure forever.
RomanticGreenBridesmaid38619
Vismante J. Sent on 10/04/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Truly a process for a day

The team are just fantastic, the place is beyond beautiful and our day was 100x better than we expected. Since we don’t live locally I had to rely on the lovely ladies with all the planing and they’ve helped our day run smoothly, prepared everything. We have eloped here and we could of not asked for a better and more special place and team. Thank you
Heskin
Margot Sent on 20/03/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Fairytale Wedding

From start to finish the staff were wonderful, the venue itself is beautiful.
We opted for the all taken care of package and it really was all taken care of, this allowed us to enjoy our wedding weekend. Guests travelled from far and wide. We took all the rooms at the Castle and had a barbecue the night before.
All the suppliers that Auchen put us in touch with were excellent. From Lucy at Mountain Daisy Flowers who understood our brief for having all our flowers to come from the UK, to Jenna the hairdresser, Hania the make up artist who understood that I wanted natural makeup and she delivered, I felt beautiful. Callum the wonderful piper, paperdoll printers who perfectly captured the feel of our wedding with the table plan, menus and place settings, Sandra Braid who created a beautiful wedding cake. The talented people from Falconry Scotland who made our ring delivery so magical and finally Nicky McMichan and his Ceilidh Band who helped make the dancing so much fun.
The staff went above and beyond looking after us and our guests, having the venue that was ours for the weekend was really special. We brought our dog and so did some of our guests, the grounds are great for dog walks. We wanted our fur baby to be part of our special weekend and Auchen made it so easy to do this.
The food was incredible, I am a chef so the food was always going to be important to me but the chefs really were excellent. They took great care of the different dietary requirements and allergies.
We cannot recommend Auchen Highly enough, they went above and beyond, so much so that when my Mum had mobility issues Fiona the manger phoned her daughter to bring an aid from her own home to help. Some of my guests also work in the hospitality industry and they were also very impressed with the standard of service.
If you want a fairytale wedding book it Auchen Castle
Ellie
Ellie S. Sent on 22/11/2022
5 out of 5 rating

The most perfect and magical elopement experience!

My partner and I wanted to have a small elopement, either in the Borders or Dumfries and Galloway, and we are SO glad that we found Auchen Castle because none of the other venues felt quite right. Auchen itself is a beautiful building - we felt like we were in a fairytale as soon as we came up the drive!

We opted for a ceremony only elopement, with an overnight stay, dinner and breakfast. We also opted to use several of Auchen’s recommended vendors (Willow & Wilde, Lindsey Mason Ross, Elegant Bridal Hairstyling), who were all amazing and used to working together. In terms of organising, Sarah made the whole process an absolute dream and was happy to answer any questions. Both herself and Lynne were super organised and reassuring which went some way in reducing pre-wedding nerves.

On the day, I don’t think we could have been made to feel more welcome. The Arran Suite was beautiful and was the perfect place to get ready (the hallway area was especially useful having 2 dogs with us). We were well looked after whilst getting ready and nobody minded the dogs in the slightest. I can’t thank Sarah, Vicki (photographer) and Lindsey (celebrant) enough for making the ceremony room look beautiful and taking care of the things that I’d completely forgotten about due to the excitement of the day!

The only thing we were concerned about prior to arriving was the possibility of it feeling too intense, with it just being the two of us. We really didn’t need to worry because everyone at the castle was absolutely wonderful and the day flowed perfectly. We were well looked after, but also had moments to ourselves as and when we needed it to take everything in as a couple.

The food was delicious and included canapés and the biggest cheeseboard I’ve ever seen! There was definitely something very magical about having the castle to ourselves in the evening and the view across the lake the next morning was dreamy. The castle and grounds are stunning and the team are a credit to Auchen. The whole experience was beyond perfect and we can’t wait to visit again - thank you.
Lyndsay
Lyndsay G. Sent on 07/10/2022
5 out of 5 rating

An excellent romantic venue

We got married at Auchen Castle on 27th August 2022. The venue is so so beautiful, even more stunning in person. A lovely romantic venue, with such history and beautiful decor and surroundings with modern touches in all the right places. The managers in particular are so knowledgeable and kind. Lynne and Sarah were so supportive with the planning process and very kind and helpful on the day. Everything was thought of ahead of time and I was so thankful I picked this venue. A huge thank you to manager Lynne in particular who showed such knowledge and kindness to help make our wedding extra special. An excellent venue.
Kelly
Kelly C. Sent on 02/10/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Best. Day. Ever. Thank you Auchen Castle!

My partner and I got married at Auchen Castle on the 2nd September 2022 and it was the best experience in the world.
We had been researching online when we came across the venue and reached out for their wedding brochure and the possibility of visiting. Sarah, the general manager, got in touch with me to share the brochure and discuss the options available. She was incredibly friendly and helpful; I was pleasantly surprised that there were many different packages that the venue offered and a lot of flexibility within that to get the effect we were after. We decided to go visit and Sarah was very accommodating to get us in at a time that worked for us as we weren't local to the area. When we arrived we were just blown away by how spectacular the castle and the surrounding landscape is while also being incredibly easy to get to! Sarah and Lynne (wedding co-ordinator) were there to greet us on the day and take us through everything. Both were incredibly friendly and helpful, answering our many (many!) questions.
We ended up going with the "All Taken Care Of" package and added on falconry, a Ceilidh band and fireworks. The package really lived up to the name; the team at Auchen Castle booked us in with their recommended suppliers (food, flowers, cake, make-up, hair, stationary, band, piper, pastor etc) and made sure we had all their contact details so we could get in touch as soon as we wanted to discuss what we were after. Every single supplier delivered an impeccable standard and was even better than we could have imagined.
Paula (the pastor) really made everything feel personable and made us both feel so relaxed throughout; our guests spoke of how genuine and charismatic she is which added to the emotion of the ceremony.
The flowers were breath taking and were even better than we had envisioned; we took some home with us after the ceremony and so glad we did, the smell in our home was intoxicating in the best way possible.
The table plan and place settings were perfect – we could even see that the fonts that they had used for the table plan had incorporated our wedding theme which was unexpected and brilliant.
The cake was just perfect; the team at had reached out to our flower supplier so they could include some for the cake decoration which was just wonderful. The cake was incredibly tasty and exactly how we’d asked for it.
For the hair and make-up I had Gaynor and Charlotte who did fantastic jobs. My bridesmaids, mother-in-law and I received many compliments on the day. I showed Gaynor a few ideas I’d had on hairstyles for the bridesmaids and myself and she did not disappoint. She really listened and added her own finesse to it - there wasn’t a hair out of place the whole day! Gaynor was also incredibly kind, positive and genuine which made the whole experience even more enjoyable and we are hugely grateful. For the make-up, I often don’t wear much and have never had my make-up done professionally before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Charlotte offered a lot of advice on the style to go with and I was pleasantly surprised that it lasted the whole day and night (and that’s even after busting some moves out in the evening).
We had Callum on the bagpipes – just wow. It gave us goose bumps hearing him play and the way he personalised to songs and anthems we loved was just that extra magic touch. My husband is Italian and we had many guests from Italy attending our big day - Callum played the Italian national anthem for them – it was really appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed by all.
The falconry was just magic! Pita, a beautiful barn owl, was our ringbearer for the ceremony. She was so well behaved and our guests were both massively and pleasantly surprised in the ceremony. Georgia, the falconer, had also brought her pet hawk, Bowie, for a display after the ceremony. Our guests had a wonderful time during this and were really glad to have the opportunity to get to know Georgia and learn more about the birds of prey.
The Ceilidh band was out of this world – it was so good to see our friends and family enjoy and get up on their feet – even those that I know are not ones for dancing. It really helped bring everyone together. The music was so well played, and I know the direction must have been really challenging given the language barriers but was really well handled so our compliments and gratitude to them.
Mark, the DJ, did a great job reaching those dancing feet – it has to be said that we’d supplied a rather hefty playlist, but he executed which songs to prioritise brilliantly, and our guests enjoyed their special shout out requests. The finale of the set was also well executed, there were songs that brought everyone together regardless of whether they met before or spoke the same language. It was just wonderful to behold.
The team at Auchen Castle also recommended our photographer, Vicki, from Willow and Wilde. We are so glad we went with the recommendation. Vicki was so friendly, funny and professional. The photos we've received are just beautiful!
The food was absolutely exquisite! The presentation and the flavour were just phenomenal and enjoyed by all, the adaptations to canapes and the buffet to cater to our vegan and vegetarian guests were both appreciated and really well executed. Massive kudos to the chef and everyone who helped serve. One of our vegan guests said it was the best wedding food she has ever had the delight to have. We had a BBQ the night before the ceremony for guests that were staying in the castle that night which was incredible! Not to mention the breakfasts each day were also absolutely amazing. We had had a food tasting prior to the big day to test out the wedding breakfast we had suggested but we hadn't tried everything else so we weren’t entirely sure what to expect but they definitely did not disappoint.
It was the most spectacular day, and we didn’t want it to end. We have had so many compliments on everything, both on the day itself and still getting comments on it now. The organisation of the day by Sarah, Lynne and Fiona (wedding manager) was just phenomenal, everything went so smoothly and we could really trust that they had everything in order so we could focus on enjoying our day. We also owe a big thanks to another member of staff, Ellen, for helping to bridge the communication gaps with English and Italian guests. It was a massive bonus that we hadn't planned for.
All in all, we are so so glad we chose to have our wedding at Auchen Castle and can't recommend it enough to other couples looking for a Wedding venue. It's a beautiful place, with an amazing group of people and just the perfect execution of a wedding ceremony, party and all the extra bits either side. We will definitely be going back to visit!
Kelsey
Kelsey W. Sent on 20/09/2022
4.6 out of 5 rating

My dream wedding!

The staff at Auchen Castle were incredible. I was unsure what to expect coming from America to get married but they went above and beyond!

They were very flexible with rooms and menus. The castle itself was exquisite. We will cherish our memories here always.
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Auchen Castle Real Weddings

Julia & Garry
57 photos · 06/08/2022
Becky & Isaac
81 photos · 28/05/2021

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