Aldourie Castle is a castle destination wedding venue in Dores, United Kingdom, hosting 20 to 100 guests in the $$$$ price range, reached from Inverness (INV), About 30 minutes by car. Best months: May, July, September, November.
AldourieCastle
Aldourie is the only castle standing on the shore of Loch Ness, a 300-year-old baronial pile on 500 acres of gardens, woodland and wildflower meadow, restored by the Wildland team who run the Highland estates around it.
Aldourie Castle in Dores, open May, July, September, November.
Aldourie is the only castle standing on the shore of Loch Ness, a 300-year-old baronial pile on 500 acres of gardens, woodland and wildflower meadow, restored by the Wildland team who run the Highland estates around it.
It is not a hotel.
You take the whole castle, fully staffed, with chefs cooking three meals a day from the walled garden, and it becomes your family home for the length of the booking.
Twelve en-suite bedrooms sleep 24 in the castle, and four estate cottages take another 22, so a party of about 46 sleeps on the land.
4 notes of our own.
The only castle on the shore of Loch Ness, 500 private acres
Whole-castle hire, fully staffed, with chefs and full board
12 en-suite bedrooms sleep 24; estate cottages take 22 more
The Steadings courtyard for larger dinners and dancing
Best held in May, July, September.
The months the weather, and the local rhythm, is kindest to a stay at Aldourie Castle.
Ask about a date.
Choose a day from the calendar.
Nothing is reserved until the venue confirms. A first note comes back within two business days.
How the weekend usually runs.
Yours will be different, nothing below is required. Every planning begins with the three meals you most want to eat, and builds outward.
- 17:00Arrival at the castle, drinks by the loch, dinner cooked in-house
- 14:00Ceremony on the lawn above Loch Ness or in the drawing room
- 16:00Reception in the walled garden
- 19:30Dinner and a ceilidh in the Steadings
- 10:00Loch swim, boat trip and a long breakfast before departures
Things worth knowing.
INV · About 30 minutes by car
Guests fly into Inverness. Our team arranges every transfer.
£100,000
The nightly rate is published by letting agents, not by the estate, and includes staff and full board. The all-in figure is our estimate; wedding pricing is quoted case by case.
See the full figure+
£100,000 or more for a three-night wedding taking the castle and cottages (estimated)
Inside the castle hire, not charged separately
A one-time licence and setup fee, paid to the venue.
Full board is inside the hire for the 24 sleeping in the castle; extra covers quoted on enquiry / head
A seated dinner with wine and service, by headcount.
£33,000 / night
A standard room in the wedding window. Group rates on request.
See the full figure+
From about £33,000 per night for the castle, full board for 24 (agent-published)
May, July, September, November
The 4 months the weather is kindest. Shoulder dates soften the light and the rates.
Figures are estimates, modeled from regional rates and public sources, not a quote from the venue. Once the venue claims this page, their own rates take precedence.
Asked along the way.
How many guests can marry at Aldourie Castle?+
The castle suits weddings of roughly 30 to 50 guests where the whole party sleeps on the estate. Larger counts are possible using the Steadings and a marquee on the lawn, with guests staying in Inverness, half an hour away.
What does Aldourie Castle cost?+
Letting agents publish rates from about £33,000 including VAT per night with a three-night minimum, covering the castle, its staff and full board for up to 24 people. Wedding-specific pricing is quoted by the estate on enquiry.
Is it a hotel?+
No. Aldourie is private-hire only, so there is no room-by-room booking and no other guests in the building. The castle comes fully staffed, with housekeeping, chefs and estate staff for the whole stay.
How many people can sleep on the estate?+
Twenty-four in the castle across 12 en-suite bedrooms, and about 22 more in the four estate cottages, so roughly 46 in total. Everyone else stays in Inverness or Dores, ten to thirty minutes away.
When is the best time of year?+
May to September gives the long Highland evenings, with light past ten o’clock at midsummer. Winter bookings work for smaller parties who want fires and short days, but expect rain and dark by four in December.
How do guests get there?+
Inverness airport is about 30 minutes by car, with direct flights from London, Amsterdam and Dublin. The Caledonian Sleeper runs overnight from London Euston to Inverness, which is a better arrival than it sounds.
Others to weigh.
Ask about dates at Aldourie Castle.
A note to us with a rough season and guest count. Nothing is reserved until the venue confirms. A reply comes within two business days, from a person by name.