Wedding Venues in Edinburgh & the Lothians
If you’re looking for wedding venues in Edinburgh and the Lothians, you have more choice than most couples realise. Castles, Old Town vaults, walled gardens and quiet register offices all sit within half an hour of each other.
I’m a Glasgow-based documentary wedding photographer, and Edinburgh is well within reach, usually under an hour door to door. It’s a different city to shoot in from my usual patch: the light off the castle rock, the closes of the Old Town, wide skies out along the East Lothian coast. Whatever venue you land on, it’ll shape how your day looks and feels.
Quick note before the list: what follows is a shortlist. My Scotland wedding venue guide has all 30, searchable by guest count, budget and style, and I keep it updated as I find new ones.
Where Couples Get Married in Edinburgh
The city itself has real range. In the Old Town, The Caves is a set of candlelit 18th-century vaults under South Bridge, and Virgin Hotels Edinburgh turned a former Cowgate church into Greyfriars Hall. A few streets over, The Signet Library brings Neo-Classical columns just off the Royal Mile, and Mansfield Traquair in Broughton is covered floor to ceiling in Phoebe Traquair murals, sometimes called Edinburgh’s Sistine Chapel.
On Calton Hill, Collective at the City Observatory keeps things small, a single library room built for elopements. Out towards the water, The Heart of Newhaven is a converted school hall near the waterfront, and the Royal Botanic Garden in Inverleith lets you marry among giant redwoods before moving the reception into its Caledonian Hall.
East Lothian’s Coast and Countryside
East Lothian adds a different feel entirely. Archerfield House, near Dirleton, pairs a glass-fronted waterfront space with its own walled garden. Fenton Tower, above North Berwick, is a restored 16th-century tower house with room for the whole wedding party to stay over. Gosford House, near Longniddry, only takes on a handful of weddings a year and centres on a two-tier Marble Hall.
Winton Castle, at Pencaitland, sits on 2,500 acres with a wisteria walkway built for photos. Carberry Tower, near Musselburgh, has its own private chapel. If you’d rather keep the day tiny, Tyninghame Village Hall near Dunbar caps itself at six weddings a year to protect the village around it.
Midlothian: Castles and Affordable Halls Side by Side
South of the city, Midlothian has some of the smallest and most affordable options. Roslin Community Hall and Dalkeith Masonic Hall both hold their own marriage licences, at a fraction of a country estate’s price.
For something grander, Dalhousie Castle in Bonnyrigg is Scotland’s oldest inhabited castle, with a private chapel and a moat. Borthwick Castle, near North Middleton, is a 15th-century tower house taken over entirely for one wedding at a time. Melville Castle at Lasswade adds 33 individually styled rooms if you want everyone to stay over, and Rosebery Steading, an 18th-century barn conversion near Gorebridge, works well if you’d rather keep things rustic.
West Lothian: Between Two Cities, on the Water
West Lothian sits between Edinburgh and Glasgow, and has its own mix too. Dundas Castle, at South Queensferry, puts a genuine 15th-century keep and a modern mirrored pavilion on the same estate. Hopetoun House looks out over the Firth of Forth from the same stretch of coast.
The Vu, near Bathgate, is built around a reservoir, with one suite on its own island. Ecclesmachan Village Hall is the simplest option here, a council-run hall in a small historic village.
A Big Day or a Quiet One
Some couples want three hundred guests and a marquee. Others want two witnesses and a registrar. Edinburgh and the Lothians can do both.
For something small and calm, look at Edinburgh City Chambers or Craigmillar Castle, a preserved ruin with no function suite attached. Both are ceremony-only. If you want scale, Prestonfield House takes up to 500 guests, peacocks included, and Winton Castle or the Royal Botanic Garden can both stretch past 300.
Edinburgh Wedding Venue FAQs
How many wedding venues are there in Edinburgh and the Lothians?
I track over 30 in my Scotland venue guide, and I add more as I find them.
What’s the best area for a small, quiet Edinburgh wedding?
Look at Midlothian and West Lothian’s village and community halls, or a ceremony-only venue like Edinburgh City Chambers or Craigmillar Castle.
Are there castle wedding venues near Edinburgh?
Yes. Dundas Castle, Borthwick Castle, Dalhousie Castle, Winton Castle and Fenton Tower are all within half an hour of the city.
Does a Glasgow-based photographer cover Edinburgh weddings?
Yes. I’m based just outside Glasgow, under an hour from Edinburgh, and I’m happy to travel out for weddings across the Lothians.
See Every Venue in Edinburgh & the Lothians
Everything above is the shortlist. My Scotland wedding venue guide has the full working list, all 30 Edinburgh and Lothians venues, filterable by guest count, budget and style, each one with prices, capacities and a direct link to its own website. I keep it updated as I find new ones. If you’re still weighing up how to choose between them, my guide on how to choose a wedding venue walks through what actually matters on the day.
If you’ve found somewhere on the list, or you’re planning a quieter day nearby, I’d love to hear about it. I’m a documentary wedding photographer based just outside Glasgow, and Edinburgh is well within reach. Get in touch and tell me about your day.