Aswanley

Aswanley is a secluded fortified house and Victorian barn located on the edge of the Highlands in Aberdeenshire. The surrounding gardens and landscape provide various scenic backdrops for wedding photography, including garden ponds, a stream, the banks of the River Deveron, and the nearby woodland.

Aswanley offers both indoor and outdoor ceremony options.

Indoor ceremonies can be held in either the Fireplace Room, an airy space with wooden beams and a baronial fireplace (perfect for micro weddings to ceremonies with up to 132 guests) or in the ballroom, which can accommodate up to 250 guests.

For outdoor ceremonies, the lawn outside the barn is available, and the venue team can arrange various layouts depending on the couple’s preference. Of course, the weather plays a part in outdoor weddings! If there are adverse weather conditions and the ceremony cannot proceed outdoors, they will relocate to the fireplace room or the ballroom. There will be no stress or fuss; their team will just move to Plan B!

For those interested in a church service, nearby options include a Roman Catholic Church in Huntly, six miles away, or St Andrews Glass is just down the road.

St Andrews has stopped operating as a Church of Scotland parish church, so you can use a celebrant of your choice, and they can arrange the service as you wish. The fee to open the church is £420.

There are multiple reception spaces at Aswanley to suit various styles and guest sizes.

The central Fireplace Room, with its oak bar, baronial fireplace, and local furnishings, is ideal for an intimate gathering. The adjacent Dining Room, located in a barn with original beams and cartwheel chandeliers, seats up to 154 guests banquet-style. The space can be extended into The Ballroom to accommodate up to 250 guests. For summer receptions, the river terrace doors can be opened to offer champagne receptions overlooking the Deveron Valley, while the ballroom is perfect for Ceilidhs and dancing.

Aswanley offers several self-catering holiday cottages for wedding guests:

Clatterin Brig, located near the River Deveron, sleeps six to eight people and features a spacious kitchen/dining room with beautiful natural light and a picturesque oak staircase, perfect for photos.

Westerpark, one of the larger cottages, accommodates six guests and offers a farmhouse kitchen and ensuite bedrooms. This is a great place for all the family to come together.

Straitinnan, situated across the river, sleeps four people, has an enclosed garden, and is suitable for pets and families.

For a romantic, secluded option, Jocky Milne’s Croft cottage for two is tucked away in a forest clearing. The cottage has a double bedroom with a king-size bed and an ensuite bathroom. The beamed living room has a wood-burning stove, a Sony Bravia 32″ LCD TV, and a Sony Music system. They can arrange for flowers, champagne, and chocolates to be left at the cottage for your arrival, a breakfast basket, or full catering if you wish.

Invermarkie Lodge & Farmhouse, approximately one mile away from Aswanley, is available for wedding parties and guests. This historic house has adorned the Glen since the 17th century. This private home has sweeping lawns that reach right down to the banks of the River Deveron, nine bedrooms, and can accommodate 17 people.

Invermarkie Farmhouse is a newly renovated, cosy farmhouse perfect for guests with pets. With three bedrooms, it can sleep five and up to a whole family an eight people. It also has a small enclosed garden and access to a nearby private playground.

Aswanley works with a select group of trusted caterers from Aberdeenshire and Moray, offering menus for various budgets, from champagne wedding receptions to hog roasts. The barn includes a well-equipped catering kitchen, which is included with venue hire and provides cutlery, crockery, and glassware for up to 200 people.

For dining arrangements, the venue offers rectangular and round tables for up to 200 guests, with additional options for larger parties.

Aswanley provides a varied wine list and allows couples to sample a selection of wines before their wedding. There is also an option for couples to bring their own wine and champagne, with a £6 corkage fee per bottle. The standard bar list includes a range of spirits, whiskies, and gins, with Peroni available on draught. Couples can also customise how the bar is funded, offering payment options that include tabs or a fully hosted bar.

The venue also now offers a drinks package, which includes two glasses of Prosecco or beer for the drinks reception, one toast drink, and half a bottle of wine per person for the meal.

Aswanley runs the bar, which opens immediately after the ceremony and remains open until 12:30am.

Several sources of renewable and sustainable energy run Aswanley. Firstly, the Biomass uses wood chips from wood grown on the estate to heat the Steading and other buildings. Secondly, the Steading is also powered by solar from the roof panels and by hydroelectric power generated by the burn running through Aswanley grounds.

Aberdeen Airport is around a 45-minute drive, and Inverness Airport is roughly 1½ hours away. The nearest train station is Huntly, just 10 minutes from the venue. By car, Aberdeen is about an hour, Inverness around 1½ hours, and Edinburgh approximately 3½ hours.