Castle Menzies in Weem, near Aberfeldy in Highland Perthshire, can be hired for weddings, private dinners and corporate entertaining, with room for up to 200 guests at a ceremony and up to 100 at a seated meal. The 16th-century castle is run by a registered charity, and the hiring party works directly with the Castle Manager on rooms, timings and suppliers.
Seminars and company events
The castle offers private dining by arrangement and names corporate entertaining among the occasions it hosts. The format suits a client dinner, a team celebration or a board evening in restored historic rooms, rather than a full conference day with breakout rooms. No meeting equipment is listed, so a projector or sound system should be booked with an outside supplier. A 45-minute guided tour of the castle can be added for groups.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are the most frequent hire. The castle is licensed for civil ceremonies, and religious ceremonies can also take place, in the Dewar Room and the Main Hall. Couples book one room or both, and can add the Walled Garden or the small garden behind the castle for drinks and photographs. During the visitor season, hired rooms are closed to the public for setup and the event, and exclusive use of the whole castle can be added. Guests must leave by 2:00 a.m., with last orders at 1:00 a.m.
Rooms and capacities
The Dewar Room on the first floor is a Victorian baronial room under a decorated plaster ceiling. It seats up to 100 for a meal, holds 120 for a standing party and 200 for a ceremony, with space for a ceilidh band and dancing. The landing outside is often used for the bar. The Main Hall, also called the Pink Room, is a paneled Georgian room on the same floor: about 54 seated for a meal, 120 for a standing buffet and 80 for a seated ceremony. The oak-paneled Antechamber next to it serves for photographs, gifts or a quiet moment. On the ground floor by the entrance, the Old Kitchen has a large log fire and takes up to 20 people at a time.
Accommodation
There are no bedrooms at the castle. Hotels, guesthouses and hostels are close by, several of them within walking distance.
Catering
The castle has no in-house kitchen. Hirers book their own caterer, either from the castle's list of preferred caterers or another one approved on request. There is no permanent bar and no premises license, so a licensed bar provider must be hired; the castle can arrange a drinks package through one. Couples who bring their own wine pay corkage. Service, security and cloakroom staff can be arranged through the Castle Manager.
History and setting
Castle Menzies is a 16th-century Scottish castle, the historic seat of the Menzies clan, restored during the 20th century by the Menzies Clan Society. It is now run by Castle Menzies SCIO, a charity registered in Scotland, and opens to visitors from April to late October. The grounds available to hirers are the lawn around the castle, a small rear garden and the Walled Garden, about a minute's walk away.
Getting there
The castle stands in Weem, just outside Aberfeldy. The driveway is a rough farm track that the castle does not own, and parking is limited to the hiring party and suppliers, so most guests arrive by coach or taxi. The nearest railway station is Pitlochry, and Edinburgh Airport is about two hours away by road.
