Weddings for up to 60 guests, private dinners, drinks receptions, team building days, small conferences and family celebrations can be organized here. Dunvegan Castle & Gardens stands on the shore of Loch Dunvegan, one mile north of the village of Dunvegan, in the north west of the Isle of Skye in Scotland.
Seminars and company events
The castle takes corporate events, team building, conferences and meetings, private dining and celebrations, and its events team follows each booking from planning to the day itself. Hosting takes place in a selection of the castle's state rooms, from champagne and canapés to a formal dinner. The official site gives no seated capacity for meetings, so the size of a working session should be checked with the team. The estate also runs seal boat trips and loch cruises from the castle, which can fill a free afternoon in season.
Weddings and receptions
Dunvegan is registered under the Marriage (Scotland) Act 2002 and recognized by the Highland Council as a licensed venue for both civil and religious ceremonies. Scotland has no residency requirement for couples. The castle hosts weddings of up to 60 people, with the ceremony held either inside the castle or in its formal gardens. Couples who book their wedding here receive a discount on the five estate holiday cottages for their party. A wedding brochure is available on request from the castle.
Accommodation
There are no hotel bedrooms in the castle itself. The estate rents five self-catering holiday cottages within or close to the castle grounds, each within walking distance of the castle: Keepers Cottage, Gardens Cottage, Rose Valley Cottage, The Farmhouse and Laundry Cottage. Wi-Fi, bed linen and towels are included, and the cottages are non-smoking and do not accept pets. They can be booked all year except over Christmas and New Year, and guests get free entry to the castle and gardens during the opening season.
Catering
Food for events is provided in partnership with local restaurants. Formats range from champagne and canapés to formal dinner receptions served in the state rooms. During opening hours, the MacLeod Tables Cafe on site serves visitors.
History and setting
The castle has been home to the chiefs of Clan MacLeod for around 800 years. Its collection includes the Fairy Flag, the clan's best-known heirloom. Samuel Johnson and James Boswell stayed here in 1773 during their journey through the Highlands and Islands, and Boswell wrote warmly of the venison and wine served at the castle. Later visitors included Sir Walter Scott, Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III. Formal gardens surround the castle, and the castle and gardens open to the public daily from late March to mid-October.
Getting there
By road, the usual route crosses the Skye Bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh, a 45-mile drive to Dunvegan through the north west of the island. Kyle of Lochalsh is 82 miles from Inverness by the A82 and A887, and 76 miles from Fort William by the A82 and A87. Trains run from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh and from Fort William to Mallaig, and in summer a ferry crosses from Mallaig to Armadale on Skye. The castle advises setting satellite navigation via Kyle of Lochalsh.
