Riddle's Court is a Category A listed merchant's tenement on the Royal Mile that hires its historic rooms for conferences, meetings, weddings, parties and private dinners. The largest conference room holds up to 60 delegates, and several smaller rooms take from 4 to 50 people. The venue stands at 322 Lawnmarket in Edinburgh, a five-minute walk from Edinburgh Castle.
Seminars and company events
The venue offers four historic rooms for conferences and meetings. The largest seats up to 60 delegates, which suits a half-day seminar, a board offsite, a training session or a client presentation. Smaller meeting rooms hold between 4 and 50 people, so a single booking can combine a plenary room with breakout spaces. The venue also lists talks and workshops among the uses it hires for, and a conferences and meetings brochure is available from the venue.
Weddings and receptions
Riddle's Court describes itself as an intimate venue for wedding ceremonies, receptions and wedding breakfasts. It also hosts ceilidhs. The wedding team runs its own enquiry line and a dedicated wedding site. The venue does not publish guest numbers for weddings, so couples need to ask for the figure that applies to their chosen room and layout.
Rooms and capacities
The rooms keep much of their original character, including painted and plastered ceilings, working fireplaces and panelled walls. The Geddes Room is used for private dinners and for wedding ceremonies. The Norie Room and the Seton Room are also named among the event rooms. The original dining and drawing rooms have elaborate ceilings, and one painted ceiling was made for a royal banquet. The venue states that the building has full lift access.
Besides meetings and weddings, the site hires its spaces for parties, family occasions, private dining, arts and festival events, craft and food markets, and photo shoots. A parties and private dining brochure is available.
Accommodation
The King's Chamber is a self-contained apartment on site, newly renovated, with painted ceilings from the 16th century. It gives an organiser or a wedding party one place to stay without leaving the building. The venue does not list other bedrooms, so groups needing several rooms should plan nearby hotels in the Old Town.
Catering
Scotts Kitchen is the restaurant on the lower ground level. It is open daily for breakfast, coffee, lunch and dinner, and the baking is done on site each morning. For the festive season, the venue offers a private three-course dinner in the Geddes Room, with Scottish stories, language, music and a dram. The site does not say whether Scotts Kitchen caters the hired rooms, so ask which catering arrangement applies to your event.
History and setting
The tenement was built as a merchant's house, and its rooms have hosted royalty, philosophers, writers and students over the centuries. The venue speaks of 500 years of history. From 2015 to 2017 the Scottish Historic Buildings Trust invested over 6 million pounds in a conservation and regeneration project, and the building reopened as an event venue. It is also the trust's head office, and the trust runs talks, seminars, workshops and public tours there. Group visits can be arranged in advance.
Getting there
Riddle's Court is at 322 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2PG, on the Royal Mile. Guests enter through an arched entrance and the walk to Edinburgh Castle takes about five minutes. Scotts Kitchen can be reached from the terrace above Victoria Street. Phone 0131 220 1232 or write to events@riddlescourt.org.uk for hire enquiries.
