Craigellachie Hotel

Weddings at the Craigellachie Hotel in Speyside are a truly Scottish experience, bathed in the warm glow of whisky country.

This is no “production line” wedding venue and no two weddings are the same here.

But what you can rely on is the intimate feel of the perfect day, which is planned to the last detail and runs without a hitch.

As a photographer, I take my hat off to the team here. They really know how to put on a wedding without ever making it feel awkward or formal.

Dream dram

The hotel was built in 1893 where the rivers Fiddich and Spey come together. And the 26-room hotel stands proudly at the very heart of Speyside and its malt whisky trail.

In fact, Macallan and Aberlour are two of the hotel’s closest neighbours.

But it’s got some really high-end details that give a very stylish feel to the place.

It’s no wonder that stars like Kate Moss and Liam Gallagher have been lured by the hotel’s Quaich Bar, famed for its 900 single malts.

To be honest, the Craigellachie Hotel doesn’t feel like a hotel, it feels like a countryside family home.

Red, blue and copper

And the Craigellachie team absolutely loves you to make yourself at home. They have totally nailed the winning combination of professionalism and friendliness.

With up to 54 guests, you’ve got a choice on four different areas to take over within the hotel.

There’s the Copper Dog pub, the Quaich bar or either the Blue Room or the Red Room.

The Copper Dog pub is a more relaxed choice. The wee pub has a copper bar with a grand crackling wood fire on in the winter, and a large sun-terrace for during the summer months.

If you want to run riot with the whisky theme – and why wouldn’t you – the Quaich is the world’s leading whisky bar.

It gives quite the backdrop to a Scottish wedding with the rarest of whiskies, some of which are exclusive to the Craigellachie itself.

The Blue Room is light and airy with gorgeous prints adorning the walls and bespoke furniture which makes decorating the room simple and straightforward.

The Red Room – most often used for a civil ceremony – is stylish and comfortable with views over the Spey and Elchies Woods.

And of course as well as your indoors venue, there are the extensive gardens.

Only a couple of minutes away is a footbridge over the River Spey, with amazing views of Ben Rinnes. Just perfect for those natural shots of the bride and groom.

Facilities

I took a sneak peek at some of the rooms. There are 26 sumptuous bedrooms with four-posters, high-thread-count linens, and cashmere-soft furnishings.

They are just lovely, with modern touches and incredibly indulgent bathrooms. And some of them have the most jawdropping views.

And the food is incredible. They like to serve up fresh, honest, local Speyside produce but of course they’ll create any menu you want.

Every wedding I’ve been lucky enough to do here has the guests gushing with praise.

It’s the perfectly pitched service in a glorious setting that makes this one of my favourite venues for wedding photography.