Best Scottish Borders Wedding Venues: A Photography Guide
The Scottish Borders offers a varied mix of wedding venues, from historic castles and country houses to hotels, barns, churches and rural estates around Peebles, Lauder, Duns, Hawick, Kelso and the Tweed Valley.
We’ve photographed weddings throughout the Scottish Borders over many years, so this guide is based on venues we know from real weddings rather than places we’ve simply researched online.
Below you’ll find the Scottish Borders wedding venues we’ve actually photographed, along with our own photographs and, where available, links to full venue guides and real wedding galleries. We’ve included the practical photo opportunities we’ve found useful at each location, along with what makes each venue different.
If you’re comparing venues, we aim to help you narrow down which setting suits your plans — whether that means an exclusive-use castle, a country-house celebration, a relaxed barn wedding, a hotel with accommodation, or a traditional church ceremony.
Scottish Borders weddings photographed
weddings photographed since 2006
husband-and-wife photography team
Scottish Borders Wedding Venues Map
Use the interactive map below to explore the Scottish Borders wedding venues featured in this guide.
Click any venue name in the list to zoom in on its location, or use Jump to venue ↓ to go straight to our notes and photographs further down the page.
What a Scottish Borders Couple Says About Working With Us
We’ve photographed 60 weddings across the Scottish Borders, from castles and country houses to hotels, barns and churches. Here’s what one of our couples has said about having us photograph their wedding in the Borders.
Jonathon and Claire we cannot thank you both enough for capturing our day in the most wonderful way. We adore both our photos and film. You both put us at complete ease and were incredibly professional from start to finish. Any changes or hold ups were quickly and honestly communicated. No false promises were made regarding time scales (we knew they were incredibly busy). Every little detail was captured; so many little things we missed in the blur of the day. Claire is like a ninja with her camera. Didn’t realise she was there a lot of the time (in the nicest possible ways). And Jonathon captured our venue and stunning autumnal trees perfectly with his drone. Adds another beautiful dimension to our film. Myself and husband Rob can’t sing your praises any louder, truly thank you.
Castles & Historic Estates
These historic Scottish Borders venues range from rugged medieval castles to grand country estates, each with very different interiors, grounds and photographic character.
Duns Castle
Duns Castle is an exclusive-use historic estate near Duns, with formal castle interiors, extensive grounds and a lake known locally as the Hen Poo.
We’ve photographed weddings here and found the contrast between the Gothic interiors, castle exterior, parkland and lakeside particularly useful. Several very different settings are within a relatively short distance, so couples can get plenty of variety without spending much of their wedding day away from their guests.
The grounds also give us useful outdoor options when the weather allows, while the characterful rooms inside the castle provide a completely different setting when everyone needs to stay indoors.
Wedderburn Castle & Barns
Wedderburn near Duns gives couples the choice of a formal castle setting, the separate barns, or a combination of both.
We’ve photographed weddings here and found the contrast between the castle interiors, surrounding grounds and more informal barn spaces particularly useful. Couples can move between very different settings during the day without needing to travel elsewhere for photographs.
The castle’s ballroom and reception rooms work well for more formal parts of the day, while the barns offer a completely different atmosphere for dining, dancing and evening celebrations. The surrounding parkland and courtyard also give us useful outdoor options when the weather allows.
Thirlestane Castle
Thirlestane Castle in Lauder is an exclusive-use historic castle with richly decorated state rooms, extensive grounds and a rose garden.
We’ve photographed weddings here and found the contrast between the ornate interiors, castle exterior and surrounding parkland particularly useful. The different spaces give us plenty of variety without taking couples far from their guests, whether we photograph portraits inside the castle or outdoors around the grounds.
Ceremonies can take place in rooms such as the State Drawing Room and State Dining Room, with outdoor options also available around the terrace, rose garden and parkland.
Neidpath Castle
Neidpath Castle sits above the River Tweed just outside Peebles and has a much more rugged, medieval feel than the more polished castle venues elsewhere in the Borders.
We’ve photographed weddings here and found the combination of stone interiors, narrow staircases, historic rooms and the surrounding landscape particularly distinctive. The castle itself provides plenty of character for photographs, while the grounds and views over the Tweed give couples a very different outdoor setting close to the venue.
Because the interior is naturally darker than many modern venues, it creates a more atmospheric look that suits the building’s character rather than trying to make it feel like a bright hotel space.
Traquair House
Traquair House near Innerleithen is a historic country-house venue with formal interiors, extensive grounds, a chapel and walled gardens.
We’ve photographed weddings here and found the variety of settings particularly useful, from the house and chapel to the gardens, avenues, and surrounding countryside. Couples can move between very different backdrops without leaving the estate.
The Bear Gates are one of the most recognisable features, but the quieter garden areas and paths around the house often give us just as much variety for relaxed portraits.
Barony Castle
Barony Castle near Eddleston is a country-house hotel set within woodland and grounds a few miles from Peebles.
We’ve photographed weddings here and found the combination of the castle, wooded paths and surrounding grounds particularly useful. Several outdoor portrait locations are close to the hotel, so couples can get good variety without spending long periods away from their guests.
One of the most unusual features in the grounds is the Great Polish Map of Scotland, a large three-dimensional relief map that gives Barony Castle a distinctive feature you won’t find at other Borders venues.
Country Houses, Gardens & Exclusive Use
These venues offer a mix of country-house character, private grounds and garden settings, with options ranging from intimate exclusive-use houses to larger estates and outdoor-focused celebrations.
Netherbyres House
Netherbyres House near Eyemouth is an exclusive-use Victorian country house with colourful contemporary interiors, extensive grounds and a much less traditional feel than many Borders estates.
We’ve photographed a wedding here and found the contrast between the bold interiors, Grand Hall, gardens and woodland particularly useful. The venue offers plenty of photographic variety without leaving the estate, from formal indoor portraits to relaxed outdoor photos around the grounds.
The house also works well for couples planning a more informal celebration, with indoor and outdoor ceremony options and space for larger weddings using a marquee or stretch tent on the lawn.
Cringletie
Cringletie is a country-house hotel set in 28 acres of grounds just outside Peebles, with a historic walled garden, conservatory and surrounding woodland.
We’ve photographed weddings here and found the contrast between the house interiors, conservatory, gardens and wider estate particularly useful. The different areas are close enough together to give couples plenty of variety without turning portraits into a long walk around the grounds.
The walled garden is one of the venue’s strongest outdoor features, while the conservatory provides a useful light-filled alternative when the weather keeps everyone closer to the house.
Branxholm Park
Branxholm Park near Hawick is an exclusive-use country-house wedding venue with gardens, woodland and on-site accommodation.
We’ve photographed weddings here and found the mix of the house, grounds and woodland particularly useful. The venue feels more intimate and self-contained than a large hotel, and there are several different places for portraits without taking couples far from their guests.
The ceremony space is set within the woodland, while the house and gardens provide a very different look for the rest of the day. That variety works well for couples who want a relaxed country-house wedding with everything taking place in one location.
Clint Lodge
Clint Lodge near St Boswells is a family-run country-house venue with gardens, accommodation and space for marquee weddings.
We’ve photographed a wedding here and found the combination of the house, conservatory, lawn and surrounding Borders countryside particularly useful. The grounds give couples plenty of outdoor options close to the main celebration, while the house provides a more intimate setting for smaller parts of the day.
For larger weddings, the lawn can accommodate a marquee, while more intimate celebrations can take place inside the house.
Kailzie Gardens
Kailzie Gardens sits just outside Peebles and offers a very different setting from the castles, hotels and country houses elsewhere in this guide.
We’ve photographed a wedding here and found the combination of the walled garden, lawns, woodland and surrounding countryside particularly useful. The different areas give couples plenty of variety for outdoor photographs without needing to travel away from the celebration.
The gardens cover around 16 acres and include formal planting, glasshouses and woodland walks, so the character of the setting changes noticeably as you move through the grounds.
Hotels, Spas & Inns
These Scottish Borders hotels offer on-site accommodation and a range of wedding settings, from large spa and golf resorts to smaller town-centre and country-house hotels.
Peebles Hydro
Peebles Hydro is a large hotel wedding venue set above Peebles, with extensive grounds and views across the Tweed Valley.
We’ve photographed weddings here and found the combination of the hotel interiors, ballroom, grounds and surrounding landscape particularly useful. The venue gives couples plenty of variety without leaving the hotel, while the elevated setting provides a very different backdrop from the lower-lying venues elsewhere in the Borders.
The Regency is a brighter ceremony space with views across the valley, while the larger Ballroom has a long skylight that brings useful natural light into the room and can accommodate bigger celebrations.
Carfraemill
Carfraemill near Lauder is a rural hotel and wedding venue on the edge of the Lammermuir Hills, with indoor reception spaces, a marquee and a separate hillside farm setting.
We’ve photographed weddings here and found the mix of the lodge, marquee and surrounding countryside particularly useful. The venue gives couples several different settings within one location, from more traditional indoor photographs to open rural views around the grounds.
For larger celebrations, the marquee creates a very different atmosphere from the main lodge, while the hillside setting gives couples a more open, countryside backdrop away from the hotel buildings.
Dryburgh Abbey Hotel
Dryburgh Abbey Hotel near St Boswells is a country-house hotel set beside the River Tweed, with extensive private grounds and Dryburgh Abbey immediately next door.
We’ve photographed weddings here and found the combination of the hotel interiors, riverside grounds and abbey setting particularly useful. Couples can move between very different backgrounds without travelling away from the venue, which gives us plenty of variety while keeping portraits relatively quick.
The hotel also offers riverside ceremonies and several indoor wedding spaces, while the abbey ruins provide a distinctive historic backdrop immediately beside the grounds.
Cardrona Hotel Peebles
Cardrona Hotel, Golf & Spa is a large hotel wedding venue set in around 200 acres of grounds beside the River Tweed, a few miles from Peebles.
We’ve photographed weddings here and found the combination of the hotel interiors, golf-course landscape and surrounding hills particularly useful. The grounds give us plenty of outdoor options close to the hotel, while the larger function rooms make it practical for couples planning a bigger celebration.
The Manderston Suite can accommodate larger weddings and benefits from natural light, while the wider grounds and Tweed Valley setting give the photographs a much more rural feel than the hotel itself might suggest.
The Tontine Hotel
The Tontine Hotel is a traditional hotel wedding venue in the centre of Peebles, with the High Street at the front and views towards the River Tweed and surrounding hills to the rear.
We’ve photographed weddings here, and its town-centre setting gives it a noticeably different feel from the castles and country estates elsewhere in the Borders. For photos, couples can use the character of Peebles and the riverside nearby, rather than relying on extensive private grounds around the hotel itself.
The Adam Room is the main wedding space, with high ceilings, period detailing and plenty of natural light. It can accommodate up to 80 guests for the wedding breakfast and 100 for the evening celebration, while the hotel’s 36 bedrooms make it a practical option for couples who want accommodation in the centre of Peebles.
Mansfield House Hotel
Mansfield House Hotel is a country-house hotel on the outskirts of Hawick, set within around ten acres of grounds and mature gardens.
We’ve photographed weddings here, and the combination of the traditional house, gardens and surrounding countryside gives couples several different settings without needing to travel away from the hotel. The grounds are particularly useful for outdoor portraits, while the rooms inside provide an alternative when the weather keeps everyone indoors.
For larger weddings, the self-contained Highland Function Suite can accommodate up to 200 guests and has its own bar and dance floor. Smaller celebrations can use the hotel’s formal dining room, while the 16 bedrooms provide accommodation on site.
Barns, Farms & Unique Venues
These venues offer a less traditional alternative to the castles, country houses and hotels elsewhere in the Borders, from a working-farm barn near Kelso to a rugby club in the centre of Hawick.
Runningburn
Runningburn is a modern barn wedding venue on a working farm around three miles from Kelso, surrounded by open Scottish Borders countryside.
We’ve photographed a wedding here, and the wide views towards the Cheviot Hills are one of the venue’s strongest features for photographs. The surrounding farmland gives couples a distinctly rural setting, while everything stays close to the barn, so they don’t have to leave the wedding.
The purpose-built barn can accommodate up to 150 day guests, with space for dancing and additional evening guests, making Runningburn particularly well suited to larger, relaxed countryside celebrations.
Hawick Rugby Football Club
Hawick Rugby Football Club is a distinctive wedding and events venue at Mansfield Park in Hawick, with the rugby ground providing a setting that feels completely different from the castles, hotels and country houses elsewhere in this guide.
We’ve photographed a wedding here, and the combination of the clubhouse, pitch and grandstand gives photographs a strong sense of place. It works particularly well for couples with a connection to Hawick or rugby who want a relaxed celebration rather than the atmosphere of a traditional wedding venue.
The Green Rooms offer a choice of four function spaces and can cater for weddings of up to 200 guests, with exclusive use available for celebrations at Mansfield Park.
Churches
These are churches in the Scottish Borders where we’ve photographed wedding ceremonies, with receptions typically taking place at a separate venue afterwards.
Denholm Church
Denholm Church is a traditional Church of Scotland church in the centre of Denholm, overlooking the village’s large green.
We’ve photographed a wedding ceremony here, and the village setting works particularly well once everyone comes outside. The green provides plenty of space for guests to gather, congratulate the couple and create a good confetti photograph without needing to move everyone elsewhere.
Built in 1845, the church has a relatively simple interior, with its circular stained-glass Ruth Window providing one of its most distinctive features.
Cavers & Kirkton Parish Church
Cavers & Kirkton Parish Church is a historic rural church near Hawick, surrounded by a graveyard, farmland and the rolling countryside of the Scottish Borders.
We’ve photographed a wedding ceremony here, and the elevated country setting gives it a very different feel from a church in the centre of a town or village. The churchyard, mature trees and surrounding landscape provide plenty of character for photographs immediately outside the church.
The current church dates from 1822 and is a Category B listed building, adding another layer of history to this quiet Borders setting.
Cranshaws Village Church
Cranshaws Village Church is a small rural church in the Lammermuir Hills, surrounded by open countryside and a historic graveyard.
We’ve photographed a wedding ceremony here, and its remote setting gives photographs a real sense of place. The stone church, graveyard and surrounding hills provide plenty of character immediately outside, without needing to take the couple elsewhere for portraits.
The present church was rebuilt in 1899 and is a Category A listed building, although Cranshaws has been a place of worship for many centuries.
Planning a Wedding in the Scottish Borders?
We’re Jonathon and Claire, a husband-and-wife photography team with experience photographing 60 weddings across the Scottish Borders.
If you’re planning your wedding at one of the venues in this guide, or somewhere else in the Borders, we’d love to hear what you have planned.
Our approach combines relaxed documentary photography with natural, lightly directed portraits, so you can enjoy your wedding without spending hours posing for photographs.
Explore our editorial and documentary wedding photography approach.
Tell us a little about what you’re planning, and we’ll check our availability, answer any questions and help you work out what suits you best.There’s no pressure or obligation, and we usually reply within 24 hours.
Related Reading
- Best Edinburgh wedding venues — Compare the Edinburgh wedding venues we’ve photographed, from city-centre hotels to castles and country estates.
- Neidpath Castle wedding photographer — See our first-hand guide and wedding photographs from this medieval castle near Peebles.
- Wedding photography prices & packages — See our current coverage options and pricing.
- Editorial & documentary wedding photography — How we combine natural storytelling with relaxed portraits.
