Dunnottar Castle Elopement in Scotland with an Adorable Pup

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Zoe & Sam eloped all the way from the South of England with their fantastically smiley 6 month old son, their family dog and just 4 of their mostest-closest people for a simply beautiful ceremony at the incredible Dunnottar Castle in Stonehaven, near Aberdeen. Sheer cliffs, breaking waves, an incredible landscape, quiet beaches and glorious views all around. The most fun was had by Ray the dog, who spent the entire ceremony trying to pull the best man over the cliff edge.

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Why Did you choose Dunnottar Castle for your elopement?

From Zoe, the bride: We knew we wanted to get married in Scotland, in a location where the ceremony could be outside. After researching a few locations, Dunnottar Castle ticked a lot of boxes for us especially the stunning views and the affordable prices.

Do you require any special permits or permission from landowners to get married or have a photoshoot at Dunnottar Castle?

You do have to book the wedding with Dunnottar castle but once this is booked and paid for this you don’t need any further permits to use the land and can organise any photographer you wish. It is worth noting that the location is still open to the public but this didn’t bother us at all and the castle was not particularly busy on the day of our wedding.

Can you have a legal ceremony at Dunnottar Castle and how easy is the location to access?

Yes, the registrar came to Dunnottar castle to marry us legally.
Although where we had the ceremony is pretty accessable to all ages and abilities, many of our photos were taken on the beach and up by the castle which would not be accessible to all, especially if you struggled with mobility.

Was sustainability something that was considered during planning?

From Zoe, the bride: Yes, we loved the work Dunnottar Castle does in relation to conserving the environment and made sure we used nothing which would harm the environment during the ceremony (for example dried petals for confetti).

In Scotland there is a lot of focus on environmental sustainability, especially around the coast and we were careful to not leave rubbish behind which was a lot easier being a small wedding party.

What are your top tips for planning an elopement in this area?

From Zoe, the bride: You need to post notice of your wedding between 3 months and 29 days prior to the ceremony and collect the marriage schedule in person, normally a week beforehand so make sure you plan for this.

We got married in spring and were very lucky with the weather, although it was a bit cold. You may want to leave it until summer to be more likely to miss the Scottish showers.

how did you two meet and why did you decide to elope?

From Zoe, the bride: We met online when I fell for a picture of his 1970’s campervan. We wanted our wedding day to be just about us and as stress free as possible. There are also obvious benefits around costs which meant we could use the money saved to have a month trip around Scotland exploring.

We have visited Scotland on a number of occasions and absolutely love the scenery there. We had the most picturesque wedding at a very minimal cost.

Any other advice or tips you’d Like to share based on your experience?

From Zoe, the bride: Having a smaller wedding was the best decision we made, although friends and family did find this hard at first, once we explained our reasons they were very understanding and supportive. We also organised a party 2 months later which all friends and families were invited to. This was an evening party and with it not being a wedding reception was alot cheaper, people may want to consider this if they find friends and/or family are struggling with their decision to elope or have a smaller wedding