Urquhart Castle calls a halt to wedding bookings

COUPLES wanting to tie the knot at a world-famous landmark overlooking Loch Ness will no longer be able to do so due to record-breaking visitor numbers.

Urquhart Castle, one of Scotland’s most popular tourist attractions, was visited by almost 500,000 people last year – an increase of 22 per cent.

Government agency Historic Environment Scotland, which runs the site with its ruins dating back to the 13th century, confirmed it has stopped taking bookings.

But the lack of consultation with local companies reaping the spin-off benefits has bemused Loch Ness business leader Willie Cameron.

He only discovered about the change in policy by chance.

"Someone with local connections had made an inquiry about getting married at the castle and found out they couldn’t get married there," said Mr Cameron, a director of the Cobbs Group.

"It came as a total surprise. It seems a bit ironic when it is one of the jewels in the crown of Historic Environment Scotland and one of the most visited attractions.

"One of the key things for attracting people into the area is wedding parties and the village as a whole benefits from weddings.

"People come stay in bed and breakfasts or hotels, they eat at the restaurants and they spend money in the village.

"The castle is up there among the top wedding venues – getting married on the shores of Loch Ness in a castle is a marketing man’s dream.

"But for some reason, they have decided not to do it anymore because they are too busy."

Mr Cameron is part of the Glen Urquhart Rural Community Association which unveiled bold plans for a community buyout of the castle.

A spokeswoman for Historic Environment Scotland confirmed that due to an increase in visitor numbers at the castle, the agency was no longer offering weddings at the site.

"This is to ensure we are not compromising on the experience we can offer the bride and groom on their special day as well as not impacting on the core visitor experience," she said.