Country weddings

Picture this. A gleaming wedding car pulls up to the entrance of a hidden treasure, one of a number of jewels sparkling across Scotland waiting to host your wedding day. Tall pillars and hedgerows often temporarily conceal the presence of these rather special venues from the public eye, while their solidly reassuring stonework and proud architectural provide clues to their magic as fine celebratory homes. Just imagine a trail of thickly laid gravel creating a comforting crunch as your wedding chariot rolls gently into such a land of splendour...

Not least amongst the attractions of Scotland's country houses, stately homes and historic palaces are their photogenic grounds, often drenched in the varied greens of woodland and glorious shades of vibrant pink, deep purple and gentle lilac lent by hundreds of lusciously weighted blooms on bushes and shrubs.

Then there's the history; many of these houses date back through the centuries and have colourful stories to tell, rescued from various states of disrepair by private owners or perhaps historical bodies, to be refurbished as polished jewels. Others have been constructed more recently to offer 21st century convenience within nevertheless historically rich and downright beautiful settings.

What's also delightful about these settings is the personal warmth they possess, like that of a large family home (many still operating as such).