A Religious Marriage Ceremony may take place anywhere and may be solemnised only by a minister, clergyman, priest, pastor or any other person entitled to do so under the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977.   For a Civil Ceremony to take place venues must be specifically approved for this purpose by means of The Marriage (Scotland) Act 2002.  The Duke of Gordon is licensed to hold Civil Ceremonies (with a registrar attending) and is therefore an ideal venue for either type of wedding.   If you decide to have not just the reception but the ceremony itself at The Duke of Gordon we would be delighted to welcome you.  

When planning a wedding in Scotland there are certain legal requirements which need to be undertaken and some of these are noted below.

The Bride and Groom are both obliged to complete marriage notices (Form M10) and submit them to the registrar of the district where the marriage will take place.  The minimum period for these notices to be received by is 15 days, the maximum period is 3 months.  The Chief Registrar for the area including The Duke of Gordon is Mrs Diane Minty.  Her details are as follows:

Mrs Diane Minty,  Chief Registrar
Registrar of Births, Deaths & Marriages
The Highland Archive and Registration Centre
Bught Road
Inverness IV3 5SS

Tel: 01463 256400
Fax: 01463 712412
Email: inverness.registrars@highland.gov.uk

If you are national from a country outwith the EEA (European Economic Area) and Switzerland, you will need additional documentation to allow your marriage in Scotland, such as entry clearance.  This applies to numerous countries including The United States of America, Canada, New Zealand and Australia etc. Both parties are required to understand and speak English otherwise an interpreter will be required.  If this is the case, please inform the registrar when submitting the marriage notices.

For further information on all legal aspects of marrying in Scotland please see the following websites. 

http://www.highland.gov.uk/livinghere/birthsdeathsandmarriages/
http://www.highland.gov.uk/livinghere/birthsdeathsandmarriages/marriageinthehighlands/