A country estate dating back to the 12th century is set to become home to the region's latest wedding venue

A two-year vision is set to be realised this summer when a new fairytale wedding and events venue located at a 12th century castle in Gordon welcomes its first guests.
Jamie and Connie with daughters Clara and Rose.Jamie and Connie with daughters Clara and Rose.
Jamie and Connie with daughters Clara and Rose.

Owners and managing directors Jamie and Connie Raine-Fraser, together with daughters, Rose, four, and Clara, two, set off on an adventure of a lifetime when they purchased Wedderlie House, set in a 50-acre estate in the parish of Westruther, back in 2019.

The couple have spent the time since lovingly transforming the property for use as an exclusive and magical wedding and events venue with accommodation for upwards of 42 guests.

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The onset of Covid-19 pushed back their plans but they have now pencilled in this summer to open.

Connie, a GP, and Jamie, who ran residential summer camps in the US for 18 years, are relishing the prospect.

Jamie said: “We were ready to go in April but we lost those weddings simply because couples have lost faith they will be able to have the day they wanted to have, so they have all been pushed back but we are ready as a facility to go.

"It has been a two-year substantial investment to completely bring the small original estate of Wedderlie back to life and offer it as a different use for the first time in its history. Up until we purchased it it had always been a private dwelling.

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"In half of the weddings booked so far one half of the couple is a foreigner, either Canadian or Australian, from all over, the common link is that one of them is Scottish and one of them is from overseas. One of the attractions is to stay in a house that can track its history back to Robert the Bruce, that is quite appealing to some of these folk travelling from the likes of America and Canada.

"We have quite a substantial offering for accommodation and it’s appealing to those people who don’t want that cookie-cutter hotel wedding, they want an opportunity to kick back with their friends and family for a few days and make some memories.

"I can say that we have only hired local trades during the course of the work, whether it be Thorburns of Duns or Pearsons for the stone, we’ve really tried to keep it as local as possible.”

The couple plan to stage 30 to 35 events a year and to employ eight staff.

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