Luxury wedding chef in the Scottish Highlands

A wedding menu that tastes of Scottish Highlands

I cook weddings in the Scottish Highlands at castles, sporting estates and lochside lodges across the Highlands, from an intimate dinner to 500 guests. You get one chef responsible for every plate, a menu written for you and a team I brief and lead.

The Highlands give me red deer venison, grouse from the Glorious Twelfth in August, langoustines and hand-dived scallops from the west coast and wild salmon from the rivers in season. In late summer the birch and pine woods are full of chanterelles and the moors of blaeberries. I cook over fire and smoke, with a dram of Speyside whisky never far from the table.

Ceremonies in Scotland can take place almost anywhere, so couples often marry outdoors by a loch or on the hill, then gather for drinks with a piper. In June the light lasts until very late, dinner runs long and the night ends with a ceilidh, and I plan the food to keep everyone dancing.

A menu idea: Hand-dived scallops with smoked butter, venison over fire with chanterelles and blaeberries, and cranachan with whisky.

Season and logistics

The main wedding season in the Scottish Highlands runs May to September. Many estates are hours from Inverness down single-track roads, so I plan deliveries, a buffer day and a well-stocked kitchen in advance. Summer brings midges in the evenings, so I plan sheltered spots for food and drinks outdoors. I work alongside your planner and venue so the kitchen fits into their timeline.