Woodside Lodge On Loch Goil - Cairndow

Helena C.

My partner and I eloped here in mid-March this year. It was magical.

We first spoke with Iain and found out the service they provided, afterwards we felt confident that it would be just what we were looking for. An intimate, stress free day in the most beautiful of settings. We were right.

The location is just stunning, Seal cabin perfect for our needs and so restful on the loch edge. Iain and Alice made sure we had everything we needed, and nothing was too much trouble for them, we felt truly spoilt.

The wedding day itself was wonderful, the help and advice from Iain was indispensable, creating the laid-back intimate wedding we'd wanted. We had the whole grounds to choose from for the service and the photos, Iain had some great ideas, and we had so much choice in such a beautiful place.

The food we had on the day and throughout our stay was just amazing, I honestly can say the meal we had on the day of our wedding was the most delicious meal I've ever had, and the fact that it was local, fresh produce felt like such a luxury.

I could continue to write pages about how it was such an amazing experience, but I just couldn’t do it just justice. For us, choosing Woodside lodge was the best decision we’ve ever made- apart from the decision to marry each other!

Victoria D.

We eloped to get married at Woodside Lodge and we are so glad we did!

Seal Cabin is a romantic little retreat, with a lovely deck to sit and watch nature. The location is stunning, so peaceful and with lots of places in the grounds to take beautiful photographs. We got married in the pavilion overlooking the water.

Iain looked after us so well, we felt spoilt from start to finish. The food was incredible (thanks to Iain and Paula) from the breakfasts and canapes to our wedding cake and the amazing evening meals in the Potting Shed.

We had a wedding day we will never forget in this truly special place. Thank you! Vicky & Mark x

O4931ZBwilliamw

We stayed for 5 nights in Red Squirrel Lodge with our dog. The lodge is beautiful, amazing views across Loch Goil. Iain was a great host, warm and friendly welcome and provided lots of recommendations for our stay. Even arranging a local mechanic to help us on our way! If you own a SUP, you must bring it with you. A 2 minute paddle direct from the property you will arrive at a seal colony. The views from the water are incredible. It's so peaceful. Amazing hiking in the area. The cobbler is a must. If you have time, a day trip to visit the beaches of Bute is worthwhile. Scalpsie bay is special spot. Thanks for everything Iain. Hopefully we will be back to visit at some point in the future. W&P

garykm74

What can we say bout about our visit? We went to get married for a start! We eloped so only the two of us. The weather was great, sunny, if a little cool. But overall? This place is simply outstanding and memorable too. Ian, the owner, is wonderful. Nothing is too much for him. His service, accommodation, estate, food, drinks etc. all out of this world.|The accommodation in the Seal Lodge is beautiful and quiet. The Potting Shed (our dining experience) was unforgettable and the quality was out of the world. |We organised our wedding ceremony separately but Ian and Linda (registrar) kept in touch with each other and made the day unforgettable. |We really cannot recommend this venue enough. Ian, a wonderful host, and his friend ….Skye (those who know, know) were so welcoming and warm. |If you want an unforgettable wedding venue - this is for you. The scenery out of this world too. |All in all a great time/experience and one we hope to go back and visit. Thank you Ian!

marielb555

If I could use three words to describe what I wanted our wedding to look like it would be calm, intimate, and joyful. Even before my husband and I got engaged, we both had explored the possibility of exchanging our vows with just the two of us in a magical place overseas that felt so aptly just. like. us. Little did we know that a little-known place located where the mountains meet the sea would be where we would say "I do" and begin our married life together while creating the most unforgettable memories.||||We were engaged January 10th and 48 hours later we were already in loch-step with Iain Hopkins, owner and elopement aficionado of a beautiful 12-acre estate of Woodside Lodge in Lochgilphead (i.e., Lochgoilhead or Loch Goil) in the Scottish Highlands in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Just about 45 minutes outside of Glasgow, Woodside Lodge is not only picturesque, it has a wonderfully rich history and ||Set to marry on March 4th, we had less than 40 days to prepare— but oh! this was part of the excitement in getting married. ||||Wedding Planning with Iain||||Stress. The six-letter word no one ever wants when planning their wedding. But are you a people pleaser? Do you have family and friends far and wide? Do you find expenses ballooning with each new thing? Given that we would answer yes to all of the above, we realized we truly wanted to celebrate our day without fuss and simply wanted to experience each other’s love. Iain provided us with options that were all inclusive 3-day, 2 night packages. Iain also offers pickup from the Glasgow airport if needed, but since we were already touring Scotland beforehand, we didn’t need this service. We have exclusive use as the only guests of the grounds and Iain is only a text or phone call away at the main lodge for anything we needed. Since it was just us two, we went with the Seal Cabin which included accommodations for 2 in the coziest cabin on the water for 3 days and 2 nights:||||Day 1||o Victorian afternoon tea (after you arrive and settle in)||o Dinner with wine||||Day 2 (Wedding Day)||o Full Highland Breakfast Coffee & Cake||o Bride & Grooms bouquet & buttonhole||o Pre-ceremony fizz (Iain provides tea, coffee, juices, water, wine, beer, and other fizzy drinks in the fridge in the cabin)||o Wedding Ceremony (you get to pick the location!)||o Champagne and canapés after the ceremony ||o Wedding Cake||o Delicious Wedding Feast with Wine||o Tea, Coffee & Cheese Platter||||Day 3 (check out—unless you choose to add 1 more night which we did!—highly recommend so you can get the full experience of Loch Goil)||o Full Highland Breakfast – Departure on day 3 at 11am||||If you are looking for a larger elopement package, they also offer the same amenities as the Seal Cabin but for a Red Squirrel Cabin Wedding stay (3 bedrooms) for up to 6 people.||||Iain recommended a couple local photographers for us and we ended up hiring David Simpson Photography and could not imagine a more wonderful human to capture our day. Since our wedding was part of our bigger trip around Scotland, Iain also provided us with a personalized itinerary with recommendations for food, experiences, and destinations. What was so wonderful about working with Iain and his partner Alice was that we could make our wedding as personal as we wanted to, and he has countless relationships with various vendors and people to fully customize your day in addition to what is already included in your package.||||Getting our Marriage Visa (as US American Citizens)||||While a symbolic ceremony would have been an easier route, we decided to marry legally in Scotland. Woodside Lodge includes an FAQ page on the basics. Iain connected us with Samantha at the Argyll and Bute Council to coordinate and file all the paperwork we needed on the Scottish government side of things to meet the minimum 29-day period.||||On the American side of things, was applied for a Marriage Visitor visa through the UK government website. It took about the full 4 weeks without expediting any part of the process. Keep in mind, you will need to schedule your biometric screening at an Application Support Center (ASC) near you (or VFS Premium Application Centre (PAC). Once you complete your biometric screening, don’t forget to mail in your passport to the USCIS ASC in New York, NY. Once they receive your passport, it takes about 2 weeks to hear back and if a return label was not included, they will reach out, so you pay for return shipping of your passport.||||Arriving to Woodside Lodge on Loch Goil||||From the moment the road curved into Loch Goil, our breath was taken away. Along the road and past the town, you skirt along the water. Past the café and boat rental place, we arrived at the rod-iron gate and phone Iain who buzzed us in. Preparing the cabin himself to make sure no detail is missed, we were greeted by his wonderful dog, Skye, and himself to help us carry our bags to the cabin. Inside our cozy cabin, Iain had it full stocked with fruit, coffee, tea, various beverages in the fridge, treats, firewood, kindling, and more! It felt as if this place instantly became our home away from home as soon as we walked through that door.|| ||After we settled in, Iain set up afternoon tea for us just outside on our balcony overlooking the water. It was a full spread of hors d'oeuvres, cheese, pastries, and various tasty treats that were all sourced locally or homemade. This foodie experience was just the beginning of the explosive flavors that were about to change our tastebuds forever.|| ||Our evening ended with the most decadent and delectable dinner in the Potting Shed. The candles were lit, the woodburning stove warmed the place, and the mist outside slowly turned to raindrops as we were taken on a journey of food through the eyes of Iain and Alice. We learned that when the famous treehouse came down after a storm, Iain repurposed the wood from the cabin and created what is now called the Potting Shed. How lovely is that?! Each course was thoughtfully prepared and by the end of it we felt we had a meal fit for queens and kings. I can’t even begin to describe the experience other than it felt as if we were transported into our very own Michelin-rated 5-star experience. ||||Our Wedding Day||||Iain and Alice ensured that our day was as stress free as possible by being the most gracious and thoughtfully professional hosts we could have ever asked for. We were able to wake up and have a full breakfast in the Potting Shed with ease going into our day. All we had to do was confirm how the day would go and we just had to worry about getting ready and meeting with our photographer once he arrived an hour before we were set to wed. Iain and Alice are the behind-the-scenes experts that make you feel like you have no worries and only love and happiness to revel in and enjoy in your partner’s company.||||My husband and I married under the wooden pavilion, and enjoyed champagne, canapes, cake shortly after in the greenhouse. We were able to spend time just the two of us reflecting on what just happened before our photographer whisked us away for photos. ||||Iain and Alice prepared a multi-course dinner complete with wines paired for the meals and brought over our wedding cake that we didn’t finish to enjoy back at our cabin. All the food was sourced within the Loch or just a Loch over. Iain takes a lot of pride in the food he sources and the relationships he has built to ensure you have the best while making it all feel warm and cozy.||Our day was truly magical and it would not have been what it was without the absolutely wonderful energy that Iain and Alice bring to make our day happen.|| ||Extra Day + Checking out||||We ended up extending our stay an additional day so we could explore Loch Goil a bit more. Iain reserved a table for us for dinner at the local Inn after a full day of exploring the nearby town of Inverary where there was plenty of shopping, whiskey tasting, and moments to get to know some of the locals. Iain provided plenty of options for our extra day. If you have a chance, we highly recommend talking with Iain and Alice and getting to know their passion for creating magical experiences for elopers. You can feel the love they have for the places they live in and for the work they do and the relationships they have built. We cannot wait to return for our anniversaries in the future.

Mariel B.

If I could use three words to describe what I wanted our wedding to look like it would be calm, intimate, and joyful. Even before my husband and I got engaged, we both had explored the possibility of exchanging our vows with just the two of us in a magical place overseas that felt so aptly just. like. us.

We ended up working with Iain Hopkins really closely and his partner Alice-- wonderful people. We had less than 40 days to prepare for our wedding, but with Iain's help, the process felt seamless.

Wedding Planning our Elopement with Iain.
If you are a people pleaser, have family and friends far and wide, and you're operating on a budget but don't want to leave anyone out-- I would highly recommend eloping, especially in Scotland. We truly wanted to celebrate our day without fuss and simply wanted to experience each other’s love. Iain was only a text or phone call away at the main lodge for anything we needed. Since it was just us two, we stayed in the Seal Cabin which was the coziest cabin on the water for 3 days and 2 nights, and we chose to add 1 more night to get to know Loch Goil better.

Iain recommended a couple local photographers and we went with David Simpson Photography and could not imagine a more wonderful human to capture our day. Since our wedding was part of our bigger trip around Scotland, Iain also provided us with a personalized itinerary.

Getting our Marriage Visa (as US American Citizens).
While a symbolic ceremony would have been an easier route, we decided to marry legally in Scotland. Woodside Lodge includes an FAQ page on the basics. Iain connected us with Samantha at the Argyll and Bute Council to coordinate and file all the paperwork we needed on the Scottish government side of things to meet the minimum 29-day period.

On the American side of things, we applied for a Marriage Visitor visa through the UK government website. It took about the full 4 weeks without expediting any part of the process after we scheduled and did our biometric screening at an Application Support Center (ASC), (or VFS Premium Application Centre (PAC). Once you complete your biometric screening, don’t forget to mail in your passport to the USCIS ASC in New York, NY. Once they receive your passport and if a return label was not included, they will reach out, so you pay for return shipping of your passport.

Arriving to Woodside Lodge on Loch Goil.
From the moment the road curved into Loch Goil, our breath was taken away. Iain prepared the cabin himself to make sure no detail was missed, and we were greeted by him and his wonderful dog, Skye, to help us carry our bags to the cabin. It was fully stocked with fruit, coffee, tea, beverages, treats, firewood, kindling, and more!

After we settled in, Iain set up afternoon tea for us on our deck overlooking the water. It was a full spread of hors d'oeuvres and various tasty treats that were all sourced locally or homemade.

Our evening ended with the most decadent dinner in the Potting Shed, which was built from the wood of the famous tree house that came down from a storm years prior. The candles were lit, the woodburning stove warmed the place, and the mist outside slowly turned to raindrops as we were taken on a journey of food through the eyes of Iain and Alice. Each course was thoughtfully prepared and by the end of it we felt as if we were transported into our very own Michelin-rated 5-star experience.

Our Wedding Day.
Iain and Alice ensured that our day was as stress free as possible. We had a full breakfast in the Potting Shed with ease going into our day. Iain and Alice are the behind-the-scenes experts that make you feel like you have no worries and only love and happiness to revel in and enjoy in your partner’s company.

We married under the wooden pavilion, and enjoyed champagne, canapes, cake in the greenhouse afterwards. Iain and Alice prepared a multi-course dinner complete with wines paired for the meals. Our day was truly magical and it would not have been what it was without Iain and Alice. We cannot wait to return for our anniversaries in the future.

Lolita A.

The location cannot be beat. Right on the water, in nature, so peaceful and gorgeous. The Red Squirrel Cabin was perfect for 4 adults and 2 children. So incredibly well stocked with everything we might need, from firewood and kindling to robes and slippers, cereal, fruit, treats, even fresh juice and a bottle of wine! The beds were so comfy, living room was cozy with thr fire and board games. Catherine is the housekeeper and she welcomed us and made us feel right at home. And Iain gave us great suggestions of things to do. Highly recommend the Boat house for meals and Loch Goil Cruisers with Richard was absolutely fantastic. Great memories and such a relaxing and beautiful time. Thank you!

S9141JKtraceya

This is a beautiful lodge in the most stunning environment. From the moment we arrived on the Friday and were greeted by Iain, Alice and their team, they were always around to help but never intrusive. We were made to feel that this amazing venue was our home for the weekend. Our daughter's wedding in the gazebo overlooking the lough, was magical, with flowers gathered from the beautiful gardens to adorn this unique wedding venue. |The quality of the food sourced locally and expertly prepared by Iain was a delight and plentiful! The choice of wines, champagnes, whiskies and other drinks was extensive but it is the hospitality that elevates your experience here to another level.|Thank you to Iain, Alice and their dedicated team (including Skye) for making this a truly memorable, perfect Wedding Weekend.