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A £1.5 million gamble to turn part of an Angus farm into a luxury wedding venue is paying off with bookings now stretching all the way to 2028.

Kinclune House and Estate, near Kirriemuir, opened its restored wedding venue last year after rescuing its near-derelict Victorian barn and courtyard that first appears on maps dating back to 1880.

Owner Dr Aylwin Pillai says the gamble has quickly turned into growth.

“We had a great year and all our weddings went well. We’re very happy and feel like we’re on track,” she said.

“And now we’ve got a strong pipeline building from 2026 through to 2028.”

The venue was designed to future-proof the family’s 800-acre farm by adding another income stream beyond agriculture.

“The farm is somewhat capped in its capacity,” said Aylwin. “Whereas this is a business we can grow – and we’re starting to see that now. It’s another string to the bow.”

Early momentum has largely come through word of mouth.

“The best growth is organic, word-of-mouth recommendations, which is really lovely,” she said.

But she’s under no illusions about the wedding market.

“It’s a very competitive industry now, with a lot of venues. It’s not something I’d recommend everyone jumps into unless you have something unique to offer – and I think we do.”

That uniqueness, she says, comes from the estate’s mix of a baronial house, sweeping views over the Vale of Strathmore and its restored rustic barn – combined with a “wedding village” experience.

Its purpose-built spaces include The Party Barn, The Arches ceremony room and a courtyard with fire pits.

One standout draw is an Outlander-inspired hilltop ceremony complete with Highland pony.

A £14,000 Angus Council grant has also helped fund upgrades to kitchen and bar facilities.

The estate is owned by the Osborne family — Rowan and Marguerite, alongside their daughers Virginia Osborne Antolovi and Aylwin Pillai and son James.

Aylwin, a former lecturer in environmental law at the University of Aberdeen, said the project was driven by a desire to secure the long-term future of the family farm.

She said her parents began as tenant farmers before building up to owning their own farm.

It’s a full-circle story for Aylwin, who married her husband Vijay at the farm around 20 years ago.

“It feels like we’re building something really strong now – both in the venue itself and the people around it,” she said.

“What’s most encouraging is how strongly it’s resonating with couples.”

The impact is already wider than the estate itself, boosting local suppliers and accommodation providers.

This article appeared in The Courier on 28 March 2026