Manorview Hotels and Leisure Group have stepped in to help to dozens of couples left in the lurch by a rogue wedding planner at a fairytale Scots castle.
It’s feared that Craig Williamson has fled abroad with thousands of pounds in cash deposits after deliberately double and even triple-booking bridal ceremonies at Guthrie Castle in Angus.
Brides and grooms-to-be have been left devastated after learning the bank account they paid into was private and not linked to the venue. There is also no record of their bookings or when deposits were transferred so it is unclear which clients should be honoured.
(Photo: Daily Record)
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But Manorview , which owns luxury venues including the award-winning Busby Castle, Boclair House in Glasgow, The Lynnhurst in Johnstone and the spectacular Cornhill Castle in Biggar, have offered to help frantic couples make last-minute bookings with special discounts to save their nuptials from ruin.
Steve Graham, CEO, Manorview Hotels and Leisure said: “We are heavily focused on the wedding market. A wedding is one of the most important days of your life.
“At Manorview we’re honoured to be a part of that day. We know when people book any of our venues they are placing their trust in us to deliver.
“Although we don’t know the full story from Guthrie Castle, we are offering our help to any couples who may be affected and are worrying about securing their wedding date and have lost out on deposits. We’d urge people to contact us to see if we can help.”
(Photo: Cornhill Castle)
(Photo: Cornhill Castle)
Rumours of a crisis at the castle have been spreading rapidly on Twitter and Facebook as swindled brides and grooms scramble to save their wedding.
Dundee-based photographer Kirsty Brown, who runs Memento Wedding Photography, said she had many clients due to be married at Guthrie Castle.
She said: “I spoke to the make-up artist that did the wedding on Saturday that was double booked and she said it was all true.”
One bride was left “absolutely devastated” by the news, she added.
A groom whose wedding was set to take place at the castle next month said: “We still don’t know for sure if we are the only wedding booked for our date.
“They have no records of the bookings as the guy wiped the PC.
“They will only know when people contact them.”
Guthrie Castle bosses have shut down its website and replaced it with a message asking all prospective wedding couples to get in touch.
A Police Scotland spokeswoman confirmed that officers were investigating the allegations. A castle employee declined to comment.