Hospitality venues in Stirling are stepping up to the plate to help out wedding couples stranded by the closure of Broomhall Castle.
The Menstrie site – which dated back to 1874 – plunged into liquidation last week, with the owners citing the costs of the pandemic making the future of the venue “unviable”.
It meant 12 staff employed at Broomhall were made redundant, while a total of 18 couples booked up at the hotel for weddings were left in the dark and forced to scramble for new bookings amid uncertainty about the chance of recovering their deposits.
However, since confirmation of the Broomhall liquidation hit social media last week, a string of Stirling venues have offered their support to those aiming to keep their big day on track.
The Observer spoke to couple Jennifer Currie and Rachel Jenkins, whose plans for a Harry Potter-themed big day at the castle next February were left in tatters by the news.
But the pair have now been able to secure the use of Hotel Colessio in Stirling after the hotel’s management spotted the Observer’s story online and contacted them.
Lesley Monaghan, business and events manager at Hotel Colessio, said: “The first we heard about it was when it was coming out last Friday and we just put on social media that we had some availability and could help anyone stuck for a venue.
“We did have quite a good response and have managed to get things sorted out for a few people and it’s a good feeling to help out because we know there would have been some very stressed-out couples.
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“It’s common knowledge that the hospitality industry has been hit quite hard with the impact of Covid and Brexit, so local businesses have been pulling together and we have strong connections with other hotels to try and really help these couples out.”
The pair also praised the support of the Birds and the Bees venue in the city for their efforts to help out, while two well-known city hotels also released social media posts urging Broomhall couples to get in touch.
The Golden Lion Hotel in Stirling wrote: “With the recent news of Broomhall Castle going into liquidation, this is a really sad day for the hospitality industry. Covid has really not been kind to the industry at all.
“If there is anyone requiring to rebook their function, please give us a call and we will do what we can to accommodate you.
“If we are unable to help, we will point you in the right direction of another venue that can hopefully sort something for you.”
That was echoed by the King Robert Hotel in Bannockburn, which posted: “We’ve been saddened to hear the recent news of Broomhall Castle going into liquidation. It’s been a very testing time recently for the whole industry, especially aver after Covid.
“If there is anyone looking to rebook their upcoming functions, please give us a call and we can see what we can do to assist you. If you’ve already paid a deposit with them, no deposit with us would be required.
“We will try our hardest to accommodate any bookings.”
