Brides left in lurch by dream Clackmannanshire venue’s closure

HEARTBROKEN brides have been frantically searching for a new wedding venue after the plush country house they’d booked shut down.

Couples were left with a matrimonial headache following the closure of Solsgirth House in Dollar, Clackmannanshire.

Some furious brides claimed they only found out it was shutting through social media.

The closure came after council bosses knocked back the venue’s application for an “occasional” alcohol licence in November.

One bride with a summer wedding booked at Solsgirth House said the length of time management had taken to tell couples about the cancellations was “bang out of order”.

She added: “If they knew earlier, they should have told brides. This has been going on since November – it should not have been left until January to tell brides.

“When people are only five or six months away from their wedding, it’s really difficult to get your dream wedding back.”

But she praised staff at Aurora Hotel Collection, which owns Solsgirth, who were “very accommodating” in moving her wedding to another venue at a discounted price.

Another couple whose big day was pencilled in for late February said they’d only been contacted by Solsgirth on January 15.

And one bride wrote on Facebook: “I have been engaged for seven years as I never found the perfect venue until Solsgirth. We don’t get married till October but we have basically paid our whole wedding.

“Spent all day today trying other venues for the same date so I don’t lose all my money, but everywhere has been taken. So angry and stressed!”

Steven McLeod, chief executive of the Aurora Hotel Collection, accused the council of “bullying” the venue.

He said local authority bosses has asked him to make £250,000-worth of improvements within two months and apply for a full licence – something he was happy to do.

But a bid for the occasional licences needed for Solsgirth to host weddings, parties and events in the meantime was knocked back.

Mr McLeod said: “The Aurora Hotel Collection had planned a significant investment in Solsgirth House and had been in advanced discussions with the local planning department.

“However, the group’s plans were thwarted by the onerous requirements of the building control and licensing departments of Perth and Kinross Council, and the costs associated with these made it prohibitive to operate the business.”

He added that Aurora had been in touch with all the affected couples. Most (85%) had accepted offers to host their big day at one of the company’s other venues, while the others had been refunded in full.

A spokesman for Perth and Kinross Council said the licensing board received three occasional (alcohol) licence applications for a wedding and two Christmas party nights to take place in December.

After concerns were raised by Scottish Fire and Rescue and building standards representatives, all three applications were refused on the basis that the premises were “unsuitable for use for the sale of alcohol”.

Solsgirth – set in 30 acres of stunning grounds – regularly hosted receptions for up to 400 guests.