King Charles’ stately home has unveiled plans to be the next ‘go-to’ venue for weddings and high-end events with a new £6.5million extension.
The ambitious multi-million-pound project at Dumfries House, named The King’s Hall, will provide a luxury space at the monarch’s charity headquarters in Ayrshire.
A single-storey 430sqm extension with a public hall of 282sqm will replace a marquee space known as the Pavilion.
The aim is to meet increasing demand for five-star events and bring more employment and education areas to the area.
Evan Samson, General Manager of Dumfries House for The King’s Foundation, the charity founded by Charles in 1990, said the new venue will opens doors to be able entertain more types of events.
He said: ‘Our ambition is for The King’s Hall to become the go-to venue for high-end, luxury weddings and private events for a national and international market.
‘The space will offer guests the opportunity to access the historic house, with the added benefit of revenue going to create employment for the local community and opportunities for thousands of people each year through The King’s Foundation’s education programmes.’
Set to open in Summer 2027, it will cater for events of up to 200 guests.
Dumfries House is vying to become the next ‘go-to’ venue for weddings and high-end events
The Kings Hall is a 430sqm extension to Dumfries House
Dumfries House was saved for the nation by King Charles III as Prince of Wales in 2007
The charity will use revenue from ticketed events and exclusive-use hire of the venue to aid the continuing conservation and development of Dumfries House.
That will include the surrounding estate as well as fuel the growth of its education programmes and community initiatives, which benefit more than 10,000 people per year.
It will also be used to host community and education-related events.
Mr Samson added: ‘The King’s Hall will offer the intimacy, atmosphere and historic grandeur that guests have come to associate with events and special occasions at Dumfries House.’
The new venue will allow King’s charity to host five or six large-scale events each week compared to the current average of one or two due to space restrictions, which will highlight the charity’s principles of harmony and sustainability.
Newly-installed heat pumps and biomass boilers will provide heating for the hall and main house respectively, and organic food and the menu will offer locally-sourced produce.
Dumfries House was built between 1754 and 1759 for William Dalrymple, 5th Earl of Dumfries, with Robert Adam the lead architect.
It was extended through east and west wing extensions in 1890 by Robert Weir-Schultz.
Gordon Neil, director of the King’s Foundation said: ‘We’ve used a local quarry to mine the stone and utilised the same building techniques as those used to build Dumfries House 300 years ago, while also incorporating newer techniques and elements that we need to include to meet today’s building standards.
‘The King’s Hall will be a true testament to the impact of His Majesty on Dumfries House and the vital education and employment it provides.’
