Unusual corporate and wedding venues don’t get much more unusual than Edinburgh Zoo, although I’m not sure the chimps were as overwhelmed with seeing me as I was with seeing their Budongo home as a reception venue.
I visited Edinburgh Zoo for a tour around their function rooms on a balmy Edinburgh evening and was instantly reminded of just how wonderful a setting it is.
The Mansion House is home to the centre piece of the Zoo’s function suites and is home to the more traditional side of things. To the front of the house is a large enclosed lawn suitable for elegant outdoor receptions and barbecues, whilst inside the house a wood paneled entrance hall and stairway lead to light and airy reception rooms.
On the ground floor the Gillespie and Geddes Rooms combine to make a large L-shaped space, making them ideal for a meeting followed by lunch or banquet followed by dancing.
The MacMillan Room is the showstopper of the Mansion House. The room is flooded with light the vast bay windows which give a breathtaking view across the zoo to the Pentland Hills.
The Mansion House Library is a real step back in time, with wooden shelves housing ancient tomes and a beautiful boardroom/dining room table.
There are also numerous other rooms which can be used for anything from break-out to dressing/green rooms and smaller meeting rooms.
The Budongo Boardroom and Theatre are a real talking point, but it’s not just the fact that they look onto the chimpanzee enclosure that makes them so special. Both spaces are highly functional, with air conditioning and a fully-integrated AV system included free of charge.
No trip to the Zoo is complete without a wander around the gardens and open spaces, so you can have an evening peak at the pandas or a chatter with the chimps at your leisure.
Parking and access couldn’t be easier. The Zoo is on well sign posted on one of the main routes into Edinburgh and has its own car park has space for 500 cars.
Capacities
Gillespie: Theatre 90, Classroom 30, Banquet 60, Boardroom 30, U-Shape 25
Geddes: Theatre 40, Classroom 20, Banquet 40, Boardroom 30, Cabaret 40
Gillespie & Geddes Combined: Banquet 100, Reception 120
MacMillan: Banquet 60, Reception 100, Theatre 90, Boardroom 30, Cabaret 40
Keith: Banquet 12, Boardroom 12
Library: Banquet 20, Boardroom 20
Salveson: Theatre 40, Classroom 40, Banquet 24, Boardroom 24
Lecture Theatre: Theatre 70, Reception 50, Cabaret 80, Classroom 80
Budongo Boardroom: Boardroom 12
Penguins Café: Occasional Seating 50
Jungle Café: Dinner Dance 250, Reception 300, Cabaret 200
Education Centre Lecture Theatre: Theatre 180
Contact Details
134 Corstorphine Road
Edinburgh
EH12 6TS
Telephone +44 (0)131 314 0336
