Its soaring peaks and gurgling burns have been the backdrop for countless romances in literature, films and real life.
asserted
peaks → soar → literature
Little wonder then that Scotland’s castles, stately homes and other quaint wedding venues have proved to be a magnet for globetrotting couples looking to tie the knot in a fairytale setting.
asserted
castles → prove → setting
New figures from the National Records of Scotland show that 6,596 of the 27,191 weddings held last year involved non-Scottish residents.
asserted
6,596 → show → residents
Chihon Ley Polanco from Chile, and Ana-Maria Bucatari from Moldova, opted for the Isle of Arran to hold their romantic beach ceremony in August.
asserted
Polanco → opt → August
The couple first met in 2018 through a dance society at the University of Edinburgh, where they were both students.
asserted
they → meet → Edinburgh
They said they ‘fell in love’ with the mountainous island at first sight, as it contained the ‘complete scenery of Scotland’.
asserted
it → say → Scotland
Americans Hayden and Savannah Aanderudare among thousands of people who chose to marry in Scotland despite not living here
asserted
who → choose → Scotland
Gretna accounted for more than half of Scotland’s destination weddings
asserted
Gretna → account → weddings
Ley said: ‘You feel that you’re in a magical place.
asserted
you → say → place
It’s very unique.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
‘We’re from two different continents but Scotland is where we met and where we built our life together.’
asserted
we → ’re → life
The couple’s wedding saw family and friends arrive from all over the world, with parts of the ceremony translated into Spanish and Russian for relatives travelling from Chile and Moldova.
asserted
parts → see → Chile
Another international congregation celebrated the marriage of Americans Hayden and Savannah Aanderud on Scottish soil.
asserted
congregation → celebrate → soil
They felt comfortable arriving in Scotland just two days before they got hitched, thanks to a home-grown wedding industry that makes planning from abroad straightforward.
asserted
planning → feel → industry
The couple chose Carlowrie Castle near Edinburgh for the ceremony, and were drawn not only by the scenery but also by a sense of history.
asserted
couple → choose → history
Savannah said: ‘Scotland has this combination of lovely countryside, beauty and history.
asserted
Scotland → say → countryside
‘You don’t get a lot of historical venues in the United States like you do here.
asserted
you → get → States
‘Scotland is like nothing we’ve ever seen before.
asserted
we → see → nothing
We were just blown away by how beautiful everything was.’
asserted
everything → blow → ?
Many of their guests turned the wedding into a longer holiday, extending their stays to explore Scotland and even joining the couple on their honeymoon in the Highlands afterwards.
However, no other location attracts more visiting couples than Gretna Green.
asserted
location → turn → Green
Of the 6,596 marriages involving non-Scottish residents last year, 3,492 took place in the Dumfriesshire village, meaning that it alone accounted for more than half of Scotland’s destination weddings.
asserted
it → involve → weddings
It was Gretna’s reputation that appealed to Patryk and Angelika Klimorowski, both 27, who travelled from north-west England to tie the knot there.
asserted
who → appeal → knot
They first met when they were 15, when Patryk’s parents moved to England from Poland, and one of the first things they bonded over was the 1996 film Loch Ness.
asserted
they → meet → things
Years later, their shared movie favourite took on new significance when Patryk proposed on the shores of the loch.
asserted
Patryk → share → loch
Their connection to Scotland first started on a road trip in 2021, and they have regularly returned to explore the Highlands and celebrate their anniversaries in Edinburgh.
asserted
they → start → Edinburgh
This year alone they have travelled north of the Border every two months – and both say they feel a deep connection to Scotland.
asserted
they → travel → Scotland
Angelika said: ‘It’s not home, but it feels like a home away from home.’
asserted
it → say → home
The Aporia
