OUR 50th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

We were married 50 years ago today.  I came to 'do Europe' and stayed! 

We were married in Gairloch, Wester Ross in the north of Scotland where Iain's parents lived. Although Iain's  parents spent their working life in Glasgow they retired back to the highlands and settled in the place where Iain's mother, Barbara  MacLeod, nee MacKenzie was born and raised.  Iain's father, Donald MacLeod, was from Achiltibuie.

  Left to right: Iain's mother, his father and then my mother, Margaret Booth.

Iain's sister, Iseabail, and I leaving the house 'Conival' for the church.  We were married in the Church of Scotland which is located opposite the golf course in Gairloch.

 I was given away by Iain's uncle, Kennth, father of Eleanor with whom we are still in touch.

Iain's friend Tom Morrison attended the wedding along with 59 other MacLeod guests.  Tom and his wife Joan, also at the wedding, will be joining us next week for a celebratory dinner.

Left to right: Iain, me, our Best Man John MacLeod, Broadford in Skye and Iseabail.  They will be joining us next week for dinner too.

My mother and I

The ceilidh after the meal at the Drumchork Hotel, Aultbea which was run by Iain's mother's cousin Helen and her husband Johnnie MacLean.

 Celebratory toast.

Iain making Iseabail laugh at the meal.  Of note is the Mateus Rose wine we had at the meal ... all very 1960s!

Today, while in Waitrose buying a little something for our evening meal I actually found some Mateus Rose!   I just had to buy these small bottles ... a trip down memory lane! 

The wire birds are something I have had for years. I brought them out thinking that the day could not go by without some sort of statement....

However... when looking for the wedding photos above, mostly taken by John Scott* at our wedding using his ordinary 1960s camera, I came across the following:

It is a Bible that the minister who married us presented at the completion of the ceremony.

M-m-m-m ... just as well I opened it up!  Look at the date!

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* John has been in touch today and sent his best wishes and some photos including the recent one of Gairloch above.  John absolutely saved the day for us with these coloured photos as the photographer obtained for the occasion did not produce the goods for whatever reason.  The black and white photo at the start is one that we took a couple of weeks later at a studio in Glasgow when Iain rushed out in his lunch hour and I took along my (borrowed!) bridal gown.