An adventurous couple have become the first people to wed on a remote, uninhabited Scottish island.
Jim Lindop, 60, planned the magical wedding on Ailsa Craig, off the South Ayrshire coast, in just four weeks.
And Jim, who has been with partner Angela for 20 years, decided they wanted to do ‘something a bit different’ for the big day.
The retired electronics engineer had to get special permission from the Marquess of Ailsa to hold his dream wedding — and it took some persuading.
It was the first official wedding to have taken place on the island, which was organised along with Glenapp Castle.
Jim said: “It took a little persuasion getting the Marquess of Ailsa, the local registrar and Glenapp Castle to head up Ailsa Craig in mid-winter and with four weeks notice.
“But they admirably rose to the occasion.”
The ceremony was conducted by Caroline Agnew from South Ayrshire Registrars Office.
Bride, Angela 61, donned a pair of sturdy hiking boots and a new lime-green jacket, while the groom was kitted out in ski-wear.
The pair were joined by Roddy Leitch, former Girvan Harbour Master, John Orr, General Manager of the castle and coxswain David Bova.
After a windswept ceremony on December 20, they popped open a bottle of bubbly, heard a history of the island and were shown its only residents — the seals.
Jim said: “We had to get wed in a unique way and thought why not take a boat out? Angela was away at the time but when I told her she said ‘lets do it’.
“We spoke to the registrar who said he couldn’t marry us until 2018 but I told him it had to be this year.
“So we arranged it in four weeks. We had to get permission from the Marquess of Ailsa. It was wonderful.”
Angela, a retired teaching assistant, said: “We have been together for 20 years and both previously been married.
“We have always said we want to get married but it’s just something we have never got around to doing.
“We wanted something a bit different, and we are outdoors, adventurous people.
“Jim rang me and told me about his idea and as soon as he did I knew that was it, that was how we should get married, so he started planning it.
“It was wonderful and magical, the weather was just perfect and the island is so beautiful.
“We started to walk up the hill and then about half we up we decided to stop and that’s where we took our vows.”
The couple from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, travelled north of the border in their campervan, telling only told Angela’s sons and Jim’s daughters about their plans.
Ailsa Craig is home to one of the largest gannet colonies in the world, with thousands of breeding pairs.
It lies about 10 miles off the Scottish coast and is colloquially known as “Paddy’s milestone” because it is half-way between Glasgow and Belfast, as the crow flies.
