Scotland Trip of 2008, the Wedding of Andy and Becca

We were very fortunate to be have been able to make our third annual trip to the UK this year. This time was to celebrate the wedding of Rebecca Barnetson and Andrew Duncan. But first, we had to get through the 3 connecting flights and 2 long layovers courtesy of our Delta frequent flyer miles. The longest layover was in Amsterdam, so we took advantage of this and spent a day in the city. It was wonderful to see that Amsterdam has an amazing commuter bike system in place and most people don't even use their cars in the city! We also brushed up on our WWII history as we took a tour of the Anne Frank Huis.

Next stop. . .Bishop Monkton of course! It's always a great place to recover from the jet lag with Rob's gracious family. Between the homes of Jane and Johnny Heller and Chris and John Feeny, we were able to really catch up on some well needed sleep and enjoy wonderful meals, and fun games of Scrabble!

After a week of getting over jet lag, we set off for Becca and Andy's wedding in Loch Tay, Scotland. Being the outdoor enthusiasts that they are. . . on the morning of their wedding, both of them took out groups of wedding guests for a day of hiking Tarmachan Ridge or sailing on Loch Tay. Rob and I went with Andy up Tarmachan Ridge.

For those of you who have done any hiking in the central highlands of Scotland, you'll know how windy it can get even on the best of days. We really gained an appreciation for the terms "gale force winds" and "bracing winds" as we got closer and closer to the summit.

We found some shelter from the wind at the top and were really glad to have had such a wonderful day for the hike. Andy (third from the left in this photo below) 2 hours before he is to marry Becca.

Everyone cleaned up quite nicely as can be evidenced by the following photos. This is Andy with his mother just before the ceremony.

Andy and Becca with the celebrant signing the official papers.

We thought this was great. . . an arch of ice axes for the bride and groom.

This photo with all the guests and wedding party gathered together on the pier took some effort to organize but the final result seemed worth it. Andy and Becca truly did look like a pair of Cheshire cats:)

We learned a lot about the more traditional Scottish weddings, the different types of kilts and the ceilidh. Everyone had such a good time. It was one of the most fun weddings we've ever been to. And Rob actually kept getting up and asking me to dance! Here's a photo of Simon and Ross Barnetson and John and Chris Corson.

The Barnetson brothers and John Corson, a.k.a. Duncan.