Once-in-a-lifetime moment for happy couple

A blushing bride-to-be from Strathaven is walking on air after her romantic proposal on the new Queensferry Crossing went viral.

Fiona Mckinnon (33) told the Advertiser she was bombarded with messages from wellwishers when photos of her big moment were shared by a bystander on social media – before she even had a chance to tell her family and friends.

After 18 months together, fiancé Stuart Neilson, (26), popped the question during the “once-in-alifetime” Queensferry Crossing Experience to celebrate the opening of the UK’S tallest bridge.

The happy couple were lucky enough to be selected among 50,000 people in a ballot to walk across the £1.3 billion road bridge ahead of its opening weekend.

Fiona, an accountancy firm team leader, said: “I couldn’t believe it when Stuart went down on one knee. We had been joking about it the whole way across because the experience was such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity but I wasn’t expecting him to actually do it. My mum kept saying to him it would be a good time to do it before we left.

“When I realised it had been shared all over Facebook I panicked a bit because I hadn’t even told anyone yet, but I think this made it even more special. Our phones have been going crazy since.

“All my friends were saying I was famous and not everyone gets a proposal like that. I just wish I wasn’t crying in all the pics!”

After winning tickets in the ballot, the former Strathaven Academy pupils decided to make the most of their trip and booked a hotel in Edinburgh for the weekend.

But unbeknown to Fiona, plumber Stuart had even bigger plans. Describing the surprise proposal, Fiona said: “I didn’t suspect a thing because he didn’t seem nervous at any point in the day.

“As we were joking about asking a big question, we got to the third column near the end of the walk and he said ‘I actually do have one more question to ask you’ and pulled out a small red box and said: ‘Will you marry me, I love you’.

“I couldn’t believe it, I just shouted: ‘Oh my God yes I will!’ I was hysterical. Getting to do the walk was amazing in itself never mind the proposal – I loved it. He picked the ring himself and it’s exactly what I would have wanted.

“There were a few folk around us who clapped and said congratulations and took pictures – it was very special.”

The lovebirds met two years ago while walking their dogs in Strathaven and are now looking forward to planning a winter wedding close to home after moving in together.

Getting to do the walk was amazing...never mind the proposal