Wedding guest killed in grounds of Fingask Castle

TRAGEDY: Victim ‘was school friend of couple who wed’

Tributes have been paid to a Fife man who was killed in the grounds of a Perthshire castle while attending a wedding.

The 29-year-old, who was named locally as Steven Keddie from Cupar, is believed to be a friend of bride Emma Taylor and her longterm partner Gavin Bissett, who wed at the 16th Century Fingask Castle on Saturday.

He died after the car he was travelling in left the castle’s narrow, twisting main drive, which emerges on to the public roads between Rait and Kilspindie, at around 5.40pm on the wedding day.

Mark Bissett, father of the groom, said although the wedding reception continued, celebrations were cut short.

He said: “Gavin wanted to cancel it but I told him no, Steven wouldn’t have wanted it. “It’s all a bit numb.” Popular Steven worked at Cutting Edge hair salon in Cupar.

One neighbour said: “He was so well liked – a smashing laddie.”

A man killed in a crash at a wedding at a historic Perthshire castle was a childhood friend of the bride and groom.

The 29-year-old, who was named locally as hairdresser Steven Keddie, from Cupar, had attended the event at Fingask Castle both as a guest and to style the bride’s hair.

He died after the car he was travelling in left the castle’s narrow, twisting main drive, which emerges on to the public roads between Rait and Kilspindie, and overturned on Saturday.

Yesterday tyre tracks could be seen on the road surface leading from a verge on one side to a damaged hedge on the other where the accident appears to have occurred. Another track behind the hedge was cordoned off with police tape.

Steven, who was known to friends by his surname, is believed to have known bride Emma Taylor and groom Gavin Bissett since their school days.

The crash happened shortly after the wedding breakfast had finished, at around 5.40pm.

Yesterday Mark Bissett, father of the groom, said his son wanted to call off the remainder of the event after hearing of the incident but was persuaded to continue.

He said: “I think he (Steven) had just nipped away for something.

“We tried to keep it quiet for a bit to give the police time to let Keddie’s parents know. After that we quietly went round people to let them know.

“Gavin wanted to cancel it but I told him no, Steven wouldn’t have wanted it.

“The band was already set up, so we just went for it.

“We were meant to be here (at the castle) until tomorrow and having a barbecue today, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. “It’s all a bit numb.” He added that there were two other guests in the car with Steven.

He said: “The other two boys were taken to hospital for a check-up, but they didn’t come back to the wedding.

“As far as I know Keddie hadn’t been drinking.

“I don’t think he drank much – even in London on the stag do he wasn’t drinking that much.”

Fingask Castle was built in 1592 and expanded in the 19th Century. It is famed for its topiary gardens, which make it a popular venue for weddings.

Steven, who worked at Cutting Edge in Cupar, died when his car left the castle’s main drive.

Pictures: Steve MacDougall/Callysnapper. Mr Keddie, above, who worked at Cutting Edge salon, died in his car on the main castle driveway.