The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Man proposes to girlfriend on Queensferry Crossing
UK’s tallest bridge will now hold a special place in Perthshire couple’s heart
These images show the moment a Perthshire couple got engaged on the UK’s tallest bridge.
Mark McDonald got down on one knee in the unique surroundings of the under-construction Queensferry Crossing to propose to his partner, Carrie Taylor.
The pair had secured a rare “educational tour” of the huge structure connecting Fife and Edinburgh on Saturday for what she was told was a 30th birthday treat.
Last night Miss Taylor, of Stanley, said the 1.7-mile Queensferry Crossing would hold a special place in their hearts forever following the “huge surprise”.
She added both she and Mr McDonald have been fascinated by the construction of the new bridge which, once completed, will be the longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridge on the planet.
Miss Taylor added: “It was Saturday, which was my 30th birthday. He asked me what I wanted to do in the morning. In the evening I was going out with my sister.
“I said I wanted to go through to Edinburgh to get breakfast. He took this detour when we got off the Forth Road Bridge and went into Queensferry Visitor Centre.
“I was really nervous. I thought he was going there to take me bungee-jumping off the bridge.
“I just didn’t expect anything. My 30th birthday was going good, going over the tallest bridge in the UK. I thought that was great.”
The pair were given a briefing by senior staff before embarking on the “one-off” visit, and were kitted out in safety gear including high-vis jackets and hard hats. When they offered to have their photo taken, Miss Taylor realised quickly that a video was being recorded instead.
She added: “Mark got down on one knee and asked to marry me. It wasn’t the outfit I would have chosen. I said ‘can I take my gloves off?’
“I had no idea it was coming. Mark sort of double-bluffed me. He said it was too cliche to do it on my birthday.
“At the time I was just in complete shock.
“It was a really special moment. Certainly nobody else can say they got proposed to on the Queensferry Crossing.”
Mr McDonald, 33, is an SSE compliance auditor with a love of engineering who finds the crossing “fascinating”.
He had secured Miss Taylor’s mum’s wedding ring, and had it fitted with an emerald.
Miss Taylor, who works as a regional support manager for a private healthcare provider, added her son, Taylor, 8, was delighted at the news.
A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “As a one-off it was nice to help out this lovely couple and provide a unique backdrop for a surprise proposal.
“We wish them all the very best for their future.”
The crossing is due to be finished between mid-July and the end of August.
Its towers will be 656ft high upon completion.
Mark sort of double-bluffed me. He said it was too cliche to do it on my birthday. CARRIE TAYLOR
Of all the things the Queensferry Crossing can lay claim to, being the chosen site for a marriage proposal is surely not something the engineers could have imagined.
It’s on its way to being the longest three-tower, cablestayed bridge on the planet, now it will have an added meaning for one happy couple, who have chosen quite a monument to the memory of the day they got engaged. And why not? It’s quite fitting really. A little bit of love builds plenty of bridges.