A wedding to float your boat
A Spean Bridge couple made waves last Thursday when they paddled round Loch Linnhe before tying the knot in Fort William Municipal Gardens, writes Fiona Scott.
Seb Shingler and Heidi Schwenk were granted a special dispensation, due to exceptional family circumstances, which allowed their nuptials to take place during lockdown.
After jumping into their canoe at West Highland College UHI, where Heidi works as a lecturer in adventure studies, the outdoors-loving couple and their dog Freya travelled around the shore to the Municipal Gardens near the Yacht Club, where they took their vows. Speaking to the Lochaber Times this week Seb, who works for Highlands and Islands Enterprise, said: ‘The whole day was absolutely amazing.
‘We both love the outdoors and do a lot of walking and canoeing so it seemed the right thing to do.
‘Heidi’s work colleagues had arranged to line the shore, socially distanced, to see us off and there was a piper playing too, which was just wonderful.
‘We were a bit concerned about Freya as she had never been on the canoe before.
‘We had a training session with her the Tuesday before the wedding though and she was just fine. We would both like to thank everyone involved in making our special day even more special.’
Following an intimate ceremony, witnessed by two friends and presided over by Fort William registrar ??, all those present took part in a quaich ceremony before travelling to Glen Nevis and Old Inverlochy Castle for a few photographs taken by John Paul Peebles from Abrightside Photography.
At the time of going to print, marriages in the Highland council area are postponed until further notice.