Bound together in Iron Age style Celtic love ceremony as Royals wed
The Scottish Crannog Centre on Loch Tay It may be a far cry from Windsor Castle, but lovedup couples will have the chance to renew their devotion on the same day as the Royal Wedding in a special way in Perthshire.
The Scottish Crannog Centre by Loch Tay in Kenmore, site of a reconstructed Iron Age thatched roundhouse, is offering a nonreligious ‘handfasting’ ceremony to celebrate Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tying the knot on Saturday, May 19.
Couples visiting the heritage centre will have the opportunity to pledge their love or renew their wedding vows around the fire of the magical Crannog loch dwelling, drink a love potion from a quaich and jump the broom, a traditional Scottish marriage custom.
Graham Liney, a registered celebrant and one of the heritage centre museum’s Iron Age interpreters, will be conducting the 5-10 minute handfasting ceremonies throughout the day.
Graham, a member of Faith in Diversity, ordinarily works in the Crannog gift shop.
He told the PA he’s overjoyed to be the celebrant for the Pagan renewal ritual: “On a day when love and commitment are being celebrated, it’s fantastic to be able to offer couples the opportunity to renew their vows and their love for each other – and you can’t get a much more unique venue to do this in than the Crannog Roundhouse.”
The hands of couples will be tied with a cord of hand-dyed wool, spun and woven on site at the Crannog. They will take their ceremonial fastening away with them as a souvenir.
Graham added: “A handfasting is a binding together of two people who are already together, its often called a meadow wedding.
“Each letter of the Celtic alphabet, the Ogham, is based on the names of native trees, so for the handbinding ceremony, we’ll ask couples to write their own renewal vows and I will use the trees - alder, birch, hazel - of the Celtic alphabet to spell out their names.”
Spring buds will add to the atmosphere of romance, with Iron Age interpreters making flower garlands for the happy couples.
Frances Collinson, curator at the Scottish Crannog Centre, added: “Meghan and Harry have given us an excuse to celebrate love.
“You don’t have to be any kind of Royalist to do this, just feel like telling someone special in your life you are always there for them.”
To make it happen, all you have to do is visit the centre on May 19 and ask to join in the celebrations.
The Scottish Crannog Centre opens at 10am. For more information on the Celtic tradition of handfasting, call on 01887 830583. Kirk and Kate demonstrate ‘handfasting’ a ritual to renew wedding vows