Quiraing, Isle of Skye, Scotland Spring elopement
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The Quiraing, located on the northernmost part of the Trotternish Ridge on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, is a dramatic and iconic landscape known for its surreal and otherworldly beauty. Its rugged terrain features sharp ridges, rolling grassy slopes, towering cliffs, and unique rock formations like the Needle, the Prison, and the Table, which create a mystical atmosphere that draws adventurers, photographers, and couples like Maggie and Justin seeking a romantic and wild elopement destination.
Why Did the Couple Choose the Isle of Skye for Their Elopement?
From Maggie & Justin: We chose Scotland because of the beautiful countryside, rich culture and history along with the vast open expanses of wilderness. Maggie and I love to hike and be outside and Scotland offers that in abundance. Each day and each location we traveled too brought with it new and breathtaking adventure, wide open spaces and vistas we only ever dreamed of seeing. Combine this with the castles, monuments, and iconic landmarks it is truly a magical place to be.
We love the outdoors, hiking and being immersed in nature. An Elopement to Skye was the best way to capture remote and magical scenery and be in a seemingly untouched landscape. With breathtaking mountains, lochs, and wide open spaces Skye provides near limitless opportunities for adventure and exploring.
Our families live states apart with multiple members unable to travel. The thought of planning two weddings seemed daunting to us. With that in mind we decided to focus on celebrating our love both for each other and of the outdoors. Oli and Steph made it possible to capture this adventure and bring it home to share with our families.
What Makes This the Isle of Skye Special for Elopements?
From Maggie & Justin: The People! The locals of Skye are some of the kindest and most welcoming people. Everyone banded together to help make our day special and nearly everyone has a friend or acquaintance to help get you what you need or point you in the right direction. It truly is a close knit community of kind and helpful people which was exactly what we were looking for.
Can You Get Legally Married in Scotland?
Yes, you can have a legal ceremony here, which is what Maggie & Justin chose as well.
What Sustainability Considerations Were Made (if any) For This Elopement in the Isle of Skye?
From Maggie & Justin: Yes! For our shawl we went with recycled wool, our caterer Creatures of Habit Cakery used all recyclable materials, utensil, tinned water, etc. We used recyclable and reusable containers as much as possible throughout our trip. Many shops and businesses in Scotland sell water in glass bottles which is exponentially better than utilizing plastic.
Did the Couple Incorporate Any Cultural Aspects of Scotland into Their Elopement?
From Maggie & Justin: Yes! We chose to do a traditional handfasting for our ceremony and had a local shop Ceothas Cords make our handfasting cords! We also chose to have a piper, munrobagpiper, present for our ceremony which we highly recommend! There is nothing like the sound of bagpipes echoing throughout the hills.
What Was the Couple’s Experience with Getting Married on The Isle of Skye During the month of April?
From Maggie & Justin: this was a beautiful time to be on Skye. It is the beginning of spring so the colors are vibrant, the flowers are just starting to bloom but the weather is very mild and the dreaded midges have not come out yet! Weather on Skye can be unpredictable and we had some rain showers to contend with but overall the temperatures were very mild and we actually had several days of sunshine!
From Oli & Steph: If you want to explore the main areas of the Quiraing, we would recommend visiting the Quiraing at sunrise, or later in the day. The busiest season is May-September, and the island is becoming quieter outside of these times. However, during the summer season, the Quiraing is vivid greens which look incredible.
What Are the Best Tips for Planning an Elopement On the Isle of Skye?
From Maggie & Justin: Hands down our single biggest tip is to hire Oli and Steph Photography. They served as wedding planners, location guides, introduced us to all of our vendors, got us headed in the right direction on how to start the process for a legal ceremony and guided us all along the way. It is an absolute must to hire a locally based company that you can trust to guide you through the many steps in this process. We highly recommend Oli and Steph as they were absolutely phenomenal throughout our entire process and made our day and everything leading up to it as easy and fantastic as possible.
From Oli & Steph, the photographers (local to the area): Choose accommodation that is close to your ceremony location to reduce drive time on your day. Don’t try to cram in too many locations, have plenty of time in your schedule to relax on the day, and come for at least 4-5 days, there is lots to do on Skye!
Find some local suppliers who can do alot of the planning for you. We did a destination elopement ourselves, and we know how overwhelming it can feel at the start, so get as much help as you can. Local suppliers will know the best time of day to visit locations and how to give you the best experience.
How Did the Couple Personalize Their Elopement?
From Maggie & Justin: We worked with our celebrant Onie Tibbitt who really took the time to get to know us and craft a beautiful and truly unique to us ceremony that brought us to tears on our day. She also made us vow scrolls and a keepsake copy of the ceremony. We worked with Ceotha’s to have hand crafted cords with specific colors and charms that held significance for us and the bonds that bind our relationship and represent our commitment to one another. Scotland can be a bit chilly this time of year so we also worked with Tartan Blanket Co to have a beautiful and quite warm Tartan shawl made for Maggie to keep her warm when the wind picked up.
What Challenges Did the Couple Face While Planning Their Elopement in Scotland, and How Did They Overcome Them?
From Maggie & Justin: The biggest challenge was without a doubt the legal process. You have to start early and be sure to check the process with your local country and contact the government office where you intend to get married as well. You will need several pieces of specific documentation and many submittals are time dependent. That said, the Portree Registrars office who we worked with to get married on Skye were absolutely lovely and extremely helpful each time we needed to get in touch.
What Were the Most Memorable Moments from This Elopement?
From Maggie & Justin: All of it! We chose to do a 12 hour all day adventure running across Skye. Oli and Steph coordinated everything and were with us each step of the way. We started our day at the Cuillin Hills Hotel with Hair and makeup from Bonny’s Wonderland followed by our first look across the Portree Bay, then Oli and Steph drove us to the Quiraing for our ceremony with breathtaking views. We hiked further up the Quiraing for photos and to really take in he scenery while listening to munrobagpiper play. We had a beautiful picnic lunch from Creatures of Habit Cakery and then proceeded to Sligachan and finished the night out with low light lantern shots around castle ruins on the cliff face over the water.
Why Is the Isle of Skye One of the Best Places to Get Married in Europe?
From Maggie & Justin: Skye is one of the most magical places we have ever been. The scenery is truly epic, Portree has all of the modern comforts you would expect yet retains it’s quaint historic charm and the landscape somehow remains untouched and feels like it must have 100 years ago. The people are extremely kind and welcoming and by themselves make the destination worth the visit!
From Oli & Steph: We love the Quiraing because it is one of the most unique locations in the UK. It feels like a backdrop from the Lord of the Rings, absolutely magical. Although it’s a very popular location on Skye, there are so many different areas to explore, so no matter the time of year we can find quieter spots and new compositions.
