The Wedding

We were privileged to stay at The Keepers Cottage on the grounds of the castle, the waters of Loch Dunvegan but a stone’s throw from the front door; the MacLeod Tables across the loch. And legend has it that the Chief of Clan MacLeod hosted a lunch for King James V on top of Healabhal Beag, the higher mountain.
We were also privileged to be welcomed into the family and felt especially so in the tapestried halls with sworded clan chiefs and stag’s heads.
A piper piped us into the castle. I felt mildly undressed in my suit and tie, but proud of my “tartan” waistcoat and shiny veldskoens; groom and his party all in MacLeod tartan.
The humanist ceremony took place beneath the famous Am Bratach Sith (The Fairy Flag of Dunvegan), one of the clan MacLeod’s most treasured possessions. Probably from Syria or Rhodes and woven of silk in the 4th century AD, legend has it that this sacred clan banner has miraculous powers - when unfurled in battle, the clan would invariably snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Of course, other legends abound.
The ceilidh took place in the community hall, decorated by family and friends before the wedding. And the bride and groom jumped over the witch’s broom! What a party.Read more