A SCOTS couple hiked over five hours uphill in the early hours of the morning so they could get married on top of the UK’s tallest peak.
Natalie and Neil Buchan left ground level at 5am in the pitch black last week so they could exchange their vows on top of Ben Nevis in the Scottish Highlands.
The loved-up pair from South Lanarkshire were adamant atop the 4,413ft mountain was the only place for them after meeting at the same spot exactly two years to the day before the wedding.
It was also where Neil, 40, got down on one knee on September 19 last year to ask for Natalie’s hand in marriage.
Neil, a wagon driver, wore full regalia including his kilt, sporran, and thick socks with tartan flashes as he hiked.
However, transport planner Natalie, 38, opted to put on her waterproofs on the day due to the weather after initially planning to wear her white wedding dress for the nuptials.
The newlyweds were joined by several friends who also braved the weather conditions to hike the mountain so they could be part of Natalie and Neil’s special day.
Images show the couple exchanging their vows in a humanist ceremony before returning back to ground level so Natalie could put on her wedding dress to take part in a handfasting ceremony.
Speaking today, Natalie said: “We met on Ben Nevis in 2020, I was going through a divorce and came up to Scotland to get away and ended up meeting Neil.
“We both love the outdoors and of course we met here [Ben Nevis] so it is a very special place for us.
“We actually met, got engaged and married all on September 19 so that date will always be special.
“Our friends were a bit surprised when we told them our wedding location but a lot of them said they would give it a go.
“It’s an achievement in itself to climb Ben Nevis but then when people got to the summit they realised they were also there for our wedding.
“I ended up getting married in my waterproofs because as it was raining we held a second part, the handfasting ceremony at the shipwreck for our parents.
“It was a bit stressful but overall it was great and we were impressed with our friends making it to the top.
“We then loved our honeymoon on Skye, we went for 12 days.
Natalie added: “If anyone else was thinking of having their wedding on Ben Nevis I would say go for it, it is different and unique, you’ll never forget it.”
The couple arranged their unique wedding through Wild Scottish Weddings, a company that offers an alternative to traditional weddings and civil ceremonies for people who love the outdoors.
Sarah Cormack, who owns the company, today said: “We were delighted to help Natalie and Neil plan and guide their unique wedding.
“We loved their back story about how they met and got engaged on top of Ben Nevis and wanted to help them achieve their dream of getting married there too which they did, with their family and friends by their side!”
Ben Nevis is the United Kingdom’s highest mountain and is climbed by over 150,000 people annually.
