A COUPLE have shared the magical moment that they got engaged in a Scots city that ‘stole our hearts’ during their trips visiting.
Shelly Koers and partner Sander Verhoeven visited Edinburgh earlier this month to celebrate their fifth anniversary.
The couple from the Netherlands told of how Scotland was their ‘magical’ place and Sander used the opportunity of visiting to pop the question.
They added how Sandor had got down on one knee whilst at Calton Hill in Edinburgh but incredibly managed to capture the scenes on a drone at the same time.
The clip shows the pair at the summit of the Edinburgh landmark with the duo dressed for hill walking sporting red t-shirts, black trousers and trainers.
Shelly appears shy as Sander gets down on one knee holding a black box in one hand and takes his girlfriend’s in the other.
The drone begins to zoom out to show the Edinburgh landscape surrounding the couple as Shelly covers her mouth in shock at what has just happened.
The Dutch couple are stood next to the Dugald Stewart Monument as Shelley appears to accept Sander’s offer of marriage.
The footage ends with the newly-engaged couple sharing a touching embrace in the city that stole their hearts.
The couple told how Shelly would take five hour train journeys to visit Sander each weekend in the Netherlands after meeting at university in 2018.
The pair travelled up from Newcastle on a motorbike driven by Sander with a quick stop at Glenkinchie distillery before they headed to Edinburgh for the proposal.
Shelly posted on social media last week to share the heartwarming footage, writing: “Finally, I can share this. I got engaged in Edinburgh on my birthday.
“This was literally my dream place.”
The post received over 300 likes and dozens of comments as social media users were quick to offer their congratulations to the pair.
Robin Little wrote: “Congratulations and that is my favorite place in all the world – on top of Calton Hill. Perfect.”
Yvonne Wilson said: “Aw, that’s brilliant. Best wishes from Edinburgh.”
Marcela Helena Jahjah commented: “Wow. This is my dream too. I just need to find my fiancée. Congratulations.”
Renée Solisa-Ruijters added: “I heard about Sander. What a romantic proposal. Congratulations, enjoy all the preparations.”
Speaking today, Shelley said: “We were students in 2018 and we get to travel for free on weekdays. So, I would go to the south of the Netherlands after school and work.
“[I would] be there and went on Monday morning, so I could go to work or my exam project at the end of the day.
“We were in our last year and I was studying photography. I could plan my own exams but sometimes the train had difficulties and one time I was stranded two and a half hours away from him.
“It was very late and I could go home but I would have probably missed the last train at 00:30. He drove two and a half hours to pick me up.
“We have been to Edinburgh before. It stole our hearts. Not only Edinburgh but everything about Scotland is so magical.
“We went for the first time just before COVID 19 took over. It was so sad that we could not travel again to the city for a long time.
“So, we went looking [to visit] this year to go to Edinburgh again.
“Unfortunately, the hotels (and even B&B’s) have gotten so expensive.
“So, we went by boat to Newcastle and went for a day trip to Edinburgh by motorbike – quick stop at Glenkinchie distillery and off to the city.
“We were there only for a couple of hours but really wanted to spend the day in Edinburgh because it was my birthday.
“Little did I know what my boyfriend (now fiancé) had planned.
“First, he wanted to ask me at the castle but they were busy removing everything from the Military Tattoo.
“So, he changed plans and asked me at Calton Hill.
“It was the place I had in mind for when the time would come. I’m still flabbergasted.”
Shelly and Sanders are now planning to honeymoon in Scotland and are excited to plan their wedding.
